PS Comet
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The replica of PS Comet in Port Glasgow town centre shows the elongated paddle boxes over the two paddle wheels on each side. |
The
paddle steamer PS Comet was built for
Henry Bell, hotel and baths owner in
Helensburgh, and began a passenger service in
1812 on the
River Clyde between
Glasgow and
Greenock, the first commercially successful steamboat service in
Europe.
Bell had become interested in steam propelled boats, corresponded with
Robert Fulton and learnt from the
Charlotte Dundas. In
1811 he got Messrs John Wood and Co., shipbuilders,
Port Glasgow, to build a paddle steamer which was named the
Comet after the "
Great Comet" of 1811. The 28 ton craft was 45 feet long and 10 feet broad. It had two paddle wheels on each side, driven by engines rated at three horse power (or perhaps 4 hp.): at a later date the twin paddlewheels were replaced by a single paddlewheel on each side. The two engines were made by John Robertson of Glasgow, and the boiler by
David Napier, Camlachlie, Glasgow: a story has it that they were evolved from an experimental little steam engine which Bell installed to pump sea water into the Helensburgh Baths. The funnel was tall and thin, and a yardarm allowed it to support a sail when there was a following wind. A tiny cabin aft had wooden seats and a table.
In August 1812 Bell advertised in local newspapers;
THE STEAMBOAT
Comet BETWEEN GLASGOW, GREENOCK AND HELENSBURGH FOR PASSENGERS ONLY
:The subscriber, having at much expense, fitted up a handsome vessel to ply upon the River Clyde from Glasgow, to sail by the power of air, wind, and steam, intends that the vessel shall leave the Broomielaw on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays about mid-day, or such hour thereafter as may answer from the state of the tide, and to leave Greenock on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the morning to suit the tide.
The fare was "four shillings for the best cabin, and three shillings for the second."
In 1812 the
Comet made a delivery voyage from
Port Glasgow (a town just to the east of Greenock) 21 miles upriver to the Broomielaw, Glasgow, then sailed from
Glasgow the 24 miles down to
Greenock, making five miles an hour against a head-wind.
(some sources give a date of January 18 1812 for a trial trip, McCrorie gives August 6 1812 for the delivery, with the historic trip a day or so later) The success of this service quickly inspired competition, with services down the
Firth of Clyde and the sea lochs to
Largs,
Rothesay,
Campbeltown and
Inveraray within four years, and the
Comet was outclassed by newer steamers. Bell briefly tried a service on the
Firth of Forth. Then he had the
Comet lengthened and re-engined and from September
1819 ran a service to
Oban and
Fort William (via the
Crinan Canal) a trip which took four days, but in
1820 the Comet was shipwrecked in strong currents at Craignish Point near Oban. (One of the engines ended its working days in a Greenock brewery, and is now in The Science Museum in
London). Although Bell built a second
Comet this was not a success.
A replica of the
Comet made by shipyard apprentices now stands prominently in
Port Glasgow.
*
Significant Scots - Henry Bell*
A history of the growth of the steam-engine*
Greenock Telegraph Online*
RSA Treasure Trails - The Science Museum*
Clyde Pleasure Steamers Ian McCrorie, Orr, Pollock & Co. Ltd., Greenock, ISBN 1-869850-00-9
