Phoenix (boat)
Encyclopedia
The Phoenix was a steamboat
that was built in 1807 by John Stevens
and his son, Robert L. Stevens, at Hoboken
, New Jersey
.
Phoenix was 50 feet (15.2 m) long, 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and 7 feet (2.1 m) deep. It had a single screw propeller, and had 25 cabin berths and additional 12 berths in steerage.
Originally built to sail from New Brunswick
, New Jersey, to New York City
, Phoenix became the first steamboat to sail the open ocean, from New York to Philadelphia, in June 1809. The reason for this journey was that the restrictions placed on Stevens by the New York steamboat monopoly held by Robert Fulton
and Robert Livingston
meant that he could not operate profitably. Stevens decided to risk a journey over the open ocean so that he could operate on the Delaware river
.
The journey was hazardous, and a schooner accompanying Phoenix was driven off by a storm. Phoenix made harbor at Barnegat, New Jersey, and after waiting several days for the storm to subside, eventually sailed around New Jersey and up the Delaware river.
Following the journey, Phoenix made her first trip on the Delaware between Philadelphia and Trenton
, on July 5, 1809.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
that was built in 1807 by John Stevens
John Stevens (inventor)
Col. John Stevens, III was an American lawyer, engineer and an inventor.-Life and career:Born the son of John Stevens , a prominent New Jersey politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, and Elizabeth Alexander, daughter of New York lawyer and statesman James Alexander. His...
and his son, Robert L. Stevens, at Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Phoenix was 50 feet (15.2 m) long, 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and 7 feet (2.1 m) deep. It had a single screw propeller, and had 25 cabin berths and additional 12 berths in steerage.
Originally built to sail from New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, New Jersey, to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Phoenix became the first steamboat to sail the open ocean, from New York to Philadelphia, in June 1809. The reason for this journey was that the restrictions placed on Stevens by the New York steamboat monopoly held by Robert Fulton
Robert Fulton
Robert Fulton was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
and Robert Livingston
Robert Livingston (1746-1813)
Robert R Livingston was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat from New York, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was known as "The Chancellor," after the office he held for 25 years....
meant that he could not operate profitably. Stevens decided to risk a journey over the open ocean so that he could operate on the Delaware river
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
.
The journey was hazardous, and a schooner accompanying Phoenix was driven off by a storm. Phoenix made harbor at Barnegat, New Jersey, and after waiting several days for the storm to subside, eventually sailed around New Jersey and up the Delaware river.
Following the journey, Phoenix made her first trip on the Delaware between Philadelphia and Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, on July 5, 1809.