When was paddle steamer invented

Five of them fought a superior force of Royal Navy warships, leading many to suppose, quite incorrectly, that the Chinese had copied the paddle wheel from western ships. This mode of transport survived on Chinese rivers well into the 20th century. In Europe the idea of constructing a paddle-wheel boat appears in several old manuscripts which date back to the 15th century, and such a mode of transport probably dates back much further.

However, the first recorded use of them was in when, manned by a crew of 40 working on capstans or treadmills, some were employed as tugs in Barcelona and Malaga harbours, and treadmill paddle boats were still in regular use on the River Loire at the start of the 19th century. A Chinese paddle-wheel warship. The paddle wheels, two on each side, were worked by treadmills within the hull.

View all related items in Oxford Reference ». Search for: 'paddle-wheel boat' in Oxford Reference ». The Keno now occupies a berth in Dawson City. In Edmonton, the Edmonton Queen cruises along the North Saskatchewan River, treating passengers to a scenic view of the river valley.

Search The Canadian Encyclopedia. Remember me. I forgot my password. Why sign up? Create Account. Suggest an Edit. Hence, the paddle steamer, while an important part of our history, had a relatively short life. While paddle boats were used on the European rivers, they found their true home on the rivers of the United States, especially the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

It was there that the paddle wheel found its true calling as the Mississippi was a treacherous river where shifting sandbars and sawyers uprooted, upside-down submerged trees were in abundance. The shallow draft of paddle boats made it possible for them to go over many of these obstructions, making them ideal for use on the Mississippi. These ships gave an important capability to the west — one which was needed for settlement and growth.

They made it possible to haul large amounts of manufactured goods to the west and raw materials especially foodstuffs from the west back to the eastern markets. For over half a century, until the building of the transcontinental railway, paddle steamers were the main mode of transportation for goods and reached far up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. For those who could afford it, going west by paddle steamer was much quicker and easier than going in a covered wagon.

Today, the only paddle boats still in use are for tourism, where they are a popular novelty. However, from a survival viewpoint, they have one main advantage over a propeller-driven boat: it is much easier to build a paddle wheel yourself than to build a propeller.

From early September it began making regular runs between the two cities. River paddle-steamers opened up much of the country to settlement and commerce, and acquired an enticingly glamorous image.

By Livingston and Fulton were running steamboats on the Mississippi, the Ohio and other rivers as well as the Hudson.