FROM THE ARCHIVES:A paddle steamer service from the Customs House to Dún Laoghaire was launched in 1862, according to this report.
A considerable amount of interest was created last evening by the appearance upon the river, close to Carlisle-bridge [O’Connell bridge], of an exceedingly handsome steamer, called the Kingstown, intended to ply between the Custom-house and Kingstown.
She is the property of the new company, and, judging from her general appearance, she may, indeed, be regarded as the pioneer of a fleet of boats which, during the summer season, will unquestionably prove most attractive, and remunerative to the proprietors. As soon as she was brought to her moorings, crowds assembled alongside, and many were admitted and made careful examination of her internal fittings, which are most perfect.
She is handsomely painted, and from her graceful build and general outline may be regarded as a model of naval architecture. She is at present awaiting the inspection of the Board of Trade, and will be ready to commence the traffic on tomorrow. To Captain Cameron, an experienced seaman, she has been confided, and under his command made her initial tip from Kingstown to Dublin yesterday. The tide was in her favour, and she made the voyage in the incredibly short space of twenty-five minutes. She went, no doubt, at full speed, and was admirably managed by her commander. Her average rate of speed will be thirty minutes when she is regularly engaged in the traffic. Her engines are very powerful, and she could even have been propelled to greater speed on yesterday, but that it was not deemed prudent, as she is a new vessel, to tax her capabilities too much.
She will leave for Kingstown, it is stated, this afternoon. During the regatta, in the ensuing week, she will, no doubt, be a source of great attraction, and materially aid the railway and new omnibus company in conveying passengers to Kingstown.
As stated in yesterday’s Kingstown Correspondence, she is 150 feet in length, with forty beam over all, and is propelled by diagonal engines, of eighty-six horse-power; diameter of wheel, eighteen feet six inches. She averages twenty-eight revolutions per minute. The tedious operation of “swinging around” is avoided by the fact that she steers both ways, which will necessarily save a considerable amount of time, and prove convenient on a river like the Liffey. The helmsman is provided with a handsome look-out house, situate in the centre of the promenade deck.
The first and second class saloons are tastefully fitted out, and passengers are afforded through the large plate glass windows an uninterrupted view of the bay. In the ladies’ cabin there are a number of handsome mirrors, the seats are covered with crimson velvet, giving to it a rich and luxuriant aspect. It is said she can carry 1,000 passengers, but so many would no doubt cause overcrowding.