The Sailing Steamship

For those interested in the sea, the long transition from sail to steam is the era written about the least. For about forty years (1840-1880), many of the best ships combined sail and steam. The USS Niagara, one of the finest examples of a hybrid ship, was the pride of the fleet and got the most fascinating assignments including laying the first transatlantic cable, taking freed slaves back to Japan, and patrolling against the Confederate Navy in America and in Europe. Let her tell her story in her own words.