BIRTH OF STEAM NAVIGATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21558, 22 January 1940, Page 5

BIRTH OF STEAM NAVIGATION

Story of Conquest of the Sea Just a year more than a century ago a little steamship ventured out of the port of London bound for New York, the first ship to attempt the crossing of the treacherous North Atlantic under the power of steam alone. The departure of that ship on its historymaking voyage changed the maritime commerce of the world, and Frank Lloyd, recognising the inherent drama of the event, the great story behind that sailing, has produced "Rulers of the Sea,’’ telling the story of the courageous men and women who helped to conquer the Atlantic. With Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Margaret Lockwood and Will Fyffe co-starred, Paramount will present the picture during the early weeks of 1940. "Rulers of the Sea” weaves a human story against a background of epochmaking events. Fairbanks, young mate of the sailing ship Falcon, bound for Greenock, Scotland, from New York in 1839, leaves his berth after the captain’s relentless driving of men and ship to make port in time results in the death of a seaman during a gale. The captain’s efforts to persuade him to change his mind fail, and Fairbanks meets Will Fyffe, inventor and foundryman who contends that he has perfected a steam engine which can drive a ship across the Atlantic. After some discussion, peppered with the sly humour which only Will Fyffe can dispense, Fairbanks goes home with Fyffe, looks over his plans and meets his lovely daughter, Miss Lockwood. His enthusiasm for the engine—and his interest in Miss Lockwood prompt him to stay on and build a model of the engine. When Miss Lockwood insists that her father return to his old job Fairbanks goes to London in an attempt to secure backing to build the engine and install it in a ship across the Atlantic. His initial failure to sell the plans, his ultimate success, the final sailing of the Dog Star, a converted coastal steamer, from Greenock for New York in 1838, lead the picture to stirring climatic scenes in which Fyffe and Fairbanks, strong in their purpose, overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to get the Dog Star to New York.