SS Sirius became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean entirely under steam power in 1838.
Sirius was a British paddle steamer originally intended for service between London and Cork. It left Cork on April 4, 1838, and reached New York on April 22 after a crossing of about 18 days. The crew burned furniture and other combustible materials when coal supplies became critically low.
Sirius arrived only hours before Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Western, which completed the voyage with a larger and more practical design. Great Western is often remembered as the first purpose-built transatlantic steamship, but Sirius holds the narrower distinction of making the first Atlantic crossing solely by steam.