It was the age of steam and innovation when on Feb. 5, 1840 the Britannia was launched for the British and
North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company which was owned by Samuel Cunard. He and his family
had been involved in the ship business using sailing packets, but now his grand vision of a steam ship that
could cross the Atlantic was about to be realized.

Of course to be profitable he needed more than one ship so in Sept. of 1840 a second ship was launched at
Robert Steele's yard in Greenock, Scotland her name was Columbia. The 230' sidewheeler made her maiden
voyage from Liverpool to Halifax and on to Boston on Jan. 5, 1841 and made regular trans-Atlantic voyages
every fortnight in the summer months and once monthly during the winter until July 2, 1843.

On that day as she approached Cape Sable, Nova Scotia she was in a dense fog and soon the Columbia was
aground on the rocks. An unfortunate incident for the new Cunard Line, but not fatal, either for the line or the
passengers and crew. Everyone managed to get to shore and most of the mail was also recovered before the
ship broke up. Columbia was the first Cunard steamer lost in service.