During the nineteenth century there was an equally striking development among the steamers of the various lines on the Hudson River. The _Empire of Troy_, to distinguish her from another steamer called the _Empire_ built in the ’forties and belonging to a rival line, was then the largest river steamer in the world, being 307 feet over all and of 936 tons register. She was quickly superseded by the _Hendrick Hudson_ of the Albany Line, which was the first Hudson River steamer to exceed a thousand tons. This in turn was eclipsed by the _Oregon_. The _St. John_, of 2645 tons, built in 1863, was the first to exceed 2000 tons, The _Adirondack_, of 3644 tons, was placed on the river in 1896, and in 1904 the _C. W. Morse_, of 4307 tons, appeared. [Illustration: THE “WILLIAM CUTTING.” BUILT 1827.] The Hudson River boats, after the first or experimental types of vessel, have always been famous for their speed and beauty no less than their comfort. One of the most famous of them all was the _Alida_. Two others, which raced occasionally, were the _Oregon_ and the _C. Vanderbilt_, one notable contest in which they engaged being in 1847, for a stake of 1000 dollars. On the way back the _Oregon_ ran short of fuel, whereupon the owners threw into the furnaces the furniture and everything else that would burn which they could lay hands on. The time of the run was 3 hours 15 minutes, which gave an average speed of 20 miles an hour. After the heroic sacrifice made by the Oregonians, it is satisfactory to learn that the _Oregon_ won by 400 yards. The _Alida_ and the _Hendrick Hudson_ raced from New York to Albany, the former doing the voyage in 7 hours 55 minutes, the latter boat being 15 minutes longer on the voyage. The scheduled time of the present Hudson River Day Line steamers over the same water is 9 hours 30 minutes, from which it would appear that the boats of sixty years ago were as capable of fast travelling as are their palatial successors of the present day. One of these, a second _Hendrick Hudson_, was launched on the Hudson in 1907, a hundred years from the day of the _Clermont’s_ first voyage up the river. [Illustration: THE “MARY POWELL.”]