Seine River Steamers The Élise was the first steam ship to cross the English Channel. She was bought in England 1814 by Pierre Andriel as" Margery", and renamed "Élise". Andriel intended to accomplish a spectacular crossing of the Channel to convince public opinion that steam ships could be ocean-worthy. She sailed up the Seine and arrived in Paris on 28 March, becoming a popular sensation. Two small saluting guns were mounted at the bow and fired in honour of Louis XVIII Early tugs used chains in the river to tow trains of barges up river. The low steam pressure and low power of
Morsang-sur-Seine Morsang-sur-Seine Morsang-sur-Seine is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. Inhabitants of Morsang-sur-Seine are known as "Morsandiaux". The orientalist Rubens Duval (1839–1911) was born in Morsang-sur-Seine. Located right bank of the Seine, on a bend of the Seine and backed by the forest of Rougeau, Morsang-sur-seine is a rural Department of Essonne. Although at least 40 kilometers from Paris, by a wise policy planning, it has preserved its original charm and offers quiet and residential comfort. Village life as naturally turned toward the river (plant water production, shipbuilding, water sports, camping, fishing) to the forest (logging,