Bell, Henry (1767-1830), was a Scottish shipbuilder who pioneered steam navigation in Europe. He built a paddle steamer, the Comet, that provided the first steam-powered passenger service in European waters. The ship carried passengers across the River Clyde in Scotland. The Comet was a wooden vessel about 40 feet (12.2 meters) long and 101/2 feet (3.2 meters) wide, with two paddles on either side. It could travel at about 51/2 miles (9 kilometers) per hour. It began regular passenger service in 1812. The success of the Comet paved the way for the development of great shipbuilding yards along the Clyde.
Bell was born in Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland, on April 7, 1767. At the age of 16, he became an apprentice millwright (designer and builder of machinery for mills). Later, he worked as a carpenter for several shipbuilding firms, and he started his own firm of shipbuilders in 1791.
