 The steamboats' engines, which operated at the stately pace of 19 rpm, were designed by Erasmus W. Smith and built by the Etna Iron Works, which had only recently installed a lathe capable of boring such huge cylinders.The lathe itself was one of the two largest machine tools in the United States, the other being a planer installed by the same company.When completed, "Bristol" and "Providence" were amongst the largest and most lavishly outfitted American vessels of their time.