One of Narragansett Bay's so-called "floating palaces",[1] the luxuriously outfitted Bristol and her sister ship Providence, each of which could carry up to 1,200 passengers, were installed with the largest engines then built in the United States, and were considered to be amongst the finest American-built vessels of their era.

[6] 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.

[9] Contemporary American observers gushed over the size and sophistication of the ships, lauding them as "world renowned mammoth palace steamers", "so far in advance of the type of steamboats heretofore built that they were looked upon as marvels" and "the finest specimens of marine architecture of their day.

The painting, by George C. Barker & Son, and the decorating by Hayman, of this city, have been a source of enormous outlay, but the result is an equivalent to the cost, for the passenger, on arriving at the Quarter Deck and proceeding to the Grand Saloon, must certainly imagine that he is in the halls of enchantment, only read of in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments.

[6] When first put into service, the owner of the Narragansett Steamship Company, Jim Fisk, would don an elaborate Admiral's uniform and greet every passenger boarding Bristol (or her sister ship Providence) at the gangway.

Right on schedule, Fisk would give the order to sail, and the ship would put to sea "with the heavy load of passengers crowding her decks, music playing, flags flying, all her crew in uniform, each man having a badge on his cap showing his office and duty...".

Fisk would remain on board until the ship pulled well out into the bay, at which time the vessel would stop and he would transfer to a pilot boat which would take him back to the city, after which Bristol would continue on her way.

These were, firstly, the supply of uniforms to the crews of his ships, an unusual practice at the time, but one which had an agreeable impact on customers, and secondly, the employment of a band of musicians on each vessel to entertain passengers on their journey.

In October of the same year, Bristol ran ashore on Bishop's Rock, off Coddington Point, Newport, remaining there for a day before being removed safely and without damage.

Bristol was to run ashore in much the same area about eighteen months later, on April 12, 1874, but no damage was done and the ship was refloated three hours later with the assistance of the revenue cutter Samuel Dexter.

Bristol ran ashore again in thick fog on the mud flats near Newport Harbor on June 14, 1877, remaining there until floated off by the rising tide about four hours later.