High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Steamship Empire was the second steamboat for the Troy Line, built in the United States in 1843, and captained by R. B. Macey. The paddle boxes were lettered "Empire of Troy", as the owners did not want travelers mistaking the boat for an Albany liner. The Empire was, at the time, the largest steam vessel in the world, at 936 tons, 307 feet length, 30 feet beam and 9 feet depth of hold.