The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-05-02
MISCELLANEOUS.
INVENTIONS
RoBERr FOL ToM ESQ.

= nc subsequent UCCOuUs ~ nc 0tSCOVCTtcS
and erherimeass of Mr.. Fulton, is e1-
tracfed from +" Nftchiu e N1iHer's Refto-
sitory" for august. September u Oeto-
Der 1808.-N is a striking instance Of the
efficacy oftaicnts, directed by industry g
PERSEVERANCE. II should incite .4me,icen
Genins to similar enterfriseS.
FIRST, mill f;;r s;i;i. polishing
BILE, for which the London Society for encoura-
ging Useful Arts and Manufactures, gave him
the silver medal in 1894.
Second, SISTER of canal navigation which he
published in London, in 1896. His principle is
20 have small canals and boats of tons, which
are to mount or descend to the different levels of
the canal, on inclined planes instead of locks
while the boats are drawn on the canal, 6 or 8 of
them are chained together; when they arrive at
fls inclined plane, they are separated and pass
Ningly. AS this mode will very much diminish
the cxpence of constructing canals, Mr.. Fulton
has given a flattering prospect of our having Ca
nails OF this kind topass through the interior and
mountainous parts of these states. A variety of
mechanical combinations are delineated in his
book, Tor working the inclined planes for passing
valleys, and economizing water, which, on the
Old plan, would be expended in locks, but which
by his method, may be used for irrigatng the
grounds in the neighborhood of the canal, giving
verdure and abundance to thousands of acres,
which would otherwise remain sun-burnt and I'M
mage table, or systematic plan of transport, which
has IN some degree been republishedin Mr. Ful-
toms letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, on
canal navigation. He there shews, that to carry
atom weight 500 miles on our usual roads, will
cost 100 dollars. On good turnpike paving pay
ing tolls,it will cost AZ dollars. If the govern
ment should make the roads out of the surplus
revenue, and have tolls, the cost will be IS dol
lars Were the government to make canals with
cut tolls, except sufficient to repair them the
expence of carrying one ton 500 miles would be
3 dollars
But striking as this comparison is, saws Mr.. F.
will still extend it the merchandise which can
bear the expence of carriage on our present roads
to Pittsburg, Kentucky, Tennessee, or any other
distance of 500 miles, and which for that dis
lance, pays 100 dollars ton, could be boated,
that is carried canals, ten thousand miles for
that sum-
Third, a machine for making Ropes. This en-
Sineis to be put in motion by wster wheel II
can stand in room about 40 feet square the
rope yarns are put into it on spools, and any ST.
zed cordage, from a cod zine to a ha,rse, can he.
made on thy the attention of one man. 1t is fl
nished on the machine ready coed, and has only
to be removed to the warehouse. A rope mill
OF this kind is now building at Baltimore, by Mr..
Nathaniel Cutting, who has made many ingeni-
ousimproyements on the spinning of rope yarn, by
machinery.
Fourth Invention. A boat to navigate under
water. In this machine, Mr.. Fulton and 8 per-
sons continued under water one hour at Havre
de Grace in France. He rowed about, while un-
der water, in every direction, and steered by
means OF a compass. 1t had mansail and glib,
like & common sloop. When pursued, the mast
and sails could be taken in, and the boat dive I'M
der water IN one minute, continue under water
thre hours, and rise to renew the air three miles
from the place she went down the air could be
renewed in one minute, when the boat diving.
Irnn ft,,t,o .
While making his experiments or this vessel, Mr..
+. made avoyage in her from Havrc to La Hogue
distance of 1S leagues in the bosterous wea-
Their ofthe autumnal equinox, and found her to act
perfectly well in open sea. By late improve
ments on this vessel, and the manner of obtain
ing air, 5 men may continue under water for 6
hours, and rise Is miles from the place they
went down. The object of this invention, was to
find certain mode of fixing engine, which
Mr.. F. calls torpedo, to the bottom of ship of
war, for the purpose of blowing her up but af-
ter much labor and expense, he has abandoned
this plan for fixing his torpedo. He has, howe
yer, fortunately discovered a method, which is
certain, and infinitely more simple.
The Torpedo which is his fjih invention, is a
copper case, which will contain from so to 100
pounds of powder. To it is fixed gun-lock in
brass box, which lock strikes fire by means of
piece ofclock-work, which can be set to one or
more minutes. The torpedo thus prepared is made
ther end of the ropeis gun harpoon; the har-
pooh being fired into the bow of an enemy's yes
sci, the torpedo is thrown over board, and the
action of the vessel through the water, draws it
under her bottom, where the clock work running
out its time, explosion takes place, and the ves-
sci will either be blown up or her bottom so shat
tered as to render it impossible for the pumps to
save her This being the principle of the Tor
pedo, it is designed to make the attack with good
and well manned row boats, each boat 10 have
its harpoon and torpedo complete 80 such boats
to make ths attack on one ship of war, 10 to at
tack on her larboard, and 10 on her starboard
bow this will divide the enemy's fire, and out
of the number of hsrpoons some will take effect,
in which case the vessel must from necessity be
destroyed. This invention and the practice oft
isyet in its infancy. Men in general will have
doubts about its practicability or political conse-
quences, as is the case with all new discoveries,
until ocular demonstration compes belief Mr.
Fulton has labored with much zeal to bring this
Invention to useful state ofpcrfection Henow
confidently asserts, that his theory is right, and
that practice only is wanting TO establish sys-
TEN of attack, which in its consequences must
annlhilate military marines, and give that liberty
to the seas which is so much desired by every
friend to humanity, and America and who can
say, that he is not right in this prediction Did
not the invention of gun powder totally change
the art OF war And may it not again be chan
ged Out of the invention of gun-powder, mill
tsry marines, those floating and destructive for
tlficatIOns, have grown which now rob us of nm,