Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-11-12

don the plan Ola Steamboat or one of similar
invention, was so overpowered BY the novelty
OF the scene and the magnitude ofthc ideawhich
be was about to dcvelope, that he fell down i'm
tile midst of the Assembly, and soon after e<pir
ed Was this James Rumsey, or who was il;
Nesaw the ancdote in the Port Folio about the
wear 1910, but the particulars have escaped our
memory.
lFrcm the National InteHgencer.l
Our paper OF yesterday had scarcely issued
lrom the Press, containing au article ON the
subject OF the original invention of Steam.
BOATS when we were favored, by Il singular
concurrence otcircunstancts, with the means
otanSwering two0f the queries therein stated.
u manner satisfactory to therespectable Edi-
torof the S"mliter,;md TO the public.
II u'Gs JAMES kUMsEy who died at oudou in
~, whi!steNplaning Il mechanical invention
ct his before apubc body, hut not exactly in
tie manner suggested in the Compiler, as will
further appedr by the very irtcrcst;nr e> tracts
below, which we copy from the original letter
partly written BY Rumsey, and the remainGerbv
his friend, whoteclingly describes his fate
tis proved TO our satisfaction, by many GER
ttic'tcs, of achaEicter smilarto one thar Is sinh.
joined, that Rumsey did project the idea of
Steam-boat IN 1884, commenced its on ecution i'm
iIS5, and carried il into effect before I7S7. 81
that IT i, probable, ifnot certain. that Rnmsey
,e.Vrrcu 20 the steamboat in his petition to the
Virginia esislature Wv
cory " litter ,cgpp lr James Ru,rse,;. 70 his IN,
tth0te iricn'I, George " It,esf-
LONDON, December II. 1902.
AFTER two PAGES offrier,,,,.oroot
ings, and speaking ofhis struggles against ,lif;.
culteS ESuce that arrangement the busincss
mas moved feeby on, the vessel was the nrinc;
pa, 9oJect. IN september We rgt her into dock.
s''"ci outof repair; about the middle of No
ycmberwe took her out almost every thing rea
'Nfor experiment. for 10 try which we frll
uo"h inc river, near 10 Greenwich where we
were neutrality-suspicious., and tried our boiler.
1Fnr IL ,xl
thfec days should have had the whole reody
nut ioran accident that happened 10 the vessel
on the 2ist Of November:-She was made fast
nyc"m'ent OF thecaptain, to ship, belonging
toa charity Society, called the Murine Socis2
~ Ia naughty member of the Socetycameon
noard ana Ordered the captain to have her east
OH. This orderwaS put in execution on m ehb
nae, anu oar careless, worthless master (worse
th'in tory let her 30 on shore. / was on hoard
an ,our after. but 1t was too late she Law down
as me lide LETT her, and unfortunately npon the
SAID ship anchor, and some piles that We're dri-
ven round 1t, which as the tide went down went
,h.oush hcr Dotlonl, and made holes so large
mat the water flowed in, and prevented her
from riSin- when the tide rose, which at hirh
waterWaseSht feet over her deck Inthis Sit
ua'ion during live tides, on the sixth we rot her
anoa!, winch cost iorworkmen, boats. &c about
2!%ulneas. We have since lost some time in
cleaning and repairing the damages She receiv.
cuupon deck and within hut are not as vet GER
tam, whether or not we shall be Obliged in CON
sequence OF TINS disasterto put her into dock
10 cNamine what DAMAGE il done 10 her truut
and bottom. besides making the holes rood that
we have stopped. '
Mr. Park Grand Mr.. Rogers enter II shall
'hefeiofe' lay b, ms narrative for tie present
~. December rs, 1872
=, my dear Trend, six days since laid by
rms letter 1t should before now have been al
tsnded To, had any opportunity offered ne
mere mas not, need notapologizc for the DELAY
nut VIII now take up the subject where left
We did not get ready TO try our e,,cine iii ga
tnrdaS last, when ii worked with VERY rood sue
cess. think waSintcrnally very perfect.
spiihg placed on the outside, that opened tbe
steam valve, proved something too weak TO per
form Its office handsomely: Icnak had tol,eIn
III llttlc at each stroke; The vessel went for
ward against the tide, and pulled hard 10 90,
from her nloOringS. MIR Rcgcrs was ON hoard
ana was iiighiy de.lglicd with the performance
Yesterday he met Mr.. Parker at the STARE and
gave HIM JOY at villa, he was pleased 70 cali an
experiment, and wanted inVitatious TO he sent
Otto the Duke of Clarence Sir .Josenh Rants
ana Others OF the Royal Society, and like peo
pie inflated with insanitv talked of instantlv
putting engines upon ships ottbe navy against
Franco, TO protect the cause of dcSpofs against
That OF liberty, my friend } they talked of 30 or
$4,000 as nothing To what they expected TO re-
ceive. They appointed me mystaton to sinner
intend the execution of the work Ienaker was
noiohger to be trusted whit he made too
many bluuders; Mr.. Rogers was immediatelv
to takea gentecl house near the kings doct
yafd, where lie was to superintend the business.
may add also, he was TO have 4 500 a wear (as
thatwas the sum he told Mr. Park er some fine
back that he expected suppose he intended
That was to work for nothing under a clause of
our articles that says, " am to try the cyneri
ment at the eXpcncc of the propricfors" II was
with difficulty that kept them from nut,;nrs
tins Wild scheme into execution immediately
and to wait till the experiment is actualv made
between ourselves, myfriend, have very LITTLE
donDt0 OF success; but ii is really irsulfiuc IN
force me and the poverty ofthe business in ibis
manner II Is now more than & 200 in debt and
1t Is not week since they declared they could
not furnish money TO support it wthuuimy as
sistance, and now they would runmc head over
ears INTO absurdity, difficulty and debt but the
baItsiiall not take sha II push forward the cv
pertinent for the sake of my character. buthaye
suffered too long to onterupon any new schemes
that will run me in debt They must first CO.
cure TO be paid tome what they already owe me
on account OF the mills, (Which have all perform
cd to agreeinent,) and must deposit as much in
bankers hands as will carry tler mart III a
new undertaking into full execution, before
shall be brought TO move, aud then not asa per
son TO look after the business for NOTHING aud
give $500 dP year to be overscen in this man
ner. shall explain at proper time but tbo
experiment mustbe made ON the vessel first
LONDON, December 20 INA
(UHh0PPgth task int sipcerc ieRdsiy here iapoe,
ar (ricAd diOS rs no more -
ON Tie day the last this letter was wrote he r.
ccivcd note from the committee of mechanics r.,e.,
my las attendance ri the committee OF Tie society
OF arts, IN TIE Adcpl on tile evening the 10Th IL sub
slntie ie utility Of model which had seat trrc 10
months ago, fOt The equalization Of wafer on ,,ate,
Nheeis. re orank 'fl ~ home about O'Clock tina eve
nihs, and was ~ he had been months s.t m yeTv
great spirits After tea he the couiritfce roon
anu III que course, delivered what all the members az
forwards expressed racTa Lecture on uydrostrs tb.
IN tI,.