Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-04-05

"s' steh'hpoat III tins country. Aithoug
THIS iIt'ror has SO generally been ascribed 1
hobert Fulton, yet it is well known fac,
that f'eenty years before the great expert
ment of Fulton and Livingston on the Hud
son. steamboat was constructed ahd pil
IN operation in Philadelphia, under the sol
direction OF then obscure and still almos
unknown individual. This person was Jol,,
fitch. He was born in the south part O
East Windsor, near the East Hartford line
on what is now called the old road. III,
was aPprcnticed rs watch and clock ma
ker' to MIR. Cheney. who carried OH tho bu
s'ncss IN tie eastern part Of East Hartford
now Manchester. When New jersey wa.
overrun by the British troops, Mr. Fitch re.
moved into the iatttior Of PENNSYLVANIA
where lie employed himself in repairing
for the Continental army.
In the ycnr 1885, Mr., Fitch conceived the
project of propcling a vessel by the force OF
condensed vapor. "Whcn the idea occur
red to him, rs he himself tells us he did no,
Rho" there was such n thing as steam
engine in existence" In 1878 he obtained
patent for the application of steam to ma
vigation. By unwcaried exer,ion he sue.
ceedcd in interesting about twenty persons
IN his plan. and inducing them to take shares
Of $50 each. "A boat was built in 1zza
"A mile was measured off in from, of Water
street, aud the boat was found to 20 at the
rate of eight miles an hour. 1t afterwards
went eighty miles in day. The Govcribr
and Council Of Pennsylvania were so much
sratiiied with the experiment, that they pre.
sen'cd them with superb silk flag. About
this time the company sent Mr.. to France
at the request Of Mr.. Wait, our Consul at
L'orien', who wasonc Of the company, and
wished to introduce the invention into
France. Being i'll the mids, of revolutions
IN tnat country, ant' as no men could be OBJ
th'ned Tor the purpose OF building boats, Mr..
Fitch returned 'Mr ,--u
:::ssted 10 .ff6ucc, Il, papers and designs Of
he steamboat npr artaining to the compa-
ny" In 1890. he made an alteration in his
boat and she per!o.n,ed tolerably well, but
still it required further alterations Mr..
Fitch however was not able 10 obtain the
necessary means in order 10 perfect his ill.,
vcniion.
The conviction Of Fitch respecting the
power Of steam continued firm In June.
1892, he addressed letter to MIR. Ritcn-
house, one Of the shareholders; speaking
Of steam power, he sail: This, sir, will be
the mode Of crossing the Atlantic in time,
whether shall bring i, to perfection or not.
He complains of his poverty, aud 70 raise
funds, he urges Mr.. Rittenhouse to buy his
lands in kentucky, that he might have the
honor Of enabIing him TO complete the srea,
undertaking." Upon one occasion he called
upon smith who had worked upon his
boat, aud after dwelling for some lime upon
his favorte topic, concluded with these
words: "Wcll, gentlemen. although shall
not live to see the time, you will. when
steamboats, will be preferred to all other
means of conveyance, and especially for
passengers, and they will be particularly
useful in the navigation Of the river Missis.
sippi." He retired, when n person prcscn,
observed, i'll tone Of sympathy. "Poo,
fellor, mhat a pity it is he is crazy"
| "Thc distress Of mind and modification
lie suffered from the failure Of his protrac,cl
excrtions and his poverty were too much fo
him, and to drown his reflection, he hud re
course 10 the common but deceptive remedy
| ctropp ,lr;rL ~ ,,b;.b bo ,j,,looJ .. .-.o,.
and retiring to Pittsburs, he ended his day:
hy pluneing into the Alleshany."" lie I'm
filled several small MS. books with persona
and general narrative, more or less connected
with his great scheme. and which hc be
qucathed to the Philadelphia Library, will
the proviso that they were to remain closct
for thirty years. The books were opened j,
due time, and were toud to contain mnul,
account of his perplcxitcs and disappoint
ments. 'Of the boldncss of his conceptions,
(says n writer III the Mechanics Magazin
Jan. 1850 "and the perseverance whicl
he followed it up, there can be hut on
opinion; and had fortune attended mis- CT
forts, and his means been equal to tho &C
complishment of his designs, tfIero can b
: no doubt that llc would now hold undisp,,
ted the honor Of having given to the countr
this most noble and useful invention"
, 'American Ed. Edinburgh cyclopcdia
D Who I'M the same given time can produc
more than Others; has tigbur; who can pre-