Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1839-03-07

psriment 10 so clear. SO ample and con-
elusive. that no one can read il and doubt.
ihe results Of this trial were BY no means
d"coarseing. So far from u, that saws
DOCTOR Alexander. who ives on board.
every person present believed that Mr..
Kumsey had accomplished eli his wishes"
The hrst efor:s Of Fulton in America.
moro than twenty years after. were but
iit'Ie more successful. II was not until
after repeated trials-grea' and extensive
notifications and improvements. reou,r.
ing much time and money, and testing 10
The utmost the liberal patronage Of Liv.
'ngston-thst he succeeded in obtaining
velocity reasonably useful. And even
the utmos, rapidny with which he nsvi.
gA'ed his boats was far. infinitely far. be-
hind that which subsequent improvement
has achieved. speak not this in dispar-
agement Of Fulton. II cannot be SO un.
derstood. Great inventions, requiring
oomPiicate machinery. are never perfect.
ed and seldom made eminentIy useful n
once. High excellence is rarely attained
until the mechanical world has rendered
ITS offeIings-poured in its contributions
through long series Of years. Time. 10.
Dor, money, repeated notifications and
experimeo,s-the conjo,nt suggestions Of
practical and theoretical mechanics are
all prerequisite and auxiliary 10 the per.
iectuaton OF great invention. Take.
Tor instance, the printing press OF our day.
throwing oil thousands OF accurate i'm
Pressions in an hour. From its wondrou.
ceierity IN multiplying copies, aud through
the agency OF steam on the land and the
water. scattering them far and near. il
may almost he compared. in its capacity
for the diffusion Of intellectual lieh,. 20
The sun IN the heavens. in his capacity
:or shedding physical warmth and "a.
d'ance upon the world. And vet the
press OF our day-sll admirable as !, is
IS but the rude wooden type and clumsy
apparatus Of the great German inventor.
IN oeautified. improved. and perfected
form.
But TO return from this dirresston. AZ
ter Rnmsey's experimeni-sucocssi ex-
perimeni--upon the Potomac. in I7St; 10
which ] have adveried, Rumsev, being
under the strong conviction that skilful
workmen and perfect machinery were
alone wanting TO the most complete sue
cess. and sensible that such could not
then he procured IN America, resolved 10
go 10 England. With slender means of his
own, and aided--no, not aided-but
moeked and deluded by some timid and
unsteady patronage, he there resumed
with uni'ring energy his great undertak-
ing. He proceeded TO procure patents
from the British Government for steam
navigation. and various inventions. en-
bracing improved steam engines and boil.
thn.a If W.T. III
ones. being extremely inartifcisl and i'm
perfect. These patents hear date in the
beginning Of l7SS. Many OF his inven.
lions, IN one modified form or another, are
| now IN general use. As. for instance. the
cylindrical boiler. so superior 10 the old
tub or stIll-boilers. in the presentation of
hire surface. and capacity for holding high
ly raIefed steam, IS described. both single
and combined, IN his specifications. aud is
Identical IN principle with the tub.boiler
which he used in his Potomac experiment.
Difficulties and embarrassmenis of
Pecuniary nature. and others such rs in.
'ariably obsiruct the progress Of a new in
vention, attended him in England He
was often compelled to abandon, tempo
Iarily. his main object. and turn his atten-
ton to something else. in order TO raise
means to resume II. He undertook. with
the same power. but by its more judicious
application. TO produce higher results in
several waterworks. in all which he sue.
ceeded. realizing thereby some reputs.
'ion, aud some funds to apply to hi. ia
voriis project.
AT another time, as mentioned by the
committee in their report. in order 10
avoid London jail" add The delay. IL
not defeat. Of all his high hopes. he was
compelled 10 transfer. at what he consi.
dered iuinous sacrifice, a large interest
IN his inventions-a contract which en-
tangled and embarrassed him during the
remainder Of his short life. SILL. howe.
yer, he struggled on. undismayed. had
constructed a boat OF about one hundred
tons burden. and pushed forward his ma.
obinery so near TO the point Of completion
a. to be able 10 indicate a day not very
distant for public exhibition, when hi.
sudden death eusue0 from spoplexy.
while discussing the principle, OF one Of
his inventions before . philosophical So
oieiy Of London.
The above - only brief extract from long
and very interesting speech ON the subject The
resolution passed the House by a unanmaous
vote