Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1839-05-18
From The Knickerbocker, Of March.
THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
BY ONE WHO SAW 1T.

1t is very generally conceded, that of alI
the inventions of man, none holds any COM
parlson with the steamboat. The mind can
scarcely combine a calculation which may
measure its Importance. Some vague esti-
mate may indeed be formed of it, by lmogi-
ming what would be the state and condition
of the world, at the present day, were there
no steamboats,; were we still to find our
selves on board sloops, making an average
passage of week to Albany, exposed to all
the disasters of flaws from the 'downsco-
mer,' and discontinue of close cabins; or
ascending the Mississippi in a keel-Doat,
pushing every inch of the way against Its
mighty current, by long poles, at the rate
of fourteen miles in sixteen hours
1t is now just thirty years, since the first
steamboat ascended the Hudson, being the
first practical application of steam-engine
to water conveyance. Then, no other river
had ever seen steamboat; and noec, what
river, capable of any kind of navigation, has
not been bepaddled with chem! 1t is not
my purpose to enter the list of disputants,
lately sprung up, striving to prove that the
immortal Fulton was not the first success
full protector of steamboat. In common
with the world, can but mourn over the
poverty of the history, that tells not OF any
precious successful effort of the kind
Steam, no doubt, was known before. The
first tea-kettle that was hung over fire,
furnished clear degelopement of that I'M
portant agent. But all | can say now If.
that | never heard of steamboat, before
the North River moved her paddles on the
Hudson; and very soon after that period,
when it was contemplated to send u steam
boat to Southern Russia, distinguished
orator of that day, in an address before the
Historical Society of this city, eloquently
said in direct allusion to the steamboat:-
sThe hoary genius of Asia, high throned on
the peaks of Caucasus, his moist eye glls-
tening as he glances over the destruction Of
Palmyra and Persepolis, Of Jerusalem and
Babylon, will bend with respectful Difference
to the inventive spirit of this western world;
thus proving conclusively, that the inven-
ton was only of this country, and tlat nc
other country yet knew of it. In fact, the
Invention had not yet even reached the Mis-
sissippi, for it was not until year after that
long armed, high-shouldered keel boat
man, who had just succeeded in doubling a
bend in the river, by dint of hard pushing
and run his boat in quiet eddy, for res
ting spell, saw steamboat gallantly pad
ding up against the centre current OF that
sFather of Rivers;' and gazing at the scene
with mingled surprise and triumph, he threw
down his pole, and slapplng his hands to-
gether in ecstacy, exclaimed: 'Well done
old Massassppi May | be eternally
smashed, if you ha'n't got your match at
last'
But, as before limited, it is not my design
to furnish conclusive history Of the origin
ofsteamboats. My text stands Mt the head
of this article; and | purpose here to record
for the information of future time, faith
full history of EThe first Locomotive lam
determined, ut least, that h0! branch of the
great steam family shall know its true orl'
GIN
In the year 1903, enjoyed the never-to'
be-forgotten qualification of a paddle up the
Hudson, on board the aforesaid first steam
boat that ever moved the waters of any riv-
er, with passengers. Among the voyagers;
was man had known for some years pre-
yious, by the name Of Jabez Doolittle. He
was an industrious and ingenious worker II
sheet-iron, tin, and wire but his great
success lay in wire work, especially in ma
king rat traps;' and for his last and best
invention in that line, he had just secured
patent; and with specimen of his work.
he was then on u journey through the State
of New York, for the purpose of dlsposlne
of what he called county rights or, II
other words, to sell the privilege of catching
rats, according to his patent trap. 1t wal
very curious trap, as simple as it was in
genious; as most ingenious things are Gfts'
they are invented. 1t was an oblong wire
box, divided into two compartments; raj
entered one where the bait was hung
which he no sooner touched, that the doo
at which he entered, fell. His only nppa
rent escape, was by funnel-shaPed hole il
the other apartment, in passing which, hi
moved another wire, which instantly reese
the trap; and thus rat after rat was furnish
ed the means Of following in the foot-step
Of his illustiious predecessor untilthe tTaI
,,,. f,u Thur "A ma n at a,ncn n tran II