Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-11-20
Vol. lI-.NO VIII.
From Tie american .SeniiheL
EHltOn's Claim.

We look with pleasure upon the gl>
ant strides of improvement in our day,
and take a great delight in defending
this age of mechanical achievements,
notwithstanding some expect to hang
nDon the skirts Of time by denouncng
it. The comforts that philosophical ex>
perience flung around us, by adding TO
the conveniences Of existence, may be
said to prolons it. If we look upon the
past or future, there are names whose
bare mention waken up q thousand OBJ
jects Of thrilling contemplation. In
that long list, we recall the name FEDS
ton, poor boy, born in a country
township of Lancaster county, in Penn
svlvania, and who has given his name
to Immortality. He has made the
whole West a world Of busy industry.
The thousand boats that stem the head
long current Of the western waters,
owe nearly every thing to the magiL
of his intellect. All the western lands,
at one time deemed ofso little value,
are now considered rich legacy by
the American rcople,
If the steamboat had not have been
constructed, to resist the downward
food of the Mississippi, we would not
sec the numberless growing villages,
thriving towns, and splendid cities, a.
long the almost interminable line Of the
great Father of waters. And the dis
tant public lands, the theme of every
mans tongue, without steam, would be
Of little more value than the rose in the
distant wilderness. That one should do
so much, may well excite our wonder.
Such men belong to the country, yes,
to the world. Nor can we do full JUS
tice TO these useful Philosophers in the
run of all time. We were drawn into
this train of thinking by pursuing the
following article, in the New York Ex
press, showing the time when steam
had just begun to push itself into notice.
Letter from Robert Fulton to the A.
merlc2n citizens:
New York, Aug. 90, lsOs.
Sir Il arrived this afternoon, at 4
o'clock, in the steamboat from Albany.
As the success of my experiment gives
me great hores that such boats may be
rendered of much importance 10 my
country, 10 prevent erroneous opinions,
and give some satisfaction to the friends
of useful improvements, you will have
the goodness 10 publish the following
statement of facts:
left New York on Monday, at } q
clock, and arrived at Clermont, the sea,
of Chancellor Livingston, at o'r' .ock o,
Tuesday-time, ~ hours, dist 4nce. II,
miles On Wednesday, / departed
from the Chancelor's att in the morn
ing, and arrived at Al' ,anv at5 in III,
afternoon. Dlstan" 40 miles, time {
hours. The SUM ofthis is $50 miles il
~ hours eqnai > miles an hour.
On Iucsd'4y, at 9 o'clock in tn,
morning left Albany, and arrived "A
ihe 'har ccIlor's, at ) in the evening
startHd from thence at I, and arrived
al New York on Friday, at 4 in the af
'ernoon. time 80 hours, space rur
sprough, $50 miles, equal to 3 miles al
hour. Throughout the whole way, my
going and returning, the wind was a,
head, no advantage could be drawn
trc,n my sails; the whole has, therefore
been performed by the power of the
steam engine.
Your obedient servant
ROBERT FULTON.
Fulton, in conversing with Judge Sio,
! k., t,ll IL.