Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-11-03

THE FIRST APPLICATION OF STEAM TO
NAVIGATION.

IHL tKol APfBAtAIlO N Or Si Lam ~
NAVIGATION.
A psmphIet first Published in 1898. BY Mr..
JAMS RrMsEY, d Berkeley County, Virginia. ne
.cftbing a boat and engine constructed BY him for
he annie zion u steam 70 navigation, has been
l.ev ,eptiate9 BY order Of the House Of Represen-
tati.ss, az The instance Of MIR UspERwooD, OF
Keniacky. 1t purports TO be Short Treatise
on the Application Of STgsM, whereby it is clearly
shown ffom actual experiments. that Steam NAY
be applied to propel Boats or Vessels Of any Bur.
then against rapid currents with great velocity.
sc" The preface Of the Au.hur to the Treatise
Is as follows:
TO THE PUBLIC.
Those who have had the good fortune TO di.cov-
er new machine, make any material i'm
proyemeBts on such as have been already discov-
cred, must lay their account 10 encounter innume-
rsbla difficulties; thes must arm themselves with
patience 10 abide disaPpontments; 70 correct a
Thousand inperfeclons (Which the tying band OF
experience alone point out) endure the
smatting shafts OF vii, and what is perhaps
ntolei able than all the pta together { on the
least failure OF any EXPERIMENT. to bear up sgainst
The heavy abuse end bitter scott. of i-na,ured g-
aorance. These never fail TO represent the under
,aker an impostor, and his motives the most
knavish. Happy for him If he escapes with SO
gentle an sppeatiye that OF nadman.
in the cities of Europe, where every material is at
his command, and every arti6cer at his service.
candid public will then consider my situation
thrown 10y hard fate beyond the mountains, and
deprived Of every advantage which that grand mo-
yer, money, produces, they will easily perceive how
my difficulties have been multiplied, which is the
only reason Of my not exhibiting my long promised
BOAT before this; and which hope will be suli-
clent apology. Even these difficulties render
-. l.
endsavoring procure patents for his boat, by un
eanddy representing. to the different Asse abies
chat my boat had nothing 10 do with steam, al.
though he had been informed that was before
him. both in the idea and the application Of steam,
and he had actually procured an exclusive right
from two respectable Assemblies, who had gtanted
me the same l7o4, before was aware what he
about. such treatment obliged me Circumstance
ed as | was, TO make an experiment, in order TO Sc
cure 10 myself my own discovery, by shelving my
principles, as Mr.. Fuchs conduct gave me reason
TO fear that he would adopt my plan, as he
found his abortive
And my machine, with all its msfortunes upon
its head is abundautly sufficient TO prove my posi-
tion; which - that boat might be so con-
structed, as to be propelled through the water at
the rate of ten miles in hour, by the force of
steam; and that the machinery employed for that
purpose, might be so simple and cheap
duce the price Of treigh least one half in
navigation; like Use, that ii might be forced by
the machinery, with considerable velocity
asainst the constant stream Of long and rapid ry
ers."
A description of the boa, and engine is given
with some minuteness Of detail. MIR. RuMsEr
then Gays: " hus have laid the principles of my
boat before the public, and them, by the
| wonderful :orce Of steam, issuing in incredible
quantities. from an entirely new constructed boiler,
no doubt remains but all the advantages which
before mentioned, both with respect to the navigs-
ton and the raising water, will be produced. The
one have actually proved, by loaded boat being
propelled against stream, with the velocity OF
four miles in an hour, in the presence and the
great satisfaction OF numerous spectators, and the
other by models now ready to be produced, which
admit no, Of contradiction"
The following certificate from Gen. GATES bears
testimony the success Of an experiment by which
Mr., BuMskYs invention was tested:
Berkeley County, Sc.
On Monday, December 7, 1897, ives requested
10 see an experiment on Poowmack river, made
by Mr.. JAMES RUasEY's Steam Boat, and had
small pleasure see her get on her way with near
hsf her butlhen OF board, and moved against the
surreDt at the rate OF three miles per hour by the
fo,ce of steam, without any external application
whatever. | am well infoi med and veiilv believe
that The machine at present is very imperfect and
by no means capable Of performing what it would
do if Completed; have not the least doubt but 1t
may be brought into common and beneficial use
and be Of advantage to sll navigations, as the
chine is simple, light and cheap. and will be ex-
I csedingly durable, aud does occupy space in
the boat Of more than fonr feet by and half.
HORATiO GATES,
Late Major Gent in tie Continental Army.
RuMsEY was in correspondence with General
WAsHiNGToS during the progress of his various
tempts ana the illu.triou. patriot took much inte-
rest in his enterprise. 10 March, 1895, more than
TWO years before the experiment in the Potomac,
WAsntNGToN wrote him, saying, alt gives me
much pleasure to find, by your letter that YOU
not less sanguine in your project than when cav
you in Richmond, and that you have made such
further discoveries as will render them more ex-
tensively useful than al first expected; you
have my best wishes for the Of your plan.
1t is interesting to trace the first projections of
great discovery, and in view of the Mighty changes
which its full development has wrought, to look
back to the period Of its early conception, and to
note the difficulties that surrounded its incipient
progress The several Improvements made from
time 10 time in the OF the engine, and
the apparatus connected with it, came from various
hands the results OF many experiments rendered
the task Of succeeding nachnists one rather of
combination than invention. The descendants of
RUMsEY applied for several years for some remu-
neration at the hands Of Congress, a reward for
a great invention which. yielding much to the Pub
c bad secured but little benefit to the protector
The application, we believe, met with tile usual
fate of such petitions.