Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-05-20
~ q FIRST


Tile HDrh AmstIaH Ret iep. (for October.
le3ll contains nm aneCdbte with respect 10 he
first tltal Of Fultof's steamboat experiment.
by judge story, he says :--"i ny self have
heard The illnslon inventor fsIata, in An mi.
It'l'ad and affecting fhstttlaf, ths history af biz
Lthors and dlscouragsmehta-Whgp ssid ba.
| vas building my first steamboat nj N. Yoik,
The project VS. yiawsd by the publie either
with ibditf9feHcs "f Hith ebnismp', M II VI
sIbtiary sch 'ne. Ny friends, indeed, were ete
10 my explaraiiohs, but With u settled cast %
iCredulit on her t6llntenantess fslt The
III torre OF Tie hinefi'a ion Of The pJat,
Truths would you teach 10 save a sinking
MI fear, none aid yots md few understand.
ha ] had tctasion to pass daily to and from
The building yard, whilo my boat was Ia prp-
gress ! have often loitefsd unknown aiming
the IDLE groups Of strangers. gathering il iii.
Tie circles, and heard variofs enquiries an 10
The object 81 this now vehicle. The language
was uniformly That Of sc0rn, or smear, OF ridi-
eule. The lottd laagi often foso at my OK
penss The dry jest the wise calculation Of
losses and expenditures . the dull, but end.
less repetition. Of tbs Fultsn Folly Never
ald q Single encouraging remark, d bright
''PF' " "a u" WtRHj ETyHH NY DAiH. EJEs
lents Itself WIS but pbfIttnesr, vsilinr il.
doubts or holdlrg III fsproaches At length
the day arrived when the experiment vas IL
be put into operation. 70 mo II was Q most
trying and interesting occasion invited
many friends 10 20 On board 10 witrsss the
first successful trip. Many Of them did ms
Tie faYof 10 attend. AS a matter of personal re-
speft bot II was manifest that they did i,
with reluctance, fearing 10 10 tho partners If
my modification, and hot Of NY triumph.
was we'll aware, that in my case there vera
many reasons 10 doubt Of my own SUCCESS.
The machinery was now and III. tIade ; many
parts Of II were toDRtrdtted by nsrhanics un-
accustomed 10 sbeh work and unexpected
hIfHeulftes might reasonably be- Presumed L.
present themselves from ethsr catrses. The
moment arrived in which the werd was ~ be
gwen for the vessel to move. Nv friends
were 10 groups on Tho decks. There vas
anxiety mixed With fear among them. They
were s'Ienfi and Sad; and wsary. read III
their looks nothing. but disaster; and almost
fepen'ed Of my efforts. Tho signal was Civ
on, aud the boat moved on q short distance,
and then stopped, and became irnmoyabl..
10 The = 10 ice Of the pre- eodiug N now
succeeded Tnurnurs Of discomfort, and arita--
tlone, and I" hlspers, and shrugs. could hear
distinctly repeated, Il told you II would be 90.
1T is a foolish schsme,--f wish ve wefs our
Of IL elevated myself upon A platform. and
addresaed tho assembly. stated tIiat / knew
not what was the matter bot II they would
be quiet, and indulge me for half an hour, /
would either go on, or abandon the voyage for
that time. This short respite was coflesdsA
without objection ] went below, exaanined
the machinery, and discovered that the CAUSE
was a slight ma. adjustment Of some OF tho
work. In a short period it was obyia,ed.
The boat was put again in motion. Sire con-
tuned 10 move on. Ill we're stiiE ipcredu-
lou. None seemed willing 10 fftst the evi-
denee Of their own senses. We Esn the fir
city OF New York /; we passed through tho
romantic and erer-varying scenery Of the is-
lands We described the clustering | q tses Of
Albany : we reached ~ hores; and then,
even theni when all seemed achieved, | was
The victim Of disappointment; imagination gu
P%erceded the influence Of tlhs frct. II was
then doubted if it could be done again or If
done, it was doubted if IL could be made Of
great value. Saeh wasthe history of the first
experiment, as it fell not in tho very language
which ] might have used, bit in iis substauce.
from the lips Of the inventor"