Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1846-10-01
JOHN PITCH.
HONOR no WHOM HONOR Is DUE.


observed in your paper n few weeks
since the name Of John Fitch, as being
tue inventor OF a Steamboat, and repre-.
senling him rs belonging 10 he Soul, and
ihis Is merely 10 correct AN error. As 10
ms birth place, in looking into the histor-
ical collections of Connecticut, / find an
engraving OF John Fitch's steamboat, un.
DER the tewn of East Windsor, together
Wiih The following, viZ:-John Fitch was
native of this town. To this individu-
al belongs the honor of having cons;ruc-
ted the first steamboat in this country
although this honor has been so gener-
ally ascrIbed 10 Robert Fulton, yet it is
a well known tact, that tpenty years be
Tore the great experiments of Fulton and
Livingston on the Hudson, a steamboat
was constructed and put in operation in
Philadelphia, under the sole direction Of
q then obscure, and still almost unknown
individual. This person was JOIN Fitch.
lie was born in the south part Of East
Windsor, near the East Hartford line, on
what is called the Old Road. He was
apprenticed as watch and clock maker
to Mr.. Cheney, who carried on the bust
ness in the eastern part of East Hartford,
now Manchester. He married in early
life, and had two children he went to
New Brunswick, IN. J.) where he set up
The business of clock making, engraving
and repairing muske,s, before the Revo-
luton. When New Jersey was overrun
by the British troops, Mr.. Fitch removed
into the interior Of Pennsy lvania, where
he employed himself in repairing arms
for the Continental Army.
In the year l755, Mr.. Fitch conceived
the project of prope!line vessel by The
force of condensed vapor. When the
idea occurred 10 him, as he himself tells
Us, he did not know that there was such
"a thinr as steam engine in existence"
In i7SS he obtained patent for appli-
cation of stea,H 70 navigation. By unwea-
ried exertion he succeeded in interesting
about twenty persons in his plan, and in
Gucing them TO take 81. nres OF you each
A boat was built in 1887. A mile was
off in front Of WatGr street, and
ahe boat was found to go at the rate OF
8 miles an hour it afterwards went eo
miles ia day. The Governor and Coun-
Gil Of Pennsylvania were somuch graft
fled with the experiment, that they pre-
scented him with superb silk flag. -
About this time the Company sent Mr..
Fitch to France, at the request of Mr..
Vail, our consul at LOrient,' who was ore
of the Company, and wished TO introduce
the invention into France. Being in the
midst of revolutions in that country, and
as no men could he obtained for the pur-
pos of building bouts, Mr.. Fitch return
ed. "Mr Vail afterwards Subjected to The
examination Of Mr.. Fulton when IN France
the papers and designs OF the steamboat
TO the Company" In 1880
he made an alteration in his bent, and she.
performed to,erabIe well bat still it requI-
red further alterations. Mr.. Fitch, how
ever. was not able TO obtain the ncccssa-
~ means in order 70 perfect his lnven-
ton.
The conviction Of Fitch respecting the
power OF steam Continued firm; he ad-
dressed Il letter to Mr.. Ritlenhouse, one
OF The shareholders; speaking of steam
power, nc said -" This, sir will be the
mode of crossing The Atlantic an time, wheth
l shall bring 1t TO perfection or not x x
He complains of his poverty, and toralse
funds he urges MIR. Rttenhouse to buy
Ais land in Kentucky, that he might have
the honor OF enabling him 10 complete
the great Undertaking. Upon one occa
sion upon n smith who had worked upon
his boat. and after dwelling some time
upon his fuvorIte topic, concluded with
these words:-" Well &c itIemcn, although
| shall rot live to see the time, YOU Will,
when steamboats, will be preferred to all
other means of conveyance, especially
Tor passengers, and they will be paricu-
issippi." HcrrtIrcd, when a pers N pres
eat observed. in a tone of deep sympathy
'poor fellow, what ii pity it is he is era
zy."
The distress of mind and modification
he suffered from the failure of his pro
tracted exertions and his poverty were
TOO much for him, and to drown the re-
Elections he had recourse 10 the common
hut deceptive remedy, strong drink, in
which he INDUCED to excess and reti-
ring to Pittsburgh, he ended his days by
punging into the A'leghany.* He had
filled several small MS. books with per-
sonal and general narrative. more or less
connected with great scheme, and which
he bnqucathed TO the Philadelphia Libra
ry, with the proviso that they r,'o re-
main closed for thirty years. The books
were opened in due time, and were found
10 contain IA minute account of his per-
plexities and disappointments. "Of the
boldness of his conceptions" (says IA wrl-
ter in the Mechanic Magazine, January
1860 "and thepresevelance with which
he followed it up, there can be but one
opinion; and had fortune attended his
efforts and his means been equal to the
accomplishment of his designs, there car
be no doubt that he would now hold un
disputed the honor Of having given to tht
country this most noble and useful inven
ton"
american ed. Edinburgh Encyclopedia.