Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1850-02-07
! PRorrMsA. lIlN. NH 1896

SiA--l AetdScQ answering letter Rf fhl
t1lh ilt iin the hope that among m u Did partrs
Il might ind spmehHg 10 assist alteeb incTerN anil
i 10 elacidae and develoPe the s5biectd t enoliiry-
10 alltwhicb have failed. Sometime prior HI IN
1 revolution Mr. James Rumsey, then lad, enh gral
4 Ted with his father and family. from Inc Eahirrr
i shore q Maryland and settleS in Stcp4erdSoira
where jams the first who ever attetnped 10 4ppii
seaR 70 pfoTeliins boats, grew Up TO manhood and
! al an early feriodi often manifested Nh his adiions
The poFSessidn Of extraordinary genius mccka4ical
/ powers and n spirit of entefpfize
| Soon after fhe revolutionary War when The potoi
mae CpnPany was formed h9 was .einrtovcd III III
superintendent Of AL III. works caftie,l on.Ahc!
v thefe snItreeded he returned 10 SkeHher tdwn.
ms SAID thai while in that service having freobent
y PrioF y INT period passed Up and Gpn by Water
70 his saw mill al the moTh Of Sleeps Cree 4 fha
he conceived the idea OF propeiling 5oa,s thfbnrh
| and against fhnil water by steam
MT. yaiaes Rumsey possessed litile propcrty az
Fal9e, nay small family 70 imaIIain, anil no
wealthy eonEe :iilns, yet under these
hescoinineneeh the untried the ditficuttask ef bro
polling hoatslby the application ef steam He Was
compelled 70 1nTcnt and form With his own haads,
All sheeomPsx machinery, composed III Wood:Ifon
Brass and STeel He was lEe assisted iii ithc
mechanical rart Of the labor hyJoseph Barns, his
bfothef-in-f " who was kind of secondary clafac-
Ier, but nj doabt usefulhy directions from Mr. Rdm
4 $ey. Allthe IWafk was performed and variehI Of
eypermentsInade with closed doprs Whfl.ttbe mass
o. his acqhaiptances derided hisSchelnes prtlihis
i9ilyt eeh9ahsed MS temerfy, called btm concfit-
Cd protector, &c. nothing however could or didIdi
vert him. iroih This most ardent pursuit.; be peIse
Kered 'or perhaps year and half tcore he per-
lectea me nIafhlnery He and Barnsitiie bHif a.
boat % or go feet long, flat bottom but drawn It'd
Ra a. safs ls MIN il Af s sss s tfS ID
necessary ior creating steam, Notice was henlgiy-
Ga Ga 9a nc On 'an aay Ind G 81 F
eniIy were thus invited 10 yiewis praEressl dndl
passage up INF river against the streams The bank
ofthc river oii the day apponiedt was lined Mpth
anSlous spectators several ladics were takeh iplo
ths boat CAPT Charles Morrow plaeed himselI al
! lhe helm and lanes RnmseY rthe boiler q the
engine the 99at was lei loose arg began mrs. grad
uatly and Then little more rapidly 10 move asapst
she stream. Nhiie loud PIaadits were osstowed ny
those on shqfe. ne Doat mus proPefiea, oi Inc
force stealn assembled the river 70 spte dislaHce
above The large Rock, snpposedlto have pFoceeqed
up about quarter q mfe When CaRF M9fr9",
az the helm turned ne boat with the head DOWN
Fsirean, aadFsuFned her to where shq had STARTED
Having now funylnced his neigh5ors ri fhe pradti-
cabity Of stfam navigation, he obtained ceriihfaes
signed By prSininent characters who witnessed The
moving spt th4 boat propelled BY steam. AnAdng
Others that qf Gen. Horalio Gates, ca. John Nor
row, Capt. ABR. Shepherd, John Kearsicy, Jdhnj
Mark, &c The certificate, i'll feculiec right spc-
,ance she raH against the .lrean, aua that it vas
performed bFishe application of steam; also The
time in which the boat performed the di.tanee OF,
say quafteFpf mile.
u was attns lme seeFed 70 rs IheBnTs. alefilp'
n psh, u - ~ srnrise IN, ii
Ramsv sheaII attoanIish rhis. with Ill very Hhi
led means aHaimperfec, machinery. MFR. Rnsh{cy
hoped, sflerihis exhibition, ne could hy some
lg III eSa.e aies y ps pr =
III d, pf is nraci;ea5Ii,T + was Min
treated as Hf1ionary thing by many land he failed
IN his application The main HrIn ,iPe q aEHay-
VIZ Fan Ht az stt Ill III
ooS he nstcnt law exisfirg Al ,hat,ime Iby
which he coqll secure 10 hiuscldihe benefits Of the
invention. H. applied 10 the Legislature Of Mir
glnia Win9H9 sneesss ai.eLWh,Eh nj wens @ IPh
es II, Nj lbss h.a p noa H.
gress BY ihp aid of friends and he best of mechan-
ics there. 0ne day in making elaborateand ne5ees-
eAPadh4qoa 70 inc societY' Pr ie!i senselesf on
'1's , ~, foou tseLeai.cr eA Plfea
.ile Eal,s = I p'soii ~ =
81 any !. Z oetlftso M ING IFifpas
N rsnt;as sias nn Us
49, nnti5,str f,,a bss $1,000 ~ y
/ ,hc dement's bssssssrrd on sasedssor II
NJ You Will he inacnracIss ~ tbis .,,,en,lnt
many Years 1yeSnasSel Since tbe occrrrnres thsrr
i III related touk ,placc.
| Very respectfully yours, Sc
lE. r. BEDiNGER
Ma- FLSs9INl
1so ehe' afElaa'n,ta win 'ne onatfee' y ~
Bedinseft Wlai aouol io' n,oulsns 'ne ehn'e fof
5rectness q iie fa.n's 'hat sae iphs
lapse ot yeaFfIhas ehaccu rom Pr memory man
impressions made al the lime, cut NJ says enoAgt
ID convince siie most incrednlous that the Feasibility
or,h has ocnlarI, demonstrated in the hre
:. - e /, ,tors .,a ft;cn,ls
Among the spectators who gave him cersihcates
= - mentioned The names Of Gen Elofatio Ghfe