Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1850-02-07
sHEPHERDsTOytx IN THE oI.DEx
TINES;
JAMES fsUsisEE--xND STEAM BOATS.

Parcp 10 prove hat the world jDde seC the *
nias and perseverance, Of citizen al shepherlstox
fer The mpsa nssfui invention af8aay age, re mu.
IL express our regref that We canapl fcscfilr lin de
H tail al The circumstances and ereats connecie
] vsih biz history Most. indeed neary tie whole
Of those who were eye-u witnesses III BIS u oa5erfu
and successful experiment. have been gathered b
their fathers and il is 70 be aeplarea that many
The thirgs they saw and tie facts THEY knew, wer
/ II buried wiki them 10 their graves
Il We do nhs claim that RAmseyHas Tie iHvenio
4of The steam engine on iie coistfarr We are fre,
HEP adniFthat the power ana rsesHlntss Of sirain q
Ian agent was known more dian eenahry before hi
.hirihA but We 90 contend Thar II was il who frs
conceived andearrica into suseeskfui execution I'll.
pan of pfupeliing boats BY ihe application of
!; mi sieriops agsney.H
nix In work published ii Spain 4,rar rears since
i said ihathmong the original papers relating q
hs wye Sc u colnm5as presctveEf ID the royal ar
shiTcs At Sarnaneas, was found aafrative slaging
mat Blasco de Garay, sea-capIatn exhilited ID
sh@ einpsFor and King Charles ". aihe year 1913
IN eHginehy which ships and ves4#s pf the largest
sze could Be Profelled even in . dain without Inc
gid pfoars Or sails" But The cdiiarJf The Frank
I Hn {Easish) Journal, from which liis extract has
4 kS appear Id an aalhssiS tor ln iisessidensc tu i
be admitted aniR tAeH, be should ha Ne intftne1t u
I Commence history 81 The anveasIoa 81 the steam
1 boat so fat back a. l5lJ For. eETtnlnsaptial Il
/ bc account II. i. seems 10 haze bsen written since
I she days ofFaston.a
Il i Is geR.fally conceded lhat lhe irst-stcanl en-
zine was invehted by The Marquis ofIy prcester In
he year 1868 bat i was adapted onl yto raising; wa
tsr, ana hal BIZ The expansive force VI steam alone
Il ia jung "a 1922, Capt Slavery hadhs fat improved
an ihca engineql lhe marqpfS as H. apply Ii, with
smoaeraie success, tb iheinachacFy ofnills. Al
iArlherimProycment was added byIJsmes Wait. il
ihc year T6J
. If" bic was rhaker of mathematical instruments
IL Glasgow, and bsng n,a OF tr5,lv philosophical
ipFnd ana we'll eoHyersant with allbranches of sci
tsiee he Was nthe hah5pf assoc with ihe mos,
s9ehEalsassc icntIhS men at that tiiiiE n Scotland
phTitlitTly with pr. Black DR. Roeback. ana DR..
lasbifstn saen a Young philosopher His engines
hftame iIfgenerel use. They were aeiuated both
bt the pressure u steam and thevaennm acting at
s sanie life upon the opposite surface Of Tie pis
Nv hase read win great Diligence and attention
tle dftaii{f history the improvements in and The
pf:p3ses q which these Inventions We're APPLIED
ada no where do we discover the slightest aliasibn
tSthqr being employed in prbpelng Ships o. boats.
Ne shall therefore proeeed 10 the proof, thai the
h9of II The latter application Of ii an Justly be-
le4gs 10 Jamcs Ramsey Mi
s'rhe following extract from IIokt's History Of
Virginia, is fun Of Interest: Il
iJsNrs RrMsET3 who is believed I'd le The frst Der.
spt that evcrsuceeedcd Ia propeiline 1atby steam
was native Of Maryland gWAcA ayoung man,
hel fenoyed 70 ShePherdstogn, where he devoted
mich otdiis time to mechanics
lie was. at one pcrJd of.hfs lifeI Engaged as a
mefehanI iscoqPapy with a MIR derrick al Bath
fin Morgan equity In September f1st ii appears
from letter Of has now heipre US tAaihe was en-
4fldyed by lhe Potomac company ,ol which Wash
lasoh was member 10 iIn fFoye he navigation III
thc Paonac River. In lhe summer df Tile year f7S5
Le Infected his attention 70 the SUBJECT 81 steamboats,
aud n the autumn 81 1854 Succeeded in a private
hey very impereel experiment in ofder test some
ot fse principles Of his invention. IN The October
srstio OF that YEAR he obtained The passage Of an
M iS S w It 81 FnRt ate space uf lo
f4rs rom date Id January l7s5, % obtained
from he General Assesy q s Ms5y ofe HE rs
year lie was engaged in working ii His boat but |
was rot ready for public trial until Ifs5 the year
flIpwng. In this experiment he was etaincnty |
sacesstul, He succeeded in Propeins his boat, by
stesm alone, al ShePherdstoWn, agdIaA The earFeat
efttc Potomac and az the rate III fur Ptiiss
ii The correspondence Of Washington complied
by Sparkssis a letter TO Rumsey, dated anterior 10
lAeipublic experiment in list, advising him y has
3tenftAe Dl his as ~ 1FetEul D.
ing Ieresialled by another Individual. and 10 ron-
jvin4e The public of It's pracliesbty Also, in let
Her fDIIugh Williamson M. e., dated Mount Ner-f
men, March 10Th 1885, Washington says, in aln- Il
east+s 10 Rumseys boat II a modea ~ iinE. I'M
faibiature is misrepresentation dt greater Obj
cl in practice there is no dulht Of te tsliity ofthe
Fisdenton. A view of his model, wllhthe exP lana-
AisiS removed The principal dpaitd FYeEhad ~ The
iptsieabiliiy Of proPeldng asainsta srcam, BY ike
AID OF mechanical power; bh as hr wanted 70 await
g il min
i,,s chose previously, 10 see the aetual perform
sadc OF lAe model inla descending stream, bet5re
psnkea ny Certificate and having Gone 50, all my
nsdhtsar satisfied 4
while al Shepherdstown MIR. Rumsey dwelt IN
knl$Il log house now standing rear9he iDwn jail IN
sse| outskirts Of the village lie vas Supplied is
fsrslS for the undertaking ~ has breshcr-in2laW,
Charles Morrow, which proved the Fain Of the tat
ter The boat was built upon the tsnks Ct the Po-
tnaiae, about half a mile above the town She vas i
eEpedhY the towns4people, NOT the Stranboah but
NH Rytn boat r ana AIR Ruirasey itRserecSgvcd,
ft,aal The same source rhe ,appellalfohoi CFa-g
RaasB.s There isla place Rpon shr banks IA Ghe
f,fomae formerly called "Rugnsey's Walk, where
Et1lnsey was often seen for lionrs walking ~ and
rs .lia deep madisa,ipR(upon his ias9Fie prejest
slluinsey was assisted in the construction Of this
IA, by the iate Jacvb Hainesiapd aIdhael Foake,
Il shrpherdstown The boiler was for some time
is dhe possession Of AIexander RI B9,dlef Esq, but
/ Ffafcssor Mitchell Of Phiiadea fhia. -
T III Amer the experiment above aladedto. RuInkey
tesng undcr The stropg convcIon Ihhtskilinl WORK
MN and perfect machinery were ALONE wanting 10
stKf most perfect success. and sensible thai spch
eSifd not be procured in America. Iesaved 10 gS 70
E5aland With sIender means oi.his own, and aid
III. III rather stecssd BY SONG tiuiid ami unsteady
.ssi&oaage, he there resumed viii pniIring csergy
Eht great undertaking. He proceeded 10 procure
H4enls oflhe, British governmtn for steam paYiga-
l,ss these pa;ens bear date in The beginning othe
sHsaf f7SS Several of his inventions Id one motif
lSa form or aaothef arc now 10 general use: as,
f,g hinsahce the cylindrical boiieF 10 Superior 20
tae Eold tub or st-beilers IN the presentation ot
die 3sarface and capacity for holding highly Tarc-
Ne.lsteam is described both single and coul1inelif
Iii his specifications and Is iten9fal IL principle
MD lie iubboiler which he used in his Pstosnac
stks3erftnent
q III Difficulties and embarrassmehts of pecnniary
sare aud such as invariably obstFudt the progress
ttbg| new invention attended hilalih England IL
III 81 often compelled ii ahanGeR temporarily his
sstn object and tufn his attention ii something
eSk In oiSler to raisd means ia resume It. be nE-
isTEonk with the same power hpz BY IT, more lndk
Sens application, 70 produce higher results in seFf-
ia walter works in all which Sc sucteedeS tRalf-
Slg thereby some reputation well as funds %
| It'll % his fayorite project
lkRs ~ anotber tiIne. IN erSer n avoid 4 London
ftfqn and the delay. il not the defeat Of all biz
II ssth hopes he was compelled tt transfer at What
sfssf considered Tuinc1s sacrifice 4 large interes
lnTentions,-- - contract masF9h entangled ard
u 4 assed him through life still however he
i II 1Eaftck on nndismayed, ant had eonStructei
I i fkfwaff1Af one hundred tons burden and pushed
+ H action as machinery 20 near rs The po;,st 81 con-
kns FOR pub ARle q iadicas4 day nos verr dis