Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-03-14
Robert Fulton.

county, Penn, and was the son of poor
Irish Immigrants. He lost his father al
the age of three, and when eighteen
years old could barely read and write
lie went to Philadelphia, and succeeded
in getting instruction in drawing, pain.
ting, and mechanics; after which he went
from house to house, selling landscapes,
or taking likenesses. Having by his in.
duslry and self-denial contrived enough
to purchase the little farm which his
mother occupied, he vent to Europe,
and studied under West, the celebrated
American painter. But Fulton was, as
it were, irresis,ihly impelled TO return TO
mechanics. In 1893, he laid before the
English government project for the i'm
provement OF canals, in which the locks
were 10 be replaced by inclined plains,by
which boats on wheels might go up and
down. He also submitted some plans
for the consideration of roads, of new
aqueducts, and metal bridges: but he
could neither get the government or any
private company 10 decide on carrying
them into execution. ."-- .rl
To these projects Fulton added, at the
same time, some other inventions. He
devised kind of plow for the following
out of canals, mill for the cutting and
polishing Of marble, machine for twis-
ting ropes; but the Only notice taken Of
him in England, was the granting of
three or four patents, and some letters OF
thanks from few learned societies. ~
i Depressed by such little encourage
ment, Fulton went to France, where
he formed an intimate friendship with
Joel Barlow, the U. s. minister in that
country. He spent seven years in
France, making great progress in math-
ematics, natural philosophy, chemistry,
and prospective, as well as IN the French,
Italian, and German languages. About
1907, he proposed, for the adoption of
France, a method of propeling boats un-
der water, 10 be used in war. But no
good came OF this project; and he direc-
ted his attention very fortunately to the
planning of a vessel 10 move by paddles
that is, sieam-vessel. The hrsl
steamboat he made was small vessel
"illtll tlIGu Utl TIC oCfllCs db
This boat broke in the middle; but no,
discouraged, he built second boat
which was tried with great success, in
the close of the year 1903. About this
period Fulton was again called TO Eng
land; but meeting there with no more
success than he had met with in France
he left for New York. There he assem-
bled the authorities Of the place, and q
great number Of the inhabitants, and laiC
before them his inventions in their mos
minute details, aud Immediately after
ward went TO work at steamboat, whct
he called the sClermont." Public opin
r ion was entirely against Fulton; but thu
, chancellor Livingston, alone and unaided
supplied the necessary funds. The
Clermont was tried in the August o
,, 1907, and with the most entire success
The genius OF the inventor had beer
doubted; but now doubt and increduli,y
g gave place TO admiration without bounds
and an almost frenZied enthusiasm.
,, The Clermont, after some improve
ments, went from New York to Albany
in thirty two hours and came back il
! thirty; that is to say, il traversed in ,ha
space of time distance of one hundred
, and fifty miles. As the enormous ma
! chine passed along the banks of th'
Hudson, il threw the inhabitants into tn,
; utmost CONSERVATION, as well as tn,
!, crews of the several vessels that hap
pened TO be on the river. The contem
porary journals state that the sailors, as
tonshed at the long column of smok
: which rose into the air, and by The nois
of the wheels, rushed down into the hol,
i TO shut out tile fearful apparition. 4
!. short time after this, the Clermont be
came the regular conveyance of the mai!
!. between New York and Albany. From
this success, as might naturally be ex
pecled, wealth and fame flowed in upol
the American engineer.
He now returned to his experiment
in connection with submarine artillery
3 and blew up with his terrible engine al
old vessel of two hundred tons. Blu
J amid all his success, he seemed doomed
Ito encounter disappointment. His CLAIM
to the honor Of having been the first Il
establish, to any purpose, steam naviga
ton, was disputed before the Legislative
: assembly of New York, ard they pro
: ceeded so far as TO seize upon one oil hi.
e boats. These fresh vexations totally de
stroyed his declining health; and he diet
: on the 24lh OF January, 1915, at tine ag
! of forty-nine years. 81
u As soon as this sad event became gen
D orally known, the public regret was man
ifested IN striking degree. The news
z papers appeared with black edges; tn
y municipality of New York, and the dill
J ferent literary and scientific societies, as
J, sembled, and passed resolution tina
q they were 10 attend the funeral, and tina
. every member of the several bodle
should wear mourning for a certain peri
= cd. The senate expressed its share O
: :, the general feeling, by an order tha
y mourning should be worn by both hous
i es.-Rambier. aaa7 sos
A late writer wishes to know wha
i more precious offering can be laid upol
the altar of a mans heart than the frs