Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-08
ROBERT FuLToN.
Translated from The "Jou1nal des Coanais
sailces Utles' .joa. The Washington Sentinel.

|
sauces UtiieS" .jof the Washington Sentinel
! Robert Fulton, born in the city of New York,
of poor parents, was FIRST destined to the trade
of a jeweller, in which he spent, as an appren
tice, the first years Of his youth. He was con-
sequently deprived of that primary education
SO difficult to supply in the course of mature
life. Consequently, although he spent several
years in Paris among men Of education and
artists, he never knew how to write his own
language correctly, nor the French, though he
published, with the assistance Of his friends, a
French sketch of his inventions.
Nobody could guess in the child what the
man would become. AS he did not see any
great prospect in his profession of jeweller, he
left it for painting; and his attempts in that
line were sufficiently successful to cause one of
his countrymen, Mr.. Samuel Torbitt, to send
him, at his own expense, to the American
painter, West, then at the apex of his reputa-
ton in the capital of Great Britain. Mr.. Tor.
bitt thought that young Fulton might perfect
himself under so able master. However, the
expectations of his protector were not realized.
Young Fulton himself felt that painting was
not his avocation, and that such career could
not lead him where he intuitively felt be would
arrive. With such conviction, he, without
giving up painting, commenced the study of
the mechanic arts.
| 1t was in these circumstances, that he deter
mined to come to Paris, where he experienced
all the difficulties attending beginners in for
eign countries. However, fate did not frown
long. upon him; happily for him, he made the
acquaintance in Paris, of an American, Mr..
Joel Barlow who trusted him with paintings for
q panorama. That sort of amusement was
then in its novelty, and enjoyed great favor
with the public. 1t seems that Fulton, once in
that employment, made himself sufficiently use
full to get, besides his salary as workman,
share in the profits. From that moment his
| position became settled. His subsistence once
secured, he could devote himself entirely to the
study of mechanics, which then attracted ex.
clusively his attention and time.
He published at that time several notices;
one in French, on the subject of mill he had
invented for saving and polishing marble; an
other in English, about improvements to be
introduced in canals, which was translated into
French in 1898. From that time Fulton be-
came entirely taken up with steam navigation.
At the beginning of his researches upon that
question, he did not seem, however to form an
idea Of the results. The reader may, however,
judge by the following letter transcribed from
the original deposited in the Conservative DIES
Arts ct Meters. The photography of that letter,
written in French, presents several defects
which cannot be translated into English
No. l47.
| "PARIs PluUiose the 4th in the XI Qs03)
. Robert Fulton to The citizens Molar BandeH, and
| MongoJfr
| "FRIENDs OF THE ARTS hereby enclose the
sketches and drawings of machine am con-
structing, with view Of making experiments
upon river boats, in order to cause them to
ascend the water by the means of fire pumps.
My first object in such attempt is to apply it
upon the great river of America, deprived of
side ways, very difficult to establish at places
80 that the expenses of steam navigation will
be placed upon an equal footing with hand
labor, and not with horse labor as in France.
"You will see how such discovery, if sue.
cessful, will be infinitely more important to
America than TO France, a country where
river byways and companies for the transpor-
tation Of goods are established everywhere,
and where the rate of transportation is so low,
that doubt much, whether q steamboat how.
ever perfect she may be, will carry goods
at cheaper price than horses. However
passengers may gain something on account Of
swiftness.
'"You will not find anything new in these
drawings, since they represent but water oars,
means often tried, and always abandoned,
because it was thought to act with disadvantage
against the water. But according to the ex.
periments made by me, remain convinced
that the defect does not reside in the wheel, but
in the ignorance of the true proportion between
swiftness and power, and probably of the me-
chanical conditions.
Exact experiments have led me TO believe
that water wheels are to be preferred to the chap.
etet consequently, and though wheels are Of
no new application, il, however, combine them
in such way that half Of the mechanical
power will act in moving the boat onward, in
the same manner as If she was pulled upon
land, the combination viii be superior to all
that which has been done till the present time;
and il is, in fact, new discovery.
"Ipropose to establish, for the transportation
OF goods, boat, with machinery, for Tie pur.
pose Of towing several loaded boats, pressed
one against the other, so as to prevent water
from flowing between them, and to increase
the resistance. have done this already in
my patent for small canals; it is indispensa-
bic for merchants boats, moved by FIRE en-.
CINE. For instance:
Here the letter contains the sketch Of three
boats following in this order; G, b, Al
Suppose the machine of boat A presents TO