The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-05-19
,-- The-Dsginnsng- eta CAAsga----x
A. H. SANDERS, ESQ.


Dear Sir:-I presume that very few Of
your home readers are aware that the bury
ing ground at Bsrdstown, KY. contains the
mortal remains Of the first discoverer Of the
means of propelling vessels. OF boats. by fire
or steam. John. Fitch. born in small town
adjoining Hartford. Conn.,, and who learnt
the trade Of Clockmaker, was the first dis
coverer of the means of propeling vessels
and boats by ere Or steam. Several years
sincs while engaged in examining some
papers in the Office of Secretary Of State Of
the State of New York, met with paper
drawn up BY the said John Fitch. Of which
the following is copy: so4
ITO tie honorable Legislature of the
S,ate:of New Yosk in Senate and Assembly
convened.
"The petition of John Fitch of Bucks
county, in the State Of Pennsylvania, humbly
showeth: ..1rs5 ~
"Thst your petitioner has lately invented
q method Of ProPeiling vessels through the
water BY the force Of steam which he Hatters
himself is reduced to moral certainty and
will be . very great improvement on navi.
CATION, and that he has a boat nearly COM
pleted to navigate on the river Delaware BY
the agency thereof. ~ i-se
"That the State Of New Jersey and Della
ware have pstronised his scheme 80 far a.
to give him an exclusive right for said boats
for the term of fourteen years, and the State
of Pennsylvania have passed a law for
public consideration, thereto:-That your
petitioner has invented method Of rowing
boats BY oars worked by cranks which was
never heretofore used, which applies not
only the force of steam but the strength of
a horse or any other power to equally as
good advantage As men with oars, whereby
inland navigation must be benefited nearly
as much as the labor Of horses is cheaper
than the labor Of men. Your petitioner
therefore humbly pfays your honorable body
will take into their consideration said i'm
provement and grant your petitioner such
encouragement ~ in your wisdom shall
seem proper. And your petitioner as in
duty bound shall ever pray.
JOHN FITCH.
New YoRK. Feb. Al. 1857.
In ASSEMBLY, Feb. "a l7s7.-A petition
Of John Fitch, praying an exclusive privi.
lege for limited time Of constructing vessels
to be propelled through the water by force
sfsteam. Read and referred to Mr.. Sickley
Mr.. Jones and Mr.. Hamilton.
REPoRr OF THE CoMMIrrEE.-The Com.
mittee to whom was referred the petition oil
John Fitch. of Buck County in Pennsylva.
mia, report:
That having examined the certificate and
papers presented to your committee by the
said John Fitch they are Of opinion that in
order to encourage further Improvement in
20 useful an art, that a bill be brought ia
for the purpose of granting to the said John
Fitch an exclusive right Of navigating boats
by the force Of steam or fire for a certain
time agreeable 10 the prayer of his petition,
A bill was passed in conformity with the
recommendations of the committee, and was
signed by the G overnor on the 18th oil
March, 1857. ~
The Mr.. Hamilton mentioned, was Alex
ander Hamilton, the Statesman.
The year following. certificate dated
Philadelphia, October IL, 1883, stated tina,
Fitch had built boat 60 feet in length, and
that she went from Philadelphia to Burlug.
ton, twenty miles, in three hours and ten
minutes. This certificate was signed By
Robert Patterson, David Rittenhouse, Jon.
athan Heart, Capt. U. 3. Regiment, Andrew
Elliott, and nine others who were psssen.
gers in the boat. ~
Fitch made an effort to get up company
to build large boat, bat was unsuccessful -
At meeting Of some of his friends in Phil.
adelphia, Fitch made speech, in which he
said: y 'sf'
"Well, gentlemen, although I shall moi
live 10 see the time, you will, when steam.
boats will be preferred to all other means oil
conveyance, and especially for passengers
and they will be particularly useful in the
navigation of the Mississippi river''
He then retired, when Mr.. Brown SAID
to a Mr.. Wilson: "Poor fellow, what pity
he is crazy"
This petition is the hand writing of Fitch
is now on file in the Office Of Secretary o.
State at Albany-the other facts obtain
ed from the Legislature Journal and othel
sources.
This petition has since been incorporated
in the. Documentary History of New York
John Fitch subsequently vent to Ken