Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1856-10-16
POOP JOHN FlFCA.


In Judge Halls q Notes on the Yves
tern States, isthe following Interesting
account Of Jehi Fitch, who in his endeav-
ors to solve thd great problem Of steam
navigation, loge proceeded Fulton, who
reaped not only fame butwealth from his
labors:--
+" In 1886, John Fitch; awatchmaker in
Philadelphia, conceived the design of
propelling boat by steam. He was
both poor and iN;AeratN, and many diff
culties occiR glastgate avery It.
telnfk which nc disie tfy the Fractibil-
ity Of his invention. ~ applied to Con-
gress for assistance bat was refused, and
then offered his invention to the Spanish
government, to be stsed in the navigation
of the Mississippi, but without any better
success. AT length accompany was form
ed, and funds subscribed for the build
ing Of steamboat. and in year 1878, his
vessel was launched on the Delaware. -
Many crowded to see and ridicule the
novel, and as they supposed, chimerical
experiment. seemed that had the
idea of wheels had not occurred to Mr..
Fitch; but instead Of them oars was used
which worked in frames. He was conf
dent of success and when the boat was
ready for the trial she started off in good
style for Burlington. Those who had
sneered began to stare. and they who had
laughed in defisi&, looked grave. Away
went the. boat, aud the happy inventor
triumphel over the secptjcsm Of an unbe-
lieving public.
Tie 09iSs sse1@ss "a Bur-
bat df.Sstasa M tic boiler IN
to the @farf at that place, and
the next tide foatsd her back to the city,
Fitch persevered, and with great difficult
tv procured another boiler. After some
time, the boat performed another trip to
and sflenton, and returned in
the same day. This is said to have moved
at the rate of eigH miles an hour; but
was continually breaking, and
the unhappy protector only conquered one
to eneauiter another. Perhaps
this was not owingEto any defect in his
plans, but the low tate Of the arts at that
time, and the difficulty of getting such
machinery made, with proper ex-
actness. Fitch became embarrassed, with
debt. and was Obliged to abandon the in
Fention, after having satisfied himself of
its practibility.
This ingeniousman, who was probab-
y the first inventor of the steamboat,
wrote three VOLUMES, which he deposited
n assst4s-sssggiisss NJ p,a ~ The Philadels
ohia library. tSXe opened thirty years af |
Ter his death. When or why he came to
The West, we have not learned; but it is
accorded of him that he died and was
buried near the Ohio His three volumes
we're opened andlwere found to contain
lis speculations OH mechanics. He details
lis embarrassaaentE and disappointments,
With feeling whith shows how ardently
le desired success aud which wins for
i'm the sympathy Of those who have
leart enough to nSlirh over the blighted
Of genius. He confidently pre-
licts the future success Of the plan, which
n his hands, failep only for the want of
,ecuniary means.
He prophesiessthat in less than aeon
ury, we shall see our western rivers
warming with steamboats,, and expresses
wish to be buried on the shores Of the
ohio, where thief song Of the boatman
nay enliven the Sillness of his resting
lace, and the my of the steam engine
oothe3 IT, .S - s.;;aea YETI. aiasrl
atural to the ms an ardent PROJECT
those whole lifesISd Been devoted to one
airing object, wh&h it was not his desti-
y to accomplish And how touching is
he sentiment found in one Of his jour
ais:
The day will cDme when some power
IL man will get fame and riches from my
lvention, but nobody will believe that
DOR John Fitch can do anything worthy