The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-08-06


lor Livingston, at o'clock on Tuesday
time "a hours, distance 100 miles On We'd
nesday, left the Chanccllor's at 0 in the
morning. and arrived at Albany at 5 in the
afteruoon-dstance 40 miles; time eight
hours equal to nearly five miles an hour &c.
{" Signcd) R.FULT0N."
Thus this journey of one hundred and
fifty miles was accomplished in the space
of thirty.two hours, a distance now occu-
pying considerably less than ten. The
Clcrmont of North River, as she was al
so called, was 100 feet in length, and 6
feet 6 inches in breadth. The engine
made by Boulton & Watt, was of lS
horse power, the boiler of which was 20
feet long, Z feet deep, and 8 feet broad
the cylinder being "a in inches in d.
ameter, and the stroke OF the piston q
feet. She continued to run between
New York and Albany, and was soon
crowded with passengers. But the Cler-
mont was not suffered to navigate the
Hudson unU Uolested for the boatmen
plying on the stream fearing that the in.
truder would ultimately supersede their
slower craft, purposely ran foul Of her,
seeking to inflict damage and so perse,
vering we're these attempts, that theLeg-
islature found it necessary to enact a law
to punish by fine.aud Imprisonment any
person who attempted to destroy or in.
jure her" Perhaps the boatmen sought
also to retaliate for the alarm they suf
fercd on her first appearance, which is
thus related by 9, Golden -
" On her passage from New York to
Albany, the Clermont excited the aston.
ishment of the inhabitants Of the shores
of the river, many of whom had never
heard even OF an engine, much less Of a
steamboat. She was described by some,
who had indistiuctly seen her passing in
the night, as monster moving on the
waters, defying the winds and tides. and
breathing flame and smoke. She had
the most terrific appearance from other
vessels which were navigating the river
when she was making her passage The
first steamboat (as others yet do) used
dry plno wood for fuel, which sends forth
column of fame several feet above the
due,and whenever the ircis st rrcda show,
or of sparks fly off,which in the night have
a brilliant aud beautiful appearance.
This uncommon light first attracted the
attention Of the crews of other vessels.
Notwithstanding the wind and tides were
adverse to its approach, they saw with
nstonishment that it was rapidly advan-
cling toward them and when it came so
near as that the noise of the machinery
and paddles was heard, the crews. in
some inst ances, sbrauk beneath their
decks from the terrific sight, and others
left their vessels to 60 on shore othors,
again, prostrated themselves, and be.
sought Providence to protect them from
the approach Of the horrible monster,
which was marching on the tides, and
lighting its path by the fires which it
vomited."
Fulton was by no means the inyentor,
but he was the successful I'M, OdNcer of
steamboats,, lie had frequently inspect.
ed the Charlotte Dundas of Symington,
while she was lying at Lock Sixteen
and had adopted Symingtons invention.
The engine itself he purchased of Messrs.
Boulton & Watt, it is said under an as
sumed name ; and for the forms and pro-
portions Of his vessel, he was indebted
to the calculations of Col Beaufoy. AT,
ter the Cermont there followed 10 sue
cession from Browns Yard. the Raritan.
the Car of Neptune. the Paragon, and
the Fire Fly. Before his DEATH which
took place in 1915, Fulton had the salts.
faction of seeing steam navigation intro
duced in both the cid aud new hemis.
pheres. Thirty years after his first ex.
pertinent on the Hudson, it was comput-
ed that 800 steamboats, had been built
in the United States, of which 260 had
been lost by various accidents. The first
explosion, an example since so widely
aud fearfully followed in America, is be.
ieved to have occurred in the Washing.
ton, on the Ohio river in the year 1916.
A profound thought, issuing from the
secluded study of some doep thinker, of.
times has conferred more benefits upon
The world than the life.performances of
It's most energetic actors. Yet to
casual observer the quiet scholar would
be an object of incomparably inferior in
terest to the successful practitioner.