Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-19
THE GAZETTE.
SATURDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 10, 1859.
A SURVIVOR OF FULTON's CREW.


A SURVIVOR OF FULTON'S CREW.
A correspondentofthe New York Journal OF
Commerce has obtained from Captain Me-
new. of Deer Island one of the islands IN the
Bay of Funday, and who was one of Fulton's
crew when that inventor tried his first steamer,
the Clermont, the following interesting account
of that craft and her first trip to Albany in
1907. The Captain is said to be man every
way worthy of eredence.
Captain Mckinney says the boat was not
one hundred and forty feet long. She was
flat bottomed like skiff, sides straight like
scow, stem like askiff. She was painted lead
color. The Clermont drew inches
of water, and the rudder went below the bot
tom of the boat. TO the rudder post two
pieces of wood were fastened. These project
ed some four or five feet, and a bolt extended
across them to prevent the rudder from ego
ing down lower than it ought" In addition
the rudder was 80 arranged for shoal water that
it could be lifted to the surface if necessary.
Her wheels extended below the bottom off the
boat. A fly wheel was attached to the pad
die wheel, having rim four inches wide,
which Mr. jackson, the engineer, told Capt.
Mckinney "was to make the paddle wheel pass
the centre without jerk" "There was big
hub" continued Capt. Mckinney, Gust in
side the boat, into which the shaft fitted. 1t
could be unshipped with crow-bar, and the
revolution of one Of the wheels stopped Ghen
then ,canted to turn the boat round. There
were two rows of 6re-bricks which the boiler
rested upon. These bricks were imported
from England, and cost six cents each. The
boiler Wa Of copper, top arched, the bottom
curved upHard The boiler fed itself"
The CAPITA as description of some ofthe ma
chinery will re both amusing and instructive
to those who lave watched the progress OF
this branch of Mechanics. His own langu-
age, used in describing the apparatus for sup
plying water to the boiler, will give far
more graphic idea than any which we could
hope to convey. "A grindston" was suspen-
ded from its centre by wire ins lie the boil
er. A lead pipe ran from the ro'ser to the
water. The top of the grindstone was level
with the water in the boiler; as the water
boiled away the the stone would fall; as the
boiler was filled the stone would rise. M
chinery working like punp-handle connect
ed this grindstone with the cock of the watei
pipe outside of the boiler. AS the grindstone
fell it would open the cock wider, and the re-
verse, &c., &c"
Cantain Mckinney says that when the
"Clermont," started on her trip to Albany
she left New York, according to his recollec-
ton. about o'clock in the morning, and went
up as far as the Livingston Manor the first day.
There she remained all night, and received
passengers-some of the Livingston family.
The next morning she proceeded on her jour
ney, and arrived at Albany late in the after
noon. All the way up the river the steam
boat attracted great attention. People throng-
ed the banks or pulled out into the stream to
have closer look at this new monster. The
"Clermont" made about six knots an hour
On the first trip the crow consisted OF only
half dozen men, while those whom Capt.
Mckinney took to be passengers might mum
Der twenty-five or thirty persons.
At Albany he says that Fulton went
ashore, telling them to let no one come on
board, and the boat was pushed plank
length from the shore. But the engineer
disobeyed so soon as Fulton was out OF sight
and admitted people at York shilling a
head. They came on board so fast that IN
five minutes they took tpelre dollars. Sc
many came at last that they were compelled
to turn the tide in the opposite direction and
ordered them 'all ashore" Fultons Cap.
tain, saws our hero, was named Hunt, and
on the passage down was bribed (so Madame
Rumor said) by the sloop owners, to run the
experimental steamboat ashore. In accom-
plishing the wish of the shippers, one OF the
wheels was broken, and the "Clermont was
navigated to New York with one wheel.