The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-07-13

In an Grafton delivered on tne ath AhstS oc-
fore the Order of American Mechanics. BY the
Hon. f.. JOY MORRIS, the speaker gave all the
claim of inventing steam navigation to hoB-
xnr FULTON. The Philadelphia fnqstrsreon-
troserts this position, and insists tna' 'ohS
FircH, who, as well as FULTON, was a nauNe
of Pennsylvania, was entitled TO the honoi
Many rival claims, which perhaps IL "o"'u
not be difficult to establish, have oeen ses -
by foreigners The first notice OF the 20.
Of steam recorded was as long ago as a. p'''
when ANTHKMIus, an architect az Tho
raj caldrons Of water, each covered WIN ~.
wide bottom of a ieathern t"oe' W. ~ the
narroyu ton with pipes to the rai'e'
' uA fire WIS kindied De-
49,, .,arons and tbe house was shaken
-. aa,,r,. 81 the steam ascending the tubes.
~ ,, ur,spxp DE GARoY tried steamboat
:, .no tons with tolerable success, at Barcelo-
q. s,sfn. 1t consisted of a caldron of boiling
xvater and a movable wheel on each side OF
the ship. But 1t was laid aside rs impract-
cable. In l736, JONATHAN HuLLs first set
forth the idea of steam navigation in England,
and in IT'S, THOMAS PAINE proposed It's APP
plication in America. In 1884, Marquis
JouFFRor constructed one on the Saone.-
But whoever originated the idea OF steam
navigation, the honor of producing the first
successful steamb boat belongs to the U. States.
Rt-MsEY and FITCH are said to have been con-
temporaneous in their researches, both having
attempted to construct steamboats, as early as
the year 1853, models of which were exhibited
ia lisa to Gen. WASHINGTON. FITCH went to
England 10 obtain patent, but was unsuc-
cessful. RUMsEY, who visited 1t for the same
purpose, built n vessel on the Thames; which,
OF in nf until after his
dea tn in 1893. This boat proved unsuccessful
In I7Ss, FITCH placed his steamboat, the Per-
severance, on the Delaware, and by accurate
measurement she proceeded at the rate OF 20
miles an hour. On the 18th of October in that
year she ascended the river to Burlington, a
distance OF twenty miles, in three hours and
twenty minutes, carrying thirty passengers,
aud many other trips were made. In 1891,
JOHN STEVENS, of Hoboken, commenced his
experiments on steam navigation lie sue
ceeded in ImpelIing boats at the rate OF five or
six miles per hour. About the year 1900, an
experiment in steam navigation in drawing
boats was made under the patronage of Lord
DUNDAs. upon the Forth and Clyde canal; but,
three and a half miles was the highest rate at
tanned, and the attempt was abandoned. Full
TONS plan was formed in 1905. He construct
Il
the Seine in 1eO3, and proved successful
He then constructed vessel in the u. States,
which was set in motion on the Hudson in 1907.
In 1912, five years afterwards, steamboats, were
introduced in Great Britain. In March, 1916,
the first steam boat crossed the channel from
Brighton 10 Havre. But the Hudson River
was the theatre of the first permanent tri-
umph, and il is there that the greatest achieve
ment in steam navigation, the Great Eastern,
now stretches her huge length along the
wharves where FULToN's first little steamboat
speeded her doubtful way up the river
Who that witnessed that experiment would
have believed that it could ever reach such a
DEVELOPMENT as is witnessed in the Great
Eastern
A committee of the New York Legislature,
which examined the conflicting claims OF
FITCH and FULTON made an official statement
that the boat built by FULTON was in SUBJ
stance the invention patented TO JOHN FITCH
in 1891, and the latter, during the time of his
| patent, had tho exclusive right to use the same
in the United States. FULTON, however, was
fortunate in the time and place when his ex-
reriments were made; he was backed by
| heavy capitalists; the trade and travel OF the
Hudson even in 1907 were important, whilst
the land Journey ON DO th sides of the river was
rocky and tedious. lie made the first actual
beginning OF steamboat navigation. His boat,
the ClsTn1oat, ran from New York to Albany,
a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, in
thirty-two hours, and returned in thirty
hours. This was thought great travelling at
that time, and many people wondered what
the world was comingIo.