The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-11-29
Napoleon I. and Fulton.

Under the above title Mr. A. Du
cass gives the following interesting
historical sketch of the origin Of steam
navigation.
Between six and and eight o'clock
on the Sth Of August, 1904, NOW six
ty-seven years ago) the two banks OF
the Seine at Paris. at the foot of the
nights Of the "Pompe Feu' at Chail-
lot, were crowds of curious observers
collected together to witness an ex-
pertinent, the Importance Of which,
unfortunately for the civilized world,
was not recognized for a long time af-
terward.
Fulton was trying on the Seine the
first steamboat already invented by
him some years ago, and subsequent
y offered IN vain first to France then
/ TO England, and subsequently to his
native country, the United States,
which adopted the grand discovery.
Now, the discovery of the American
/ engineer governs the world, OF which
1t has changed the appearance, modi-
fed the relations, increased the com
merce and increased the international
relations.
On that evening, then, vast numbers
OF curious gazers were assembled on
the quay, and unfortunately tho En-
peror, retained at the Camp of Bou-
lognc, was not in Paris. The trial
took place without being Witnessed by
him, and in spite of the scientific men
delegated by his order, this trial was
not appreciated.
\ strange history is that OF the
shortlived relations of those two men
of genius Napoleon the First and
Fulton, made TO understand one an
other, and yet whom fatal and jeal-
Gus destiny seems to have perpetually
kept apart
Toward the end of the year 1900,
Fulton, then for some time residing in
Paris, had been able to establish rela-
tons with several savans. He asked
Volney, who was known to the First
Consul, and who was member of the
Conservative Senate, to propose to the
great man who governed France to
make n trial of his system of naviga-
ton with steam as a motive power.
Nolney naturally addressed himself
to Forfait, the Minister de la Marine.
who laid the matter before the First
Consul in the following terms:
The Ministre de la Marine submits
to the First Consul the proposals con-
corning the Nautilus the name of
Fuitons steamboat--which Mr. Rob
ert Fulton citizen of the United
States. has placed before him, through
the citizen Volney, member of the Con
sentative Senate"
On the 4th of December, 1900, the
First Consul wrote on the margin OF
this demand the following decision:
"Fhe Minister will treat this affair
with Fulton, Volney and others
Napoleon, occupied with the affairs
of Germany, whittier Moreau was then
marching 10 fight the battle of Hohen-
linden, occupied with vast interests
placed in his powerful and organizing
hands, increasingly tormented with
projects and inventions, three fourths
Of which were the conceptions of dis
eased brains, did not at first seize the
Importance of Fulton's discovery
Moreover, he thought it was the bust
ness of the Minister de la Marine TO
examine the affair, and to make re-
port to him if it were serious.
For the present, then, he thought
no more about it.
In the month of March of 1901 For
fait returned TO the charge aud sub
mitted to the Chief of the State the
following:
"rhe Minister de la Marine propos-
es to allow Fulton SUN of 10,000fr
to enable him to make a thorough
trial of the Nautilus at Brest, and to
give him certain sums by way of re-
ward.
Napoleon wrote on the margin of
this demand The First Consul agrees
to this arrangement"
fulton's project was, then, by order
of the Chief of the State, sent to the
ihotitutO W NC lJuJ III WIS
not till three years later, till 1904, that
the trial of the steamboat took place
on the Seine as we shall presently
show
This boat, built under the direction
OF Fulton by Messrs. Brown Of New
York, was fifty metres long, it was
moved by double steam engine
which turned paddles on each side and
gave it speed equal to about that of
carriage drawn by post horses.
One fine day Napoleon bethought
him to Fulton's project 1t was at
the time when he was in the midst of
his troops at Boulogne preparing his
grand expedition against England.
With his gaze constantly fixed on
the great rival of France, he sought
every means likely to ensure the sue
cess of his descent upon the banks of
the Thames, The plan OF the Ameri
can engineer REQUIRED to him. Great,
indeed, would be the chances of sue