Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-06-14

boat building leXperlehceu lIie IoIlh
er and quit in season; and if had been
in my right senses,I should have treated
the other in the same way.
Rumsey like most men of inventive
genius, was a poor man and had large
family dependent upon him, with no
wealthy friends or connections from
whom he could receive assistance. lie
was often seen walking up and down
OH the high bluff that oyerlooks the
Potomac at Shepherdstown, which spot
TO this day is known as "Rumseys
Walk" and uncharitable persons called
him ''crazy Rumsey," because of his alb
stracted looks and eccentric conduct.
At length, Captain Charles Morrow
and Joseph Barnes, his brother-in-law,
aided him with their means and labor
and succeeded in constructing a boat
estimated to carry about one hundred
barrels Of flour, enlarged their boiler
and machinery, placed on board about
nine tons of stone and gave public no.
tice that on a cer,ain day the boat and
its burthen would be carried up stream
against the current from the Ferry land
ing, by the application Of steam.
We can imagine the scene and the
crowd, in the town and along the high
banks of the Potomac, (Which here
makes graceful curve towards the Nir-
einia shore,) on that day in the Autumn
of 1856. Thousands Of persons had
gathered together to witness the novel
experiment, but none were allowed to
90 aboard, save six ladies who took
their seats as passengers. Capt. Charles
Morrow was placed at the helm and
James Rumsey attended to the boiler
and machinery, and while all eyes were
fixed on the boat, she started off grace
fully and proceeded up the river at
about three miles an hour, as far as the
mouth of Colonel Swearingens spring
run, and then making circuit returned
to the Ferry landing amid the loud
cheer of the astonished crowd. General
Horatio Gates, who was near sighted,
but intently watching the boat with the
aid of glass, threw up his hat and
shouted, ''she goes, by-she goes J!
The boiler of this boat was two large
iron pots turned mouth to mouth and
banded together with heavy iron straps,
which was, until recently, carefully pre-
served together with the portions of
the machinery and boat, by the old citi-
zens of Shepherdstown, and the story Is
still handed down from sire to son, how
''crazy Rumsey made his boat go up
stream by steam" \ description of the
boiler and machinery may be found in
Gloves Historical Collections of Nir-
ginia." In 1885, General Washington
writes, from Mount Vernon, to mem-
Der of Congress from Pennsylvania as
follows ''If model of thing, i'll min
iature, is a just representation of a
greater object in practice, there is no
doubt of Rumscys invention. A view
of his model has removed all doubt OF
the practicability of propelling against
the current by mechanical power This
he writes about the model shown him at
Bath, but his certificate of the practical
working of the boat, together with
those of others who witnessed the move
mept of the boat, is eXtant.
Shortly after his successful expert
ment upon the Potomac at Shepherds
town, Rumsey, satisfied that skillful
workmen and better machinery were all
that was necessary to give complete
success and efficiency to his invention,
went with his family to England, where
he suffered the usual trials of a poor and
uuaided genius, and with difficulty kept
his family from starvation and himself
from a London prison.
In 1888 he obtained "patents royal
for steam navigation, and January lst,
1888, writes to his brother-in-law, Capt.
Charles Morrow, ''the perfection OF their
mechanism here, insures me success, ,and
my intention is to get vessel, If posi-
ble, large enough to go to France aud
Holland by steam alone" Under date
of London, January 25th, 1888, he
writes again: II have just returned
from Dover, where / am getting q yes
sci built of about one hundred tons
burthen, to try an experiment. While
waiting for the construction of this YES
sci, he had often to abandon his enter
prise for time and seek other employ
ment to sustain himself and family, and
April 90, 1879, lie writes my vessel
has not been tried. You may think 1t
strange, but the truth is, | can not get
my machinery made perfect as yet,
though | have proved it principally,and
have made from twenty tothirty strokes
in minute. The vessel was fast moor
ed, because l could not depend upon the
continuance Of the engine, and hence, |
could not see what effect it would have
had upon the vessel. | have now a
great part nearly made and expect soon
to give it another trial. OF success |
have no doubt, but am distressed on
account of the delay that takes place.
If had not made the sale, / would
have been in London Jail before this
time That danger is now over"
The goal seemed at length to be
reached, when Rumsey had succeeded
in launching upon the Thames vessel
of one hundred tons burthen, in the lat
ter part of 1892 but too partial friends
had persuaded him to meet them in pub
lie assemblage and give description
of his vessel and an exposition of his
invention, the evening before his ''trial
trip" The hall was crowded with the
nobility, men of science and beauty OF
the city, but the occasion was too much
for the over-taxed brain of the inventor,
e i