The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-07-24
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT VOYAGE.
~ "-EF@= 80 -T-NTT AZ
FuItonTs Trip mp the Hudson from New Yol
= TN Albany in. ~ ~"

THE FIRST STEAMBOAT VOYAGE.
Fulton's Trip mp the Hudson from New York
60 Albany In: 1s07.* = 55s%S
Three score and three years have roll.
ed by since Fulton died, OF the sage{of
forty-nine, eight years after the: trial
trip of. the glernnont on the Hudson
river, from New York. to A1bany-the
first practical demonstration that steam
could be applied 70 the propulsion Of
vessels with entire success. OF those
who enjoyed the privilege Of being on
the Glerraont's deck before the start,
during the tripsor just afterthe1arriyal
Of Albany, there ig but one: alive, and he
was carried in his mothers: arms attthe
time, being only, two; years old. His
personal remembrance Of *the event. Of
course, does:not amount tomuoh,c but he
has nevertheless o store of information
concerning the "trip, *not|in The posses
sion Of anybody .else,,sfor as@soon:as he
became old enough TO; realize the inn
portance of the matter he naturally
sought with more: assiduity than Q per-
SON less directly interested would e1.
hibit for facts pertainingto the occasion.
This gentleman Rev. Frederick ey-
nolds freeman, q Baptist: clergyman, of
Illinois, now with his Observation-Disclosures
on O visit totthist city. Mr. Freeman, is
in his 4eeventy.third year, !white-hared,
but fresh-looking and vigorous. G;;
"The event is like adreann To- me, =
j says Mr.. Freeman: ttProbably my
memory would. now be. unable ID reach
&c but for the constant rehearsalstofFth
scenes and incidents made tonne I'M my
youth. These wildly impressed the
whole upon my mind, and%tegether with
INV faint Observation-Disclosures ofssthe9oc-
.easion left o more NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
unassisted tradition or history could
paint upon: Q memory less allied 4 the
circumstances. -. :.~. ;,sa s: * r. NJ; So &
"The first. steam packet (of: 1403feet
keel and 16S feet >beann) was Mimyand
handsome enough, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
machinery and smokestack, which we're
rude eumbroussand of extremelyformid-
able appearance. The sideWheel,dto too,
was o clumsy affair, with
twelve huge paddles, heldin@their place
by o ring half way between their en-
tremities: and the hub, that, sent water;
splashing upon the deck with every
revolution. The top oftthe smokestack!
was about thirty feet:aboyeRthe,deck-
nearly as high as the: two masts, from
the rear. one Of which foated, the stars
and stripes. -. -. - 81
Hours before she: starteda great
multitude had assembled along the:
wharfs TO witness the expected inglorious:
ending Of what was generally%knoWnEas
sFulton1s Folly Cries Of God help,
You, Bobby r. Bring US backa:chip1of
the North Pole a fool and bis money:
are soon. parted T etc., were frequent,
loud and annoying. Fulton, however,
knew that the crowd were sincere IN.
their ridicule, and, Witha confdent smile,t
went on experimenting preparations for!
the start, as If he knew that triumph
would presently.more Ethan1oYerbalance
the sneers, iibes and cat.calls of the:
vulgar, and the plying manners OF the,
more refined, Smoke issues from. the
stack; the haWseris drawn in; the: side!
wheel quiyers; ii slowly reyoLyes; Full:
toms own hand, at thesheln3 turns:out
the bow; he is pale, but still confident
and self.possessed; the lerlnont moves
emit into: the stream, the pondrous ma
chinery humping and grooming, the
wheel frantically splashing andtheetack
belching like. o volcano; but the. Gier-
mont steadily moves; all aboard=swing
their hats in the am. :andgiye 9: cheer:
that's Immediately taken up BIZ the en-:
tire multitude on land; the SPennsyls
yanian has triumphed, and: the hitherto,
incredulous, and mocking; populace of:
New York are the first to do him'honor;;'
the crowd remain" cheering him on the
piers until the Glermont is out OF sight:
up the Hudson" 49,. 81
|. Mr.. Freeman says that the boat ar
rived at Albany on September II, thirty
sir hours after starting from New York,
It had not been continuallym motion,
the party having stopped at the residence
of Chancellor Livingston on the way up
The speed was ait the rate Of five miles
an hour The appearance of the strange
vessel as she steamed up the river hada
remarkable effect, even in daytime, upon
the crews Of craft passing by,:for conn
paratiyely few Of the shippers coming
down could, IN those days. Of slow mail
and no telegraph, have been preparedto]
encounter such an oddity; but :at night
the GIermont spread CONSERVATION and:
terror on all sides. .t was very dark
and the fires were fed with dry, white
pine wood, which, when stirred, would
send up columns Of flame and sparks,
from the mouth of the tall stack. This
apparent Volcano, moving steadily
through the darkness up the middle OF
the river and accompanied by the rum
bling and grooming Of the hard-laboring
machinery, was we'll calculated to strike;
terror into the hearts Of sailors on the:
sloops and other craft coming down with
grain and general farm produce, who
had never heard of any motive poWerfor
vessels except wind, and Who Withal,
were extremely superstitious.
"My father and others told me, says
M. Freeman, "that whole crews pros.
trated themselves upon their knees and
besought' Divine Providence TO protect
them from the horrible monster. that
was marching on the tides and lighting
mp its pathway BY it's fires"
When the members Of the Freeman
family'went aboard the olermont, upon
its. arrival at Albany, Mrs. Freeman OBJ
served O workman emerging from the
engine roonn-a place very suggestive to
her Of the internal regions-carryingm
his hands aladle filed with molten lead
with this he proceeded to stop up holes
whose presence here and there in the
rude machinery was indicated by eseap-.
ing steam. Captain Freeman, then
learned that the workman had been
busily employed doing the same thing
ever since the Glermont had left New
York. The people of Albany had been
appraised of the arrival in advance, and
The whole town turned out to receive
Fulton and his steamboat, giving them
an enthusiastic reception. After a short
stay the Clermont returnedtoN New York,
making the trip in thirty=four hours
Philadelphia Times.
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