Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-22
THE FRS 4 sTEABOAT VOYAGE.
Eultou,s Trip Jap the Hudson from New
York to Alb any Ia 1907.

E'ulton's Trip up the Hudson from New
York to Alb any la 1907.
Three score and three wears have roll.
cd by since Fulton dled. at the age of
fort nine, eight years after the trial trip
OF the CIerMont on the Hudson river,
from New York to Albany-the first
practical demonstration that steam could
he applied to the propulsion of vessels
with entire success. Of those who en-
ioyed the privilege of being on the Cler-
mont's deck before the start, during the
"Trip Or just after the arrival at Albany,
there is but one alive, and he was car
rIed in his mothers arms at the time, be-
ing only two years old. His personal
1cmemb erance Of the event, Or course,
does not amount to much. but he has
nevertheless sore of information con-
corning the trip, not in the possession of
nobody else, for as so as he became
old enough to realize the importance of
the matter he naturally sought with more
assiduity than person less directly in
tcrested would exhibit for facts pertain
ing to the occasion. The gentleman is
Rev. Frederick Reynolds Freeman, a
Baptist clergyman, OF Illinois, now, with
his wife and children, on visit to this
city. Mr.. Freeman is in his seventy
third year, white haired, but fresh-look-
ing and vigorous.
The event is like a dream to me-" SAYS
Mr.. Freeman. Probably my memory
would now be unable to reach it but for
the constant rehearsals of the scenes and
incidents made to me in my youth. These
vividly impressed the whole upon my
mind, and together with my FAINT reccol-
lcctions of the occasion left more faith
tul picture than unassisted tradition or
history could paint upon memory less
allied to the circumstances
"'rhe first steam packet (of 40 feet keel
and 10 1-2 feet beam) was trim and hand
some enough, excepting the boilers, ma
chinery and smokestack, which were
rude, cumbrous and of extremely ,ormid-
able appearance. The side wheel, too,
was clumsy affair, uncovered and with
twelve huge paddles, held in their place
by q ring half way between their extremi-
ties and the hub, that sent water splash
in upon the deck with every revolution.
The top of the smokestack was about
thirty feet above the deck--nearly as high
as the two masts, from the rear one of
which f1oated the stars. sand stripes.
''Hours before she started a great null
tude had ass mJled along the wharts to
witness the expected inglorious ending of
what was generally known as 'Fulton's
Jolly Cries Of God help you, Bobby ?
Bring us back chip of the North Pole =
"A fool and his money are soon parted =
etc, were frequent, loud and annoying.
Fulton, however, knew that the crowd
were sincere in their ridicule, and with a
confident smile. went Oh experimenting
preparations for the start, as if he knew
that triumph would presently more than
overbalance the sneers, iibes and cat-calls
cf the vulgar, and the plying manners of
the more refined. Smoke issues from the
stack; the hawser is drawn in; the side
wheel qulvers; it slowly revolves; Ful-
tons own hand ut the helm turns out the
bow; he is pale, but still confident and
self possessed; the Clermont moves out
into the stream, the ponderous machin-
cry humping and groaning, the wheel
trantlcally splashing and the stack beIch-
ing like volcano; bat the CIermont
steadily moves; ali aboard swing their
bats in the air, and give cheer that is
immediately taken up by the entire null
:ltude on land; the Pennsylvania has
trlumphed, and the hitherto incrednlous
AID hooking populace of New York are
the first to do him honor; the crowd re-
main cheering him on the piers until the
cI@rmont is out of sight the Hudson
Mr. Freeman says that the boat arrived
At Albany on September II, thirty six
hours after starting from New York. It
had not been continually in motion, the
PARTY having stopped at The residence of
Chancellor Livingston on the way up.
Tie speed was at the rate of five miles an
hour. The appearance of the strange
vessel as she steamed up the river had a
remarkable effect, even in day time, upon
the crews of craft passing by, for com
raratively few of the shippers coming
down could, In those days Of slow mail
and no telegraph, have been prepared to
encounter such an oddly; but at night
tie Clermont spread CONSERVATION and
terror on all sides. 1t 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 groaning 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
rover heard of any motive power for
vessels except wind, and who withal, were
extremely supers itious.
my father and others told me-" says
Mr.. Freeman, that whole crews pros
trated themselves upon their kness and