The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-03-14
A BRAVE LADY OF OLD.
DEATH AT FoURsCoRE AND SIX OF
A HEROINE OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
Mrs. Nicholas J. ROOseVelrs Steamboat Venture
with Her Husband, the Inventor Of
Steamboats,.

STEAMBOATS,.
Mrs. Lydia M, Roosevelt, the widow
of Nicholas j, Roosevelt, died at Skanea
teles, N. Y, on Saturday, March 2nd, ageC
SO years. Mrs. Roosevelt was a daughter
of the Latrobe who founded the Mary
land family of that name, a wealthy gen
tleman distinguished as the foremost me
chanical engineer of the United States il
his day, Her husband, Nicholas ]
Roosevelt at the beginning of this cen
tury, was one of the most enterprisinS
merchants of New York, and remember
ed as a rarely suave gentleman of the ole
school. Many probably now living car
bring to mind the dignifed, precise, cour
teous and Considerate old man who fire.
quently left his home upon the Hudson
to visit the children OF his contempora.
ries and dilate with good-natured gar.
rulity upon his share in the march oi
improvement which had built city ex.
tending far beyond the fields in which
he played as boy. He died nearly 20
years ago. Mrs. Roosevelt, who was
twenty years his junior, retained even
after she had passed the usual limit of
age the personal attractiveness and the
cultivated tastes which made her soci.
ETY. leader in her younger days.
The event in her life of which she was
proudest was that she was the first wo
man who descended the Ohio in a steam
boat Her opportunity to do this grew
out of the fact that her husband planned
and built the first steamer that succeed
ed in stemming the rapid current of the
Ohio and Mississippi. Thereby hangs
tale upon which the Roosevelt family
claim for Nicholas ]. Roosevelt the credit
of making the first successful application
of steam to water loComotion. This
credit of propulsion by paddles revolved
by steam has generally been ascribed to
Fulton among Americans, but if the fol-
lowing facts can be authenticated, and
they are vouChed for by Clinton Roose-
welt, whose acquaintance with the un.
written history of Manhattan Island is
apt to be found accurate as well as extern
sive, Nicholas ], Roosevelt was content
to leave his claims to that honor to pos
terity.
As long ago as 1890 John and Nicholas
Roosevelt, besides mines, mills, ships
and warehouses, were interested in me.
chaniCal improvements, the latter espe-
Cially 80. At that date it was deemed
problem of national Importance to so far
adapt steam power to navigation as to
make the Mississippi navigable both
ways thereby. Fitch had constructed a
small boat which, by means of paddles
worked canoe fashion by cranks, was
able to make five miles an hour. This
primitive affair piled between Philadel-
phia and Bordentown, N. j. Congress
was just then debating the propriety of
removing to Philadelphia, and some as
5istanCe was lent to the advocates of the
measure by local rhymster, who wrote !:
And should they object the expense of a team,
Here's Fitch with his ferry to fetch them with |
steam,
The attention ofthe Roosevelts was at
racted to The subject by rather curious
They had contracted to
supply the Government with copper
enough for six ships-of.war from their
nine near Belleville, N j. Before they
lad completed their contract the mine
illed with water and they were compel.
ID to import a steam-engine from Eng.
and to pump the water out. This engine
worked so successfully that Mr.. RooseA
velt became persuaded that the same
orCe could be adapted to navigation
Toralemon, ship builder on the Passaic,
vas given the contract to build the Pc.
aCCa, craft 60 feet long, into which Mr..
Roosevelt determined to put 20.inch
ylinder and 2-foot stroke engine adapt
d to the revolution of paddles radiating
rom an axis. John Stevens and Chan
ellor Livingston were both much inter.
sted in the same problem and had ideas
Or its solution. An arrangement was
lade by which the Polacca was to be
he medium for testing the ideas of all
lree, the expenses to be shared equally.
difference arose as to which plan should
9 tried first, and its settlement was left
} the arbitration of Dr. Franklin. Liv.
lgston was given the first chance, as the
Philosopher deemed it most feasible. It
onsisted of pumping column of water q
trough hole in the bottom amidships !
nd forcing it out astern. BY this pro :
.ss speed of three miles an hour in :
i'll water was maintained.
Stevens's plan, spiral screw shaft pro- : :
citing forward, was next tried. There :
no record Of its performance, and so it \
ay be regarded as unsuccessful. The \
me screw, however, or an exact pattern
it, is now to be seen in the Stevens In :,
itute, OF Mr.. Roosevelts plan, even '
Ch an authority as DR.. Franklin de- Y
ared that it would merely churn the "
ater without propelling, and popular "
,pectation was not at all sanguine as to
! result. Still, the banks of the PassaiC p
ere crowded with spectators on the !,
al day, and the grand problem was u
emed settled when the PolacCa achiev- .,
eight miles an hour with the revolv- y
g paddles. The Spanish Minister was v
oard the steamer on the trial trip, and o.
called the edict of Charles V. forbid u
ng Biasco de Garay's further expert u
entation in the same line, "because al
is Maiesty's subjects could never be en-. Is rs
ngered by travelling in a vessel pro. 81 81
He'd by caldron of boiling water."- I'll
Ie POaCCa never was turned to any
actical use, and soon after her trial n
p was beached in cove of the Passaic, y,
ar where she was built, and the near. u ~
buried ribs and keel of the first sue "a q
'sful steam craft are pointed out to Gu n n
sity seekers by Joralemon descend u
of her builder. -
Chancellor Livingston was soon after h
rds sent Minister to France, and one w
the first acquaintanCes he made there h,
s Robert Fulton, portrait painter, h,
om he met at the house of ex-Minis- i,
Barlow, Livingston, still enthusiastic M M
or the hobby as to steam and steam. 10
ats, showed the plans of Roosevelt's hi
,cessful adaptation and what had been tL