The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-07-03
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT.
A Chat With One Who Was on It.
The Only Survivor OF the Party Aboard
Fulton's "ClermOnt's ON its Trial
Trip Tells His Reminiscent.
ces Of the Sayings and
D0fngs on that
Occasion.
philadelphia Times |

VESSEL dS Size HOdteu gracefully In mlQStream,
remarked that Fulton, like Columbus and
Copernicus, died ignorant OF the grandeur
and Importance OF his discoveries, and had
he foreseen men like Roach turning out
every few weeks floating iron palace capa-
BILE of carrying craft almost as large as the
Clermont, at its davits, and OF cutting
through the waves nearly as rapidly as a
locomotive steams over the rail, he might
not have died prematurely from anxiety and
fretfulness, or, at least, would have passed
away In greater serenity, assured of bene-
fitted and appreciative posterity.
Three score and thirteen years have rolled
by since Fulton died, at the age of forty
nine, eight years after the trial trip of the
Clermont on the Hudson river, from New
York to Albany-the first practical demon
stration that steam could be applied to tn
propulsion of vessels with entire success
Generations have since passed away. Few
now live who have personal recollection of
the lnauspicious starting of the first steam
packet in the world from the North river
wharves on September 15 1907. OF those
who enjoyed the privilege of being on the
Clermont's deck before the start, during the
trip Or asst after the arrival at Albany, there
is but one alive, and he was carried in his
mothers ams at the time, being only two
years old. His personal remembrance of the
event, of course, does not amount to much,
but he has, nevertheless. a store of lnforma-
ton concerning the trip, not in the posses
sion of any body else, for as soon as he be-
came old enough TO realize the importance
of the matter he naturally sought with more
assiduity than a person less directly inter-
ested would exhibit for facts pertaining to
the occasion. This gentleman is the Rev.
Frederick Reynolds Freeman, Baptist cler-
gyman of Illinois, now, with his wife and
children, on visit TO this city.
THE ONLY SURVIVOR
Mr. Freeman is in his seventy-third year,
white haired but fresh looking and yigor-
Gus. his age, like adams" in ''As You Like
II" being frosty but kind''-and ALL he
says, because lin the days when we were
pioneers" the intellect was not so generally,
as now, pampered at the expense of the
body, young Freeman being required to fol-
low the pillow "a wooden BULL by the way,)
on his fathers farm, near Albany, when be
was but twelve years old. He was the
youngest of thirteen children, all of whom,
except himself are dead. His father. Elisha
Freeman, before retiring to a farm, was
sea captain, and for that reason was invited,
with small number of other persons, in
Guiding municipal officials at Albany, to go
aboard the Clermont upon its arrival. Cap
tain Freeman went accordingly, taking with
HIM his wife and little Freddy. THE event
is like dream to me" says Mr.. Freeman.
Probably my memory would now be I'M
ais of the scenes and incidents made to me
in my youth. These wildly impressed the
whole upon my mind, and together with my
faint personal recollection of the occasion,
left more faithful picture than unassisted
tradition or history could paint upon a
memory less allied to the circumstances.
when Columbus, prior to his voyage of
discovery, walked the streets in Spain medi
tating upon his project, which had become
lv Enn nd roll
would significantly point their fingers at
their fOreheadS and exchange smiles. Just
so was Robert Fulton treated before he
turned the laugh upon a whole country of
scoffers. Few favored him, but fortunately
there was one Robert Livingston, who had
been American ambassador at Paris, and
who so much appreciated Fulton's efforts
that be furnished him with funds enough to
build the Clermont in the spring of 1907.
The first steam packet (of 140 feet keel and
16% feet beam) was trim and handsome
enough, excepting the boilers, machinery
and smoke stack, which were rude, cum
brous and of extremely formidable appear
ance.
START OF THE CLERMoNT.
THE side wheel, too, was a clumsy affair,
uncovered and with twelve huge paddles,
held in their place by ring half way be-
tween their extremities and the hub, that
sent water splashlng upon the deck with
every revolution. The top of the smoke
stack was about 80 feet above the deck
nearly as high as the TWO masts from the
rear one of which fioated the stars and
stripes.
"Hours before she started great multi
tude had assembled along the wharves to
witness the expected inglorious ending of
what was known as 'Fulton's folly. Cries
of God hep you, Bobby Bring us back a
chip of the north poler A fool and his
money are soon partedr etc., were frequent,
loud and annoying. Fulton, however, knew
that the crowd were sincere in their ridicule,
and, with a confident smile, went on super
intending preparations for the start, as If he
knew that triumph would presently more
than Overbalance the sneers. jibes and cat
calls of the vulgar and the plying manners
of the more refined. Smoke issues from the
stack; the hawser is drawn in; the side
wheel quivers; it slowly reyolves; fulton's
own hand at the helm turns out the bow;
he is pale, but still confident and self-pos-
'sessed; the Clermont moves out into the
stream, tie ponderous machinery humping
and groaning, the wheel frantically splash
ing and the stack belching like a volcano;
but the Clermont steadily moves; all aboard
swing their hats into the air and give cheer
that is taken up by the entire multitude on
land; the Pennsylvania has triumphed and
the hitherto incredulous and hooking popu-
honor; the crowd remain cheering on the
piers until the Clermont is out of sight up
the Hudson"
TERROR ON THE HUDSON.
Mr.. Freeman saws that the boat arrived at
Albany on September IL. thirty-six hours
after starting from New York. 1t had not
been continually in motion, the party hav-
ing stopped at the residence of Chancellor
Livingston on the way up. The speed was
at the rate of five miles an hour. The APP
pearance of the strange vessel as she steamed
up the river had remarkable effect, even in
daytime, upon the crews of craft passing by,
for comparatively few of the shippers coming
down could, in those days of slow mail and
no telegraph, have been prepared to encoun-
ter such an oddity; but at night the Cler-
mont 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