The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-08-01
The First Steamboat.

Delaware, spectator, watching the i'm
mense vessel as she foated gracefully in
midstream, remarked that Fulton, like
Columbus and Copernicus, died igno-
rant of the real grandeur and importance
OF his discoveries, and had he fOreseen
men like Roach turning out every few
weeks floating iron palace capable 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 Sc
renity, assured of benefited and ap-
preciative 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 Riv-
er, from New York to Albany-the first
practical demonstration that steam
could be applied to the propulsion of
vessels with entire success. Genera
lions have since passed away Few
now live who have personal recollec-
ton of inauspicious starting of the first
steam packet in the world from the
North River wharves on Sept. Is, 1907.
OF those who enjoyed the privilege of
being on the Clernlont's deck before the
start, during the trip or just after the
arrival at Albany, is but one alive, and
was carried in his mothers arms at the
time, he being only two years old. His
personal remembrance of the event, of
course, does not amount to much, but
he has, nevertheless, q store of informa-
ton concerning the trip not in the pos
session of any body else, for as soon as
he became old enough to realize the i'm
portance of the matter, he naturally
sought, with more assiduity than per-
son less directly interested would exhib-
it, for facts pertaining to the occasion.
This gentleman is the Rev. Frederick
Reynolds Freeman, a Baptist clergyman
of Illinois, now, with his wife and chill
dren, on visit to this city.
The only survivor, Mr. Freeman, is
in his 73d year, ite-haired, but fresh
looking and vigorous, his age, like
"Adam's," in As You Like It, being
''frosty but kind'-and all, he says, be-
cause Sin the days when we were pio-
neers" the intellect was not so general
ly, as now, pampered at the expense of
the body, young Freeman being reauir-
ed to follow the pillow Ga "wooden bull''
by the way) on his fathers farm, near
Albany, when he 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 farm was a sea-cap-
tain and for that reason was invited.
with small number of other persons,
including municipal officials of Albany,
to 60 aboard the Clermont upon it's ar
rival. Capt. Freeman went according
~, taking with him his wife and little
Freddy. "The event is like dream to
me-" says Mr.. Freeman. "Probably nv
memory would now be unable to reach
1t but for the constant rehearsals of the
scenes and incidents made to me in nv
youth. These wildly impressed the
whole upon my mind, and, together
with my faint personal recollection of
the occasion, left more faithful pic
ture than unassisted tradition or history
could paint upon memory less allied
to the circumstances.
"When Columbus, prior to his vow
age of discovery, walked the streets in
Spain meditating upon his project,
which had become generally known,
men, and even small boys, would signif.
icantly point their fingers at their fore
heads and exchange smiles. just so
was Robert Fulton treated before he
turned the laugh upon a whole country
OF scoffers. Few favored him, but for
tunately there was one, Robert Living
ston, who had been American anbassa-
dor at Paris, and who so much appre-
ciated Fulton's efforts that he furnished
him with funds enough to build the
Clermont in the spring of 1907. The
flrst steam packet (of 40 feet keel and
I6t feet beam) was trim and handsome
enough, excepting the boilers, ma
chinery and smoke-stack, which were
rude, cumbrous and of extremely for |
midable appearance.
1.-The side-wheel, too, was a clumsy !
affair, uncovered, and with twelve huge
paddles, held in their places by ring
half way between their extremities and |
the hub, that sent water splashine upon
the deck with every revolution. The
top OF the smoke-stack was about thirty
feet above the deck-nearly as high as
The two masts, from the rear of which
fioated the stars and stripes
Hours before she started great
multitude had assembled along the
wharves to witness the expected inglo-
rious ending of what was
known as Fulton's folly.' Cries of
God help you, Bobby!' Bring us
back chip of the North pole!' "A fool
and his money are soon parted!' etc,
we're frequent, loud and annoying. Full,
ON, however, knew that the crowd were
sincere in their ridicule, and, with a
confident smile. went ON s,,,or;a4aI