Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-01-03
The Steamboat inventor.
LECTURE OF HON. A. R. BOTELER.

| The second of the series of entertain
ments given by the Good Templais, Wa
in the form of a lecture, delivered by Hon
Alexander r. Boteler, in "Charles Wash
ington Hall'' on Monday night last. Th
night was the most inclement of the sea
son, yet the hall was well filled, and Col
Boteler's appearance was greeted with an
thusiastic applause. The Silver Band wal
present, and played at intervals previous
to and upon the arrival of the lecturer.
Col. Boteler commenced his address by
remarking that he had determined upon a
home topic in order that at this late hOul
justice might be done to one of our fellO"
countrymen who had worked and struggled
and suffered and died martyr to mechan
ical science, and his theme would bt
"Justice to James Rumsey, the Steamboat
Inventor. After some very eloquent all
lusions to the realization in these practical
days Of the fables of ancient mythology
and to the use in days of old, even so long
ago as pre- 7ious to the Christian era, OF
some o t the most modern inventors such
as the steam engine, the reaper, &c.,-in.
stancing the steam engine Of Hero, at
Alexandria los years before Christine
proceeded to relate the bitterness of the
sad history of James Rumsey-the first in
ventor of the steam boat. He briefly
sketched the early life of Rumsey, born in
Cecil county, Maryland, in 1753-his edu-
cation limited, but his mind retentive and
ready in applying and improving knowl-
early in life; on the breaking out OF the
Revolution, enlisted and afterwards settled
down to mercantile pursuits in Bath, Nor
gan county, this State, and also kept a
boarding house. He continued. his me-
schanical studies and in 1882 finished his
model of a steamboat. Discourageme, is
and poverty met him on every side but he
battled with them all, and in 1855 compile
completed steamboat, the second one he
built-the first when on the eve of compile
ton in 1884 was carried off by flood to
Harper's Ferry, dashed to pieces and the
machinery destroyed. The speaker de-
scribed in glowing terms the scene on the
banks Of the Potomac at Shepherdstown
on the 5th Of December, 1855, when hun
dreds Of the people gathered to witness the
trial trip of the great invention. A few
ladies, from one of whom he heard the sto-
~, were on the boat; and as the rude little
structure darted out in mid stream, and
then shot up the river, General Horatio
Gates, who stood on the Shore cried out
"My God! she goes, she goes p The Shep-
herdstown mechanics did the iron work,
Rumsey himself making the steampipe by
twisting an iron tube round horse-collar
block at saddler's shop, thus getting it
similar to the worm of still. Among the
spectators to this trial trip were names ia
miliar to us all-Bedinger, Kearsley, Gen.
Gates. stephens and Darke, and hundreds
of others. Shepherdstown had larger
population than nov.
Testimonials were gwen by Gen. Wash
ington, Major Bedinger and many other
celebrated men: and protection was appli
ed for and obtained from the legislatures OF
Virginia and Maryland, the former agree
ing if the protection was withdrawn with
in ten years to pay Rumsey 100000 in gold
or silver. The year after. a Rumseyan So
ciety was formed IN Philadelphia, of which
Benjamin Franklin was President, and
money raised to send Rumsey to Europe.
He went to London and built steamer to
be exhibited on the Thames, but his mo-
ney gave out, he was involved in debt and
finally his boat was seized by his creditors
and he was not allowed to loose it from It's
moorings, but only permitted to show It's
machinery would work. Finally it was
suggested that he deliver lecture in or
der to raiae funds, to which he consented,
but on appearing before an audience of
London scientific men. his first attempt at
public speaking he endeavored to utter
some words and failed; again tried to ar
fell back senseless, and never
spoke afterwards. The next day he died.
Robert Fulton-the reputed inventor of
steam navigation, was with him in Lon
dou-was associated with him at the time
of his death. and the next year applied for
right and protection for a boat to be pro-
PEELED by steam, The speaker stated that
John Fitch, of Pennsylvania, who also laid
claim to the honor of this invention, had
been in Kentucky at the time of Rumsey,s
first effort in Bath, when Daniel Bedinger
went there and evidently communicated
the idea to him, though Fitch claimed to
have discovered it by accident, and after
wards pried about Rumsey's workshop un-
til the cilisens Of Shepherdstown threaten
cd to tar and feather him if he did not
leave. Chancellor Livingston, then min
lister to France, has the credit of finally
bringing out the steamboat from drafts by
Robert Fulton, who, however, was SO iQ-
norant of mechanical principles that the
Workmen laughed at him. The facts con-
proved by Colonel Boteler are.
that Rumsey philosophically worked out
his invention of the steamboat, and reduc.
ed it to practical use on the Potomac at
in 1855 when there was not
2 single steam engine on the. Continent of
AMERICA, anR twenty years before Fulton's
on the Hudson; and that be-
yond doubt both Fitch and Fulton got
their ideas, if not the full details of the
invention, from him. In 1889, in the q.
S. Congress, nephew of James Rumsey
tEen member from Kentucky, made a
most eloquent appeal for Justice to his an !
cestor. asking not dollar or cent to be
appropriated, but that Congress should in
vestigate the matter of the invention of the
first steamboat and Congress did have a gold
medal struck for the grandson of the in |
ventor as an acknowledgment of the great
service he had done; and yet in spite Of all
tn the school books up to this day per-
sist in giving Robert Fulton or John Fitch