Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-01-11
5l)spbsrastown Register.
sArURDAY.-.......JAN. IL, 1870.
ea- Col. Alex. r. Bcteler. is still Gu

kSy SOl. AIeA IL. pctcIei. 10 s'h S"-
gagged in the work Of demonstrating
that James Rumsey, of Bath, Morgan
county, w. Va, was the inventor Of the
steamboat and not Robert Fulton as
generally believed. 10 a recent lecture
a, Charlestvwn he reviewed The evil
deuce, showing that Rumscy in 1882
finished his trst model OF a steamboat.
Discouragcment aud poverty met him
on every side. but he ba,tl.d with them
all, and in 1885 completed u steamboat,
the second one he built-the first, when
on the eve of completion IN 1884. was
carried off by a flood to Harpers Ferry,
dashed TO pieces aud the machinery
DESTROYED.
Col. Boteler, according TO report Of
his lecture in the Free Press, described
in glowing terms the scene on the banks
of the Potomac at Shepherdstowr, w.
Va, on TIE 5ih Of December, HISS,
when hundreds of the people gathered
to witness tue triaftrip OF the great IN
ven,on. A few ladies, from one Of
whom he heard the story, were on tho
boat; and as the little rude structure
darted ont in mid stream, aud then shot
up the river, Gen. lloratio Gates, who
stood on the shore, cried ont--"My
Godl she goes, she goe-!" The Shtp-
herdstowu mechanics did the iron work.
Rumsey himself making the stcampipo
by twisting an iron tube around horse
collar Llock at sadlers shop, thus get
ting il similar 10 the worm OF a still.
Among the spectators 10 this t,inl ,lp
were names familiar 10 VS. all-Bed,ng"
or, K,arsley. General Gates, Stephens
and Darkr, and hundreds Of others.
Sbcpherdstown had larger oiulation
then than now.
Testimonials were given 10y Gen.
Washington, Major Bedinger,a many
other celebrated men; and protection
was applied Tor and ob,aincd ii ON The
Legislature of Virginia aud Maryland,
the former agreeing il the protection
was Withdrawn within ten years, 10 pay
Rumsey 100000 in gold or silver. The
year after Rumseyan Society Was
formed in PhiIadelphis, OF which Ben.
iamn Frauklin was Presidcni, and
money raised ,os,nd Rnnsey To Enror'.
He went 10 London aud built ~ steamer
to be exhibited IN the Thames; bnl his
money gave out, he was involved in
debt aud iiualy his boat was seized by
his creditors aud he Was not allowed 10
loose il from lis moorlngs but oGly per-
miitcd Ia show how its mae chinery would
work. Finally il Was suggested that
he deliver lecture in order 10 mise
funds, to which he consented, but on
| appearing before an audience Vt London
scientific men, his first attempt at pub.
lie speaking, he pndeavorcd 10 utter
some words and failed; again tried I'd
arliculaie, fell back seuselrss, aud never
spoke afterwards. The next day he iii, d.
Robert Fulton-the rcpnlcd inventor Of
steam navigation, was with him in LON
don-was associated with him nj the
time OF his death, and the next year az
;,lied for right of projection for boat
To he propelled by steam The speaker
stated that John Fitch, Of Ppnns, Iva
MIA, who also laid claim TO the honor of
his invention, had been in Kentucky ot
the time of Rumsey's first effort in Bath,
when Daniel I'eding-r went there and
evidently communicated the idea 10
him, thongh Fitch claims TO have dis
covered it by accident, and afterwards
pricd about Rumsey's workshop until
the citizen. Of Shepbcrdsiown threat
ened 10 tar and feather him il he did
not leave. Chancellor LiviDg,on, then
Minister to France, has the credit Of
fpally bringing out the steamboat from
drafts by Robert Fulton, who, however,
was 40 ignorant Of mechanical principles
that the workmcE laughed a, him. The
facts conclnsively proved by Col Bote-
Ter are, that Rumsey pbilosophically
worked out his invention Of the steam
boat. and reduced il 10 practical use OF
the Potomac st Sheph,rdslown IN 1885
when there was not single steam cn
gine on the Continent oi America. aud
twenty years before Fulion's OK pertinent
on the Hudson and that beyond a
doubt both Fitch and Fulton got their
ideas, il not the full details OF the iDyen-
ton, from him. s.a.. -