The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-11-15
The steamboat-Robert Fulton.

Robert Fulton, the inventor of steam
boats, was born on farm in Pennsyl-
vania. His parents were Irish Protes-
tants-a strong, laborious race. Robert
was delicate, handsome boy, with fine
forehead and brilliant eyes Almost as
a child he became mechanic, inventing
machines and lingering around work
shops. He was thought dull at school,
and made slow progress at the usual
studies. But he was always inventing
One day, when Robert was about nine
years old, he came late to school, and
when his teacher reproved him, produced
new lead-pencil which he had been
making while playing truant. The boys
were all anxious to have one Of Fulton's
pencils--they were better than any they
had seen. In his school days he made
rockets to celebrate the Fourth Of July,
and in ITS, in the midst of the war, set
them off in his native town. About this
time he made an air-gun and boat
moved by wheels. He had strong
taste for drawing. His mother, who
was now widow and poor, wanted his
help.
Fulton was only seventeen, but he
went up to Philadelphia, made money,
became acquainted with Dr. Franklin,
and when he was twenty-one came back
to his mother with his earnings, and
bought her farm. Here she lived hap
PLY for some years, watching and enjoy
ing the rising prosperity of her son
The deed by which Fulton at twenty
gave the farm to his mother is still pre-
served
There are persons living who might
have seen the first steamboat that sailed
on the Hudson. Many remember when
the famous De Witt Clinton and North
America were thought the wonders of
navigation; when they sailed over the
tranquil river at the rate of sixteen miles
an hour, and left behind them thick
clouds of black smoke that hung over the
landscape for miles The North Ameri-
ca was long the pride of the river nav;-
cation, the swiftest vessel in the world.
The Hudson has always been the favor
lite scene of steam navigation and enter
prise. 1t is the birthplace of the steam
boat.
Here, in 1907 Robert Fulton, on board
of the Clermont, his first vessel, sailed in
day and half from New York to AL
bany. He stopped for few hours at
Clermont and then in four more finished
his voyage. 1t vas the signal for an en-
tire change in the whole art of naviga-
ton. From that time the steamboat has
been slowly advancing, its size has in
creased to immense proportions, its en-
gines have become animated giants, and
Fulton's little vessel of one hundred and
sixty tons is converted in the Furnessia,
the Alaska, and the Great Eastern.
Fulton, a fair, delicate, thoughtful
young man, had gone to England, to
France, had become acquainted with
many eminent inventors, and had already
planned steamboat He was the first
to make one successful. He came back
to New York, and aided by his friend
Livingston, in 1906 began to build his
boat. 1t was only small vessel, rudely
built; in it he placed an engine made by
James Watt, the Scottish inventor, the
paddle-wheels he planned himself, and
the imperfect machinery. It seems now
very easy thing to build steamboat,
but it was then thought impossible. Men
called the boat Fultons Folly. Hardly
any one supposed that a new era in nav
igation was about to begin, and that Full
tons machine would at last cover the
world with its discoveries. At last the