The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-11-08
Fulton and the Steamboat.

Robert Fulton, the inventor OF
steamboats,, was born on a farm in
Pennsylvania. Robert was a delicate,
handsome boy, with a fine forehead
and brilliant eyes. Almost as a child
he became a mechanic, inventihg
machines and lingering around work
shops. He was thought dull at school,
and made slow progress in 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 a 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 1778,. in the
midst of the war, set them off in his
native town. About this time he
made an air-gun and a boat moved by
wheels. He had a strong taste for
drawing. His mother, who was now
a widow and poor, wanted his help.
Fulton was only seventeen, but he
went up to Philadelphia, made money,
became acquainted with DIR. Franklin,
and when he was twenty-one came
back to his mother with his earnings
and bought her a farm. Here she
lived happily for some years, watching
and enjoying the rising prosperity of
her son. The deed by. which Fulton
at twenty-one gave the farm to his
mother is still preserved.
There are persons living who might
have seen the first steamboat that
sailed on the Hudson. Many remem-
Der 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 America was
long the pride of the river naviga-
ton, the swiftcst vessel in the world.
The Hudson has always been the
favorite scene of steam navigation and
enterprise. 1t is the birthplace of the
steamboat.
Here, in 1907, Robert Fulton, on
board of the Clermont, his first vessel,
sailed in a day and a half from
New York to Albany. He stoppedfor
a few hours at Clermont, and then in
four mere finished his voyage. 1t was
the signal for an entire change in the
whole art of navigation. From that
time the steamboat has been slowly
advancing, it's size has been increased
to immense proportions, its engines
have become animated giants, andFul-
tons little vessel of n hundred and
| sixty tons is converted into the Fur
nessia, 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 al
ready planned a steamboat. lie was
the first to make n successful. lie
came back to New York, and, aided
by his friend Livingston, in 1906 began
to build his boat. 1t was only a small
vessel, rudely built; in it he placed an
engine made by James Watt, the Eng
fish inventor; the paddle wheels he
planned himself and the imperfect
machinery. 1t seems now a very easy
thing to build a steamboat, but it was
then thought impossible. Men called
the boat Fulton's Folly. Hardly any
one supposed that a new era in navi-
cation was about to begin, and that
Fulton's machine would at last cover
the world with it's discoveries. At
last the boat was finished.
The fires were lighted, the boilers
Kissed, the crank turned, the wheels
began to move, and the Clermont made
its way, at about five miles an hour,
from Charles Browns dock-yard on
the East river to Jersey City. Once
she stopped, and men cried, "There, it
has failed" But it was only because
Fulton was anxious to alter some part
of his machine. The great voyage
was successful. The steamer reached
Jersey City and Fulton's victory was
won. Soon the Hudson began to
abound with Fulton's steamboats,, the
wonder of the world.-Harper'S Young
PpOUJc.