The sun., 1885-06-07
THE KATHARINE OF cLERMoNr
A Taik with the Sole aa~vivor OF Fsitsass
F1rss Passengers from Aibasy.

/ A Taik with The Sole aa~vivsr OF FsitsAss
Flrss Passengers from Albany.
| EXETER. N. H., juno 4.-This lttle shire
| town Of southern New Hampshire is remarka.
| bio In many respects. but not the least for In.
| Guiding in its list OF citizens venerable gem
tleman who 7s years aSs vent down the Hud-
| son River with Robert Fulton on that memora-
BILE trial trip. the first voyage OF the first prad-
| tical steamboat In tho world. He is the only
survivor OF the nifty passengers who enjoyed
| that distinction and though now his years have
almost reached the century turnpoint The is
| nearly 81 years old,. still his memory is SO
clear and his intellect so strong that he is able
to recall every detail Of the journey and to cor
rect some Interpretations which have found
credenco even with careful historians. Not
alone for his trip down the Hudson is DR.. Will
liam Perry notable. To-day no stands the old
est tliying graduate OF Harvard College, a veteran
who In 1911 was senior in the University.
Tho Doctor. sitting In his pleasant chamber
overlooking the centre OF the beautiful little
village. spoke OF his trip with Robert Fulton.
Tho name OF tho boat has been SO often
msQuoted that oven many careful recorders
have mentioned 1t as the Clermont That was
not her full name. remember 1t distinctly.
1t was Katherine OF Clermont. given In honor
OF Fulton's wife. Katherine Livingston OF Cler-
mont. Columbia county. New York. Fulton.
fession OF a painter; but. having his attention
turned to mechanics. he brought back to New
York an engine. and over that ho constructed
the hull OF his vessel Heacked the necessary
money. to complete tho experiment and his
ES stsI 10 nh to s A%or"n Min
How DID yoY hsTPsIn to caa Gs :.
tady. N. Y. but WAS not satisfied with tn. in.
stitution. ind so determined to entor Harvard.
On my way home l arrived at Albany. and
endure long delay. for none Of the river boats
then In use was to start for several days; I
early the next morning man hurried into tho
barrn9m Of the Inn s and ar snnoupfed; .%a The
sr s oosk
would be the
to New York city. and when told her that we
could take the new steamboat she expressed
the wharf the boat was steaminH of. However.
than they would be now. The officers heard hear US
call and stoppinH the vessel. sent back II small
AT first It was smooth sailing. or rather.
steaminE. but In the afternoon -this you know.
had to wait for high tide before wo could iiont
on After that the boat got into more SERIOUS
Wen we % s Rn
thought would stop over u day and visit my
had gone only a few miles further when her
boiler burst. and she had to. be laid up Tor
regular trips between New York and Aibany.S
."po you remember how the boat lookedl"
ieef long and nearly 2p fset wIde With sids
rscolIees what trouble thors ss wa was N siterwapd
the sailing ~essSs Who
to this had had the monopoly Of the river
gate the Hudson bolonced to them. and they
secured an Injunction restraining Fulton from
ns 90s hp
@ he hs ase Thas as % e
Aiterward Fulton had many lawsuits. for
his pntent. covering as i did only certain points
oopsenine for Infringement An his iie ho was
traffic on the waters OF the State through q
not only the first PRACTICABLE steamboat for
Passengers and freight but also in 1914 ne
States sloamer Fulton the First sSs se sa"red nre
@ worse 50 than thar tho katherine Of CIormont: f9r she
BUTT hor rst Dprac practsaSie stesm6oas in is1a
e 5s1 the % thT of bo Eaons
two countries was made manifest. Then the
little Savannah steamed across, the ocean.
making the trip In twenty-siX days. few
months ago. according to tho record OF tho
tie more than six days.
Robert Fulton wrote letter relating to his
public beyond the few whose interest in tho
matter led them to secure copy 1t was writ
ton a few days after tho memorable trial trip:
49,. NJ Nxw YORK, 22d Aug, 1907
NY DEAR FRlrND: Ny steanboat VOYAGE to Albany
And buck has turned "9t rather more favorable than
miles; rnn II up in 80 hours and down ~ hours Tho
latter Is Just nye miles un hour. had u light breeze
s s ads s Of MnSs S sa SSn and
formed wholly hy the power of the steam engine.
overlook many sio9rs and sehooners bearing 10 wind.
The power Of proaelnR boats by steam is now fully
proved. The morning left New York there wprc not
perhaps thirty persons in the city who believed that The
least utility nni while we We're putting OF from tho
know, in which ignorant men compliment what they
call p!ilosopiiers aud projectors Having employed
much time and money and zssl in arcomplishis his
work II gives me- as ii will you, great pcasr. 1t
so fully answer my expectations II will, give Iuick
End sn' ehsnp S"nveyance to merchand.c on the Misss
nyiGR open their treasures TO the ENTERPRISE coln
trymen And although the Prospect OF personal emo!u.
mr has been some iniucenent me- yet feel infinite
y more pisas,d III ren.cng with you Oh the ad
vantage thnt my country will derive from invention
However vii! not admit that I. half important an
this will grow the liberty Of tile seas an object OF IN
nnite Importance to the welfare Of America ad every
seen tho steamboat In rapid movement. and they be-
eye--hnt they have not seen ship Of destroyed by
ntorpedn, and they do no believe wo cannot expect
people ~ general TO have knowledge of plysics. or
power of mind sufficient TO combine Ideas and re .son
from causes to effects But in caso we have war pnd
the enemys ships come into water il the Govern
soon convince the world that have sur, aud
'nods' Of defence than they are aware o. Yours