Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-09
HESAILED WITH FULTON.
The Only Man New Living who was
in the First Steamboats, Trial Trip

respects, for including IN its list of
citizens a venerable gent leman who
seventy eight years ago, went down
the Hudson River with Robert Full.
ton on that memorable trial trip of
the hrst steamboat. He is TIE only
survivor of the fifty passengers who
enjoyed that distinction, and though
nov his years have almost reached
Inc century turnpoint, still his mem
DRY IS SO clear and his intellect SO
strong that he is able to recall every
detail of the journey and to correct
several miSappreAensions which have
found credence even with careful
historians.
Not alone for his trip down the
HUDSON is Dr.. William Perry notable.
To-day he stands the oldest living
graduate of Harvard College, a veter-
an now n his 81 year, but who in
1911 was a senior In the Cambridge
University. The doctor sitting in
his pleasant chamber overlooking the
centre OF the beautiful little village.
spoke OF the famous trip with Rob.
err Fulton.
THE name of the boat has been SO
often mlsquoted," he said, that even
many careful recorders have mention
ed 1t as the Clermont. This was not
her full name. I remember it dis.
tlnctly. It was Katherine of Cler-
mont, given N honor of Fulton's
wife, Katherine Livingston of Cler-
mont, Columbia County. New York.
Fulton, you know, had gone abroad
to study his profession as a painter,
but having his attention turned to
mechanics he brought back to New
York an engine, and over that con>
structed the hull of his vessel. He
lacked the necessary money to cons
plete his experiment, and his wife's
father Livingston, then American
Minister to England, came TO his aid
with financial help"
''How did you happen to be pass
enger, doctor?'
Il was attending Union College at
Schenectady, N. Y, but was not salts
fed with the institution and so deter
mlned to enter Harvard. On nv
way arrived at Albany, and there,
to my discomfort, learned that must
endure long delay, for none of the
river boats then in use were to start
for several days. [ went to the tav-
ern and engaged a room. But early
the next morning man hurried into
the barroom of the Inn and announce
ed: The steamboat arrived last
night and is going TO start down the
river at 9 O'Clock. decided at once
that / would be a passenger on the
strange craft, whatever 1t might be.
There was lady of Connecticut und-
er my charge on her way to New
York City. and when | told her that
we could take the new steamboat she
expressed her Willingness to travel
that way. But it took her so long to
get ready that when we reached the
wharf the boat was steaming off.
However, they were more accom-
modatlng on that trip then they
would be now. The officers heard as
call and, stopping the vessel, sent
back a small boat to take us on board.
Then we were off on our voyage.
CAT first il was smooth sailing, or
rather steaming, but IN the afternoon
tails, You know, was Au1,
gust 10, 1807-she ran aground, and
we had to wait for high tide before
we could float off. After that the
boat got into more serious trouble.
but [ did not happen to be on board
at the time. When we arrived at
Kingston I thought would stop over
day and visit my brother there, and
SO went ashore. The Katherine of
Clermont continued her course, and
had gone only few miles further
when her boiler burst, and she had
to be laid up for repairs for several
days. Soon after that she began to
make regular trips between New
York and Albany, She was rude
built craft, about 125 feet long, and
nearly 20 feet wide, with side paddle
wheels and a sheet-iron boiler. She
could make about miles an hour.
''The owners of the sailing vessels,
who previous to this had had the
monopoly of the river transportation,
claimed that the right to navigate the
Hudson belonged to them and they
secured an injunction restraining
Fulton from using his steamboat.
But they couldn't hold their case, for
Daniel Webster appeared in behalf Of
the steamer, made his first great plea,
and won the case. That gave Mr..
Webster wide reputation. After
W ards Fulton had many lawsuits,
for his patent, covering as it did only
certain points relating to the attach
ment of the paddle wheels to the axle
of the crank, left great opening for
infringement. All his life he was
fighting for ais claims la that respect,
although he and Livingston had the
monopoly Of steam traffic On the
waters of the State through a grant
Of the Legislature. Fulton construct
ed not only the first practical steam
boat for passengers and freight, but
also, in 1914, the first war steamer
Of the world, the United States
steamer, Fulton the First. Sac suffer-
cd worse than the Katherine of Cler-
mont, for she was blown to pieces by
accident. Great Britain received her
first practical steam boat in 1912, five
years after the trial trip of Fulton's
boat, but was not until 1916 that the
efficacy of the putting craft for trans
L. Il