The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-01

I
boat.
For the imcs.
From the very earliest d Avs Of an
cient history. from the tales Of irldi-
ton and from many passages Of classic
poetry, we find the ship dumb factor
m human events. Divine history re-
cords lis all in rcplenishing the earth
with mankind after the supposed iioOi.
In Ilomor's Had. Archilie IS made to
say
"Why leave we NOT the fif9l Trojan shore.
And measure back the seas we error sea De
f. CO.
Indeed as we look back at the pictur-
csque ships of the Pune Admirals and
trace the progress made IN marine con-
! strurtiOn through successive centuries,
We may we'll feel proud Of our present
achievements. and Of all the inventions
/ that have been mlniles el by American
/ inventors during the past and present
century. The past recalls Omphitrise
with her shell fleet gliding over the
ocean: AlcinOus' with hls merry marin
ers: and. according 60 the Arabic Legend.
the navy on which Time, divided into
uncomfortable atoms, floats through
space and matter. combating. with cor
r0sive influence, all works human and
Divine.
As the invention of the locomotive
has been 20 land traffic. even so ha.
been the Introduction OF steam as q
motive power for ships of all classe.
upon the water. Yet IL Is strange TO ob-
serve the grave deception under
which the people of our age axe labor
ing as TO the real inyentOraGd successful
operator Of the first steamship IN
America.
Indeed. Robert Fulton name stands
pr-eeminent as the beneiaclOr # hu
manity i'm this wonderful discovery
I1israme j. household word through.
out the civilized world. aud his sup
posed work may be seen plO"ing every
ocean and counteractiug the element.
i'm every quarter of our globe, while tho
real inventor james Rumsey, Of Ceci
county. Md.-has sunk into oblivion
and forge'funess.
Remembered only by a few, the man
who in 17si exhibited before no less q
witness than General George Washing
ION the first boat successfully piled b}
steam acting on ,hauicism, lies nm q
forgotten grave. bat we can well say
lie leaves behind hm. ar from eiief un'
years
Far wor'hicr things than tears.
The Father Of oar Coua''y has writ
ten of tins wonderful nautical achieve
ment. aad above his signature IN Oh,
archives Of the United States Depart
ment NAV be found the name Of the true
inventor of the first steamboat. The fol
\ loving extract from one Of his letter.
Shows Tor itself.
Il have seen the model of MIR. Rum
sey boat. constructed To work agains
tine stream: examined the power upOi
which it acts: been am eye witness 10 ~
0cfuai experiment In running water o
some rspldity. and il is my opinion
although had little faith before thai
be has discovered the art or workiu.
boats By mechanism ami small mauua
assistance against rapid currents. Tia
the discovery is Of vast importance
may be Of the greatest usefulness %
our inland navigation. CD and il 1t sue
ceeds. Of which / have no doubt. th'
e. value of il is greatly enhanced by th'
simplicity of the work. which. Whei
explained. may Toe executed by th'
most common mechanic.
Given under my hand and seal. in th
town of Bath. county of Berkley' j
the State of Virginia. this ,-h day %
{ September, 1871.
about this same year the Legislature
D of Virginia granted tuinscy zen - 81"
{ privilege. lie was poor and had Dd
s. little money 10 use in the developmen
{ of his iuveoiiOn. but i'm l1Sj he Dor
S r0wed a sufficient sum TO build sub
. stantial boiler and engine for his pur
e pose. and even sc this early stage h
/ wrote to Washington that one Joh
e Fitch was coming arouLd and en-
s deaVosing 10 take the idea OF steam
{ boats from him. About TINS time IN
J great patriot. Patrick Henry, eXerte'
} himself in behalf Of Eumsey. anu h'
p wiki % .heis 81 Rumsoy friends. CAV
] the inventor sufficient sum OF none
q, 10 enable bin 10 go To Europe % haN
S his machinery built. After RImse
{ had been in Europe bat q short time b
d wrote to his friends th1- a young ma
e named Robert ruth had taken gre.
u interest in ms invention.
F.. What does one Of the reports Of th
e. Twenly-fOurth Congress say
G That about the beginning OF Ia
. wear 1884 James Rumsey built boat
O Shepherdstown. in county of BerkleN
/ Va intended 90 be propelled by steam
that in the fail Of that year. the m.
n chinery and the boat being ready, sal
y Rumsey. his brother-in-iaw lOndii'
r Morrow and Nicholas Orrlch went o
e. board the boat, when the same va
pushed into the stream. the machiner
+. was put i'm motion by the application
steam. and the beat was actually pr
.s PEELED by its agency, &c.
!, Another paper filed a, the > ate ID.
i p4rtmont relates that General horat
= Gates. being near-sighted. had to wal
y. M to the boat when II started IN otd'
. TO see il move OF. As IT moved OF. ;
~ turned around to the crowd OF sigh
seers. exclaimiug. she Goes-Dy -~
d she goes
y We could produce v0luminous CIV
No dence of Rum.ey S claim, but II Is su
n 6cient TO note that at his death, WIN
+, took place in England IN lIcs. while
/ was getting his machinery unisne
- Mr.. Jonn Beal Howard states that III
- ton had access to Rumsey paper
4 drawing. Sc. FROM these he must IL
n, doubleday have evolved the notoro
~ Katharine, which is by most peoI
:, considered the first steamship
- America. but which WAS really twen'
- three years after Rumsey s reaiizatio
NJ For the sake Of justice aud the elan
NJ of history the truth should De know
- throughout the world, and honor q
- upon the grave and memory Of eartl
o. benefactor. James Rumsey' the real a
II only inventor of the steamboat.
10 Immortality oefswccps
- | All pain all tears, all fears, nnd pculs
III Iiks fhe eternal thunder Of the deep
is INTO our ears this truth, lie lives forever
"a G. +. Z. COROcRIsli
#. The Standard.
4 GREAT many smokers land we hn'
= their names, one well known JUDI