The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-09
ON THE CLERMONT.
INCIDENTS OF THE FIRST VOYAGE OF
FuLToN'S STEAMBOAT.

a Group Of Women Who Made the His
toric Trip-How the Engagement Of the
Inventor Was Announced-PrcdiOtion
Made by Chancellor Livingston.
Helen Evertson Smith. in The Gen.
tury, has paper on "a Group of Amer
Jean Girls Early In the Century" which
gives pleasant glimpses Of Chancellor
Livingston and Robert Fulton. The
chancellor invited several of his fair
cousins to make trip from New York
to his home at Clermont in new boat
Miss Smith says:
The "new boat" of the letter was the
now celebrated Clermont, the steamboat
of Robert Fulton, which in August,
1907, made the first successful steam
voyage up the astonished Hudson and
demonstrated to the world that new
force had been discovered by which old
methods in nearly all lines were to be
revolutionizcd.
Very likely, with all their loving
confidence in the wisdom of the chan
cellor the sisters embarked with some
distrust of his new boats making good
Its promise to get them homo in less
than three days, even if both wind and
tide should prove unfavorable, but they
were not afraid of anything worse than
delay, though most of their friends
feared for them. During the nine years
that had passed since Robert r. Liv-
ingston and Robert Fulton had first Sc
cured the concession to navigate the
waters in New York state for 90 years,
providing they should build boat of
not less than 90 tons, that would go not
less than four miles an hour against
wind and tide" the subject had been so
often talked over in their presence that
the sisters were already quite intelligent
upon it and laughed at the fears Of their
timorous friends.
The embarkation was from q dock
''near the state prison" (Which was in
Greenwich village" on the North
river) and was witnessed by a crowd of
mot less than 500 persons. Many were
friends of the passengers, who bade
them farewell with as much solicitude
as il they were going to Madagascar,
especially trembling with apprehension
at the terrible risk run by sailing in q
boat full of fire."
The adventurous voyagers, who were
the guests of Robert Fulton and Chan
cellor Livingston, were about 40 in num-
ber, including but few ladies' Among
the latter, besides our two young sisters
and their aunt, Mrs Thomas Morris
(daughter-in- Of Robert Morris, the
financier Of the Revolution), were at
least one Of the chancellor g two daugh-
ters. four Of the many daughters Of his
brothers, John r. and Colonel Harry and
q young lady who was more interested
IN the result Of this memorable expert
ment than any one save the inventor
himself. In all the biographies Of Full
ton Miss Harriet Livingston is called
the chancellor's niece, but she was real
~ his cousin. She was q beautiful,
graceful and accomplished woman and
had long given her heart to Robert Full.
ton. The fair Harriet was at this time
=, out two and twenty and deeply in
iova - 'th her handsome, gifted lover as
anv GIRL ~ I'll could be-" There were
MANY distinpu... shed and fine looking
men ON board the rlermont, but my
grandmother always DESCRIBED Robert
Fulton as surprising them all. rhas
son of a Pennsylvania farmer" she was
wont to say, twas really prince
among men. He was as modest as he
was great and as handsome as he was
modest. His eyes were glorious with
love and genius"
A little before reaching Clermont,
when the success Of the voyage was we'll
assured, the betrothal was announced
by the chancellor in q graceful speech,
in the course of which he prophesied
that the "name Of the inventor would
descend to posterity as that Of bene-
factor to the world, and that it was not
impossible that before the close Of the
present century vessels might even be
able to make the voyage to Europe with
out other motive power than steam."
This hardy prediction was received
with but moderate approval by any,
while smiles of incredulity were ex-
changed between those who were 80
placed that they could not be seen by the
speechmaker or the inventor. John II.
was heard to say in an aside to his cous-
in, John Swift Livingston, that bob
had many bee in his bonnet before
now. but this steam folly would prove
the worst one yet" But the cbancellor's
brothers lived to see the ocean regular
ly traversed by steam vessels, but the
prophet himself and the inventor both
passed away before the realization Of
their dreams.
The Sleeping Disease.
On the western coast of Africa tbev