Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-02-12
FIRST TRIP OF rl4E cLERmoN1.
a Group OF Women Who Made the His
toric VOYAGE

Group OF Nomea Who Made the His
torie Voyage.
The new boat" Of the letter was the
row celebrated CleImont. the steam
boat Of Robert Fulton, which ia Au-
gust, 1907, made the first successful
steam voyage up the aStonished Hud-
son, and demonstrated TO the word
that new force had been discovered
by which old methods in nearly all lines
were 10 bc reyolut;0aizcd
Very likely, with all Their loving cou-
fidence i'm the wisdom OF the chauce.-
Tor, the sisters embarked with some
Iistrust of his new boats making good
its promise 10 get them home in less
than three days, even If both w.nd and
tiGc should prove unfaNorable; but
they were not afraid Of anything worse
Stan delay, though most of their
friends feared for them. During the
nine years that had passed $ nee Roo
crt Il. Livingston and Robert Fulton
had first secured the cOnccss ON 20 navi-
gate the waters in New York state for
20 years. providing they should build
a boat of not less than 20 tons. that
would 90 not less than four miles an
hour against wind and tide" the sub
iect 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 t'morous
friends.
The cmha;kation was from u dock
near the state prison" (which WAS in
Greenwich village" on the ncrth
river), and was witnessed by crowd OF
mot less than 500 persons" Many
were friends of the passengers. who
babe them farewell with as much solici-
tude rs if they were going To MadaCas-
car. especially trembling with apprc-
hcnsion nj the terrible risk run by
sailing in 1t boat full OF fire"
The adventurous vOvagcrs. who were
the quests Of Robert Fulton and Chan
cel'or Livingston, were about 40 in
number, including but few ladies'.
Among the latter. besides our two
Young sisters and their aunt. Mrs
Thomas Morris (daughtcr-in-law or
Robert Morris, the financier Of the
revolution), were At least che Of The
chancellor's two daughters. four Of
the many daughters OF his brothers
lady who was more interested i'm tho
result Of this memorable experiment,
than anyone save the Inventor himself.
In all the biographies Of Fulton. Mis-
Harriet Livingston Il called the chan
ccllor's niece. but she was really his
cousin. She was beautiful, graceful
and accomplished woman. and had
long given her heart to Robert Fulton.
The fair Harriet was at this time abour
two-and-twenty, ard deeply i'm love
with her handsome. gifted lover as any
fcirl well could be-" There were many
distinguished and fne-loo<ing men on
board the "lermont. but my gradmoth-
O. always described Robert Fulton as
surprising them all. THAT son OF a
Pennsylvania farmer" she was won't u
E. twas really a prince among men
IL was as modest as he WaS great, and
a. handsome as he was modest. His
eyes were glorious with love and
genius"
\ little before reaching Clcrmclt,
" hen the success OF the voyage WAS wel
assured. the hctrothal was announced
ny the chancellor in graceful speech
In the course of which he prophesicd
that the name Of the inventor would
descend To posterity as that Of a bcne.
factor of the world. and that il was not
impossible that before the close Of the
present century vessels might even be-
able to make the vuyngc to Europe
without other motive power than
steam"
This hardy prediction was received
with but moderate approval by any.
while smiles of incredibly were eN-
changed between those who were SO
placed that they could not be seen 10y
the spcechmaker or the snvcntor. John
r was heard 10 say. m an aside to
his cousin, John Swift Livingston. that
Bob had many "A bee in his bonnet be
fore now, but this steam folly would
prove The worst one yet" But the
"hanceilor's brothers lived TO see the
ocean regularly traverSed by steam yes
sells, but the prophet himself and the
inventor both passed away before the
realization of their dreans-IIclcn
Evertson Smith, in Century