The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-01-05
ON II
INCIDENTS O. THE FIRST VOYAGE OF
FULTCN'S STEAMBOAT.

a Group of Women Who Made the His
toric Jrip-tIow the Engagement Of the
Inventor Was Recommendations
Made by Chancellor Livingston.
Helen Evertson Smith, III The Cen
fury, has u paper OH IA Group of Amer
lean Girls Early III the Century" which
gives pleasant glimpses of Chancellor
Livingston and Robert Fulton. The
chancellor invited several of his fair
cousins to make q trip from New York
to his home at Clermont in a 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 u 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
d~istrust Of his new beats making good
its promise to get them home 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 10 navigate the
waters in New York state for 20 years,
providing they should build ii boat Of
not less than 20 tons, that WIuii go not
less than four miles AL hour against
wind and tide" tic suticot had been SO
often talked over in their presence that
the sisters were already quite intelligent
upon it and laughed at the fears Of tLei1
timorous friends.
The cm~barkation was from q Gocl:
"near the state prison. (Which was -
"Greenwich vil!age,' On the North
river) and was witnessed by u crowd of
mot less than 500 persons" Many were
friends of the passengers, who babe
them farewell with as much solicitude
as if they gro 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 CT Robert Fulton and Chan
cellor Livingston, were about 40 in mum
Der, including but a few ladies. Among
the latter, besides our W o young sisters
and their aunt, Mrs. Thomas Morris
{daughter-in-law of Robert Morris, the
fnancier Of the R~evo!ution), were al
least one of the chancellor's two daugh
tiers, four CT the many daughters of hi
brothers, John r. and Colonel Harry ,ant
q yoang lady who was more interested
in the result Of this memorable expert
ment than any che save the invanto
himself. n all tho biographies Of Full
ton Miss "Ila.-iet Livingston is callet
the chancelior's niece, but she was real
~ his cousin. She was u beantifC!
graceful and accomplished woman &u'
had long given her heart to Robert Full
ton. The far Harriet was at t lis tim
about two and twenty AID deeply il
love with her handsome, gifted lover Il
any girl well could be- There wer'
many distinguished and fine looking
mon on board the Cleimont, bat III:
grandmother always described Robcr
Fulton as surprising them all. "Tha
son of a Pennsylvania farmer" she We
wont to. say, twas really a prime
> among men. He was as modest as h
! was great and as handsome rs he wa
{ modest. His eyes were glorious wit
love and genius"
r A little before. reaching Clermont
F. when the success Ct the voyage was wei
assured. the betrothal was announce
by tire chancellor in q graceful speech