Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-08-31
.HE STEAMBOAT.

E-..Iv ON an Interesting SubJece.
"Grandpa," said the old engineers pet
and pride as he looked up from his MIS-
torv book, '1n what year did Mr.. Full
ton invent the steamboat
"He didn't" responded grandpa, with
q snap Of his jaws.
This book says he did" protested the
youngster.
I've can't help that, my Lad, but come
over here sad let me tell y0u s9me real
history" The boy ebeyfng by gladly
firing his book into q corner and climb
Ing Into the old gentleman's lap. the
grandfather proceedefi Away back
yonder only about fifty years after Co.
iumbus discovered America, that Is to
say, in 1643, when Charles v. was King
Of Spain, Spanish captain named Elias
co de Guerrero put q two-hundred-to
steamboat on the water at Barcelona
that made @ record for itself In no time.
There was an exhibition run before the
King and all his court and there wasn't
a hitch in the whole trial trip. The Sc
cret of the propelling power was un-
known, but there was big tank Of boil
ING water and Steam on board, and
there were two wheels visible on the
outside Of the hull. AS I said, she was
a success, and the King was greatly
pleased and wanted his treasurer to
buy the whole thing from Captain
Guerrero and build some government
steam vessels, but the treasurer was
away behind the times and poked
around until Guerrero took the engine
out of the hull and let the boat rot in
the water. As for himself he died from
! disappointment, taking his secret to the
crave with him. Spain had discovered
America. and tie effort had been too
much for her in the progressive line,
SO she simply laid down on the poor
captain, my child. and killed him.
For q hundred years after that the
steamboat business was as dull as 1t Is
on n Western river during drouth, and
then In 1887 one Solomon de COste came
! into France from Normandy with an
engine that would propel vessel on the
water or q carriage on land, ana ne
showed It to the King. and later to Car
: dinal Riehelieu, who held mortgage
ON France, body and soul. This engine
: of de Coste's was pretty much all that
| was claimed for 1t, and was without
! question quite as successful as Its sue
| cessors, yet the best Richelieu could do
for de Coste was to shut him up In
mad house for his persistence, where
In good time, I suppose, the poor relloW
died. France wasn't any better than
Spain In the navigation business, and
the steamboat interests lanGuished Tor
vr-l,n III n
Potomac at Shepherdstown, Va, James
Ramsey had n steamboat that that
highly respected citizen, George Wash
ington, thought was a good thing, and
advised him to push 1t along. Mr.. Fitch
ran In one about the same time, and
poor Ramsey had such hard row to
hoe with his invention that at last he
gave it up In despair. Two hundred
years wasted, my lad, and still no
steamboat doing a regular passenger
and freight business. The next trial
was made by William Symington on the
Forth and Clyde canal In Scotland, with
the tug Charlotte Dundas. and nobody
said then that steam navigation was
new thing The Dundas towed for
while and was laid by because her
wheels washed the banks Of the canal
This was in 1902, and there was anoth-
er lapse until 1907. when the Fulton you
mention showed little steamboat call
ed the Clermont out on the Hudson Riv-
er and made q trip to Albany In her.
He had failed on the Seine and would
have done 1t In America, but he had the
money behind him this time and he got
there exactly as Captain Guerrero would
have done three hundred years ahead
Of him If he had only had the backing.
That's history. my child" concluded
the old gentleman, "and whenever any
body talks to you about Robert Fulton
inventing the steamboat you tell him
what your grandfather tells you. Do
, you hear T-Detroit Free Press.