The Ravalli Republican., 1898-08-31
TIE STEAM BOAT.
An Old Engineer Speaks Els Mind Freely
on an Interesting Subject.

An Old Engineer Speaks Els Mind Freely
an Interesting Subject.
"Grandpa,' said the old engi-
neer's pet and pride as he looked up
from his history book, ''in what
year did Mr.. Fulton invent the
steamboat2'
"ae didn't, IT, responded grandpa,
with a snap of his jaws.
"This book says he did," protest
ad the youngster
We cant help that, my lad, but
como over hero and let me tell you
some real history. y The hoy obey,
ing by gladly firing lis book into a
corner and climbing into the old
gentle1nan's lap The grandfather
proceeded: Away back yonder only
about 50 years after Columbus dis
covered America--that is to say, in
1913, when Charles V was king Of
Spain.-a Spanish captain named
Elasco do Guerrero, put 200 ton
steamboat on the water at Barcelona
that made q record for itself inllo
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 secret Of the
propelling power was unknown, but
there was a big tank OF boiling Wa
Ter and steam on board and there
were two wheels visible On tL9 out
side of the hull. AS said, size 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 ell
gine out of the hull and let the boat
rot in the Wator. AS for himself he
died from disappointment, taking
his secret to the grave with him.
Spain had discovered America and
tho 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 100 years after that the
steamboat business was as dull as it
is on Il western river during a
drouht, and then, in 1882, one Solo
mon de Coste came into France from
Normandy with an engine that
would propel a vessel on the water
OF a culriago on land, and he show
ed it to the king, and later to Cardi-
nal Richeliou, who held 4 mortgage
on France, body and soul This Ell
gine of De t;oste's was pretty much
all that was claimed for it, and was
without question quite as successful
as its successors, yet the best Richie
lieu could du for Dc Coste was t>
shut bin up in a madhouse for his
persistence, where in good time,
suppose, tho poor fellow died. France
WASH t any better than Spain in th,
navigation business, and the steam
boat interests languishod for anoth
er hundred years, when up Oh the
Potomac at ShepherdstoWn, Va.
James Ramsey had a steam boat tha
that highly respected citizen George
Washington. thought was q goo(
thing aud advised him to push i
along MI. Fitch ran in one abou
the same time and poor Ramsey haf
such Il hard row to hoe with his III
vention tn: ut last he gave it up il
despair. Two hundred years wasted
my lad, and still no steamboat doin{
regular passenger and freigh
business! The next trial was mad
by William Symington on the Fort
and Clyde canal in Scotland, wit
the tug Charlotte Dundas, and nc
body said then that steam nayiga
ton was a new thing. The Dunda
towcd for awhile and was laid b,
because h.r wheels washed til
banks OF tao canal ..
'ThlA w, III 1902, and there wa
another lulae until 1907, WI. IL til
Fulton you mention showed Il lttl
steamboat called the C1trmont OF
on tho Hudson river and nlaio
trip to Albaly in her. He had fai
ed on the Seine and would huv
done it in America, but lie had tn
money behind him this time and b
got there exactly as Captain Guerel
would have done $50 years ahead {
him if he had only had the backing
That's history, my child, conclu(
ed the old gentleman, land whe1
over anybody talks to you abol
Robert Fulton inverting the steam
boat, you tell him what your gran'
father tells you. Do you heari'-
Detroit Free Press.