Evening journal., 1900-03-24
TO ROBERT FULTON
AMERICAN ENGINEERS TO COM
MEMORATE HIS SERVICES.

mEhORAl u his SERVICES.
3 Through the efforts of the American
Society Of Mechanical Engineers, a
monument will soon be erected in
4 Trinity churchyard to commemorate
the work of Robert Fulton in establish
& ing navigation by steam power. Full
: tons remains lie in a vault in Trinity
churchyard, and not even the humblest
sort of monument has been raised to
his memory. Interest in his work has
recently been awakened by renewed
discussion whether the credit for in
venting method Of steam navigation
should be given to Fulton, John Fitch
or James Rumsey, Of Maryland.
At the annual meeting of the associ-
alton Of engineers, held here last De-
cember, delegates from all over the
country indorsed the proposition that
the society erect a monument in Trim
ity churchyard to the memory of Full
ton. Professor f. R. Hutton, the So
ciety's secretary, was placed in charge
of the fund and a good sum was con-
tributed during the convention. Since
that time additions to the fund have
come in steadily and the success of the
project is assured. II is expected that
the plans for the monument will soon
be made public.
The statement recently made before
the Maryland Historical Society that
James Rumsey was the inventor of tine
steamboat giving him priority over
John Fitch, has drawn some interesting
comment from the New York members
of the Society Of Engineers, Reginald p
Bolton, Of this city, has been a particu-
larly close student of the facts bearing
upon the Fitch-Fulton- Ramsey contro-
versy, and in commenting on the re.
cent assertions Of the Baltimore So
ciety. Mr. Bolton said
This is a revival of an old dispute
The Baltimore lecturer was in error
when he said that Rumsey was expert.
menting as early as 1888 with steam
for the propulsion of vessels.
His scheme at that time was a com.
bination Of waterwheels, cranks anC
setting poles, to be worked at no great.
er expense than that of three hands. In
4 1884 General Washington wrote of 1t
after seeing the model and expert
ments, that the inventor had 'discov-
cred the art Of working boats by mech,
anism and small manual assistanc,
against rapid currents
IF Rumseys petition of Novembei
. IL, 1888, to the Maryland Assembly ac
tually mentions steam as the motive
j force, then new matter has been added
to the controversy which Rumsey ha,
with John Fitch. Rumsey did no
make any such contention His peti
+ tiOn to the General Assembly OF Penn
sylvania contains no mention of steam
nor was any such idea held out to tn
committee, as certified by one of III
i members.
Undoubtedly Rumsey who wal
working on the general line OF boa
propulsion, took the idea of the use o
steam from John Fitch. and his sU
. perior opportunities enabled him frs
+ to produce a working vessel in public
which he did on December 3, 1887. Tha
fact may be worth commemOration b.
a monument, but as far as priority o
invention goes, the idea of the use 0
steam TO drive a vessel is due, neithe
TO Rumsey nor to Fitch. William
i Henry, Of Lancaster, Pa, originated tn
idea Of steam propulsion as early e
the year 17T5.
ITO John Fitch. at any rate. belong
the real credit since it was his littl
steamboat, embodying the use of tn
screw propeller, that attracted the in
terest of Robert Fulton and Rober
Livingston. and led to those develop