Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-23
A SHAFT TO RUMSEY
Commanding Site Overlooking the
Potomac River Near shepherds-
town, West Virginia.

The bill which. It II said, will be prepar-
ed by Judge Daniel Bedinger Lucas and in
troduced In the West Virginia legislature
providing for q monument to James Rum
sey. the inventor of the steamboat, should
pass without opposition. The late Col. Alex
ander r. Boteler Of Shepherdstown, endeay-
ored without success to get such menu-
ment. and now 1t is gratifying that Judge
Lucas has taken up the work. James Rum
sey was Marylander. and It was tn Mary
land waters that the first steamboat that
was every made foated. Maryland. there
fore, should contribute to this monument
which should stand on the high bluff at
Shepherdstown. overlooking the scene of the
trial trip OF this steamboat, which was
made on a beautiful stretch Of the Potomac
river in Washington county. In addition TO
this splendid monument to this dfstin-
guiShed inventor should be erected near the
banks of the Potomac at Washington. The
application of steam to navigation was one
of the most important elements In the ad-
vancement of the United States TO power
and prosperity. While Rumseys method
little doubt he first practically suggested the
idea of the application of steam to naviga-
ton, and it is probable that Fulton got his
inspiration from Rumsey.
Made His Engine.
Rumsey's invention was made at time
when there was perhaps not steam engine
in the whole United States. He made his
own engine with an iron pot and number
of gun barrels and propelled his boat by
pumping in water through a trunk at the
bow of the boat and expelling 1t at the
stern. The force of the ef1uent water car
red the boat forward against strong
current at the rate OF from -FOUR 10 siA
miles an hour.
That Rumsey propelled boat by steam
twenty-three years before Fulton Launched
the Clermont on the Hudson Is matter OF
legislature of Virginia in 17s5 gave him the
exclusive right Of steam navigation on the
rivers of that state and the next year Mary
land passed an act giving him the same eA-
elusive right upon the rivers OF this state.
In 1889 Congress voted gold medal to
James Rumsey's only child. commemorative
Of his fathers invention. In the patent
office report for 1849-'50 we believe there Is
certificates of those who witnessed the triai
trim of his boat at Shepherdstown In De-
cember. 1855.
George Washington a Witness.
Rumsey's first experiments were made In
the Potomac near Berkeley Springs. Wash
;npton witnessed one OF these, and gave the
following certificate, which we copy from
the Richmond Argus Of October 0. 1874,
naner published by Samuel Peasants. 1t Is
as follows: r,
boat, constructed to work against stream
examined the powers upon which It acts,
been eyewitness to an actual EXPERIMENT
in running water OF some rapiuity' anu
give 1t as my opinion (a!though had ous
little faith before) that he has discovered
the art of working boats by mechanism ana
small manual assistance against RAPID cur
rents; that the discovery Is OF vas. lmpor-
lance; may be of greatest usefulness IN our
4
which I have no doubt. that the value OF 1t
is greatly enhanced by the simplicity OF
the works; which, when seen and explained
to, may be executed by the most common
mechanic.
Given under my hand. at the town Of
Bath, county of Berkeley. in the state OF
Virginia. this 7th day Of September. lisa.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
James Rumsey was born on Bohemia
Manor. In Cecil county, in 1143. He learned
the trade of nillwright and made number
of useful inventions IN mill machinery Al
the outbreak Of the revolutionary war ne
enlisted in the American army. and prob
ably attracted the attention of Washing
ton, for afterwaTd he was appointed SUI
permit endent of the Potomac Navigation
Company, which was one of Washington
enterprises. Immediately after the war
Rumsey was in partnership with Nicholas
Orrick In keeping store at Bath. now
Berkeley Springs, and spent his time eX-
perimenting with his steamboat. In petit
ton to the Maryland legislature, which was
read by that body November II, 1874, Rum
sey said that he had then been engaged for
several years in perfecting plan to move
boats by steam 1t was on December
and II. 1855, that the trial trips were made
in the Potomac at Shepherdstown. Among
those who witnessed 1t were Gen. Horatio
Gates. General Stephen. General Darke. Mr..
Bedlinger DR.. Alexander of Baltimore and
others. A part Of the queer machinery in
the boat then tried Is now In the National
Museum at Washington.
The Rumseyan Society.
After the Shepherdstown experiment the
"Rumseyan Society was formed. of which
Benjamin Franklin was president This
society sent Rumsey to England. In Lon
don he built boat of 100 tons burden, but
was SO greatly embarrassed for want Of
funds that his boat was seized by credit
ors upon the day Of the trial trip and he
was not permitted to move 1t, although
distinguished company had gathered to see
1t. The misfOrtunes of the inventor ex-
cited the sympathy Of some English gen.
Rumsey to raise funds to prosecute his
great work The evening came and Rum
sey, who had anticipated a failure, was
astonished when the curtain arose to find
himself face to face with a large and
brilliant audience But the turn in his af-
fairs had come too late. AS he began to
speak he fell to the floor insensible, and
died of apopleXy the next day. The Wash
ington Spy, published at Hagerstown, Md,
on March Is, 1893, contained this news
item: Mr.. Rumsey of this state who had
distinguished himself by several useful me-
chanical inventions, and latterly applied to