The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-05
ERRAT|C GENIUS
 DIED UNHONORED John Fitch Was Real lnventog
 of Steamboat PLANS COPIED BY FLU TON Fitch Designed Hoats to 6e Run By Steam Nearly Twenty-Five Years Before Fulton Advanced
 Ills Ideas.

Washington, February l. (SpeclaD.-C. Worthington Ford. chief of tho manu- script division of the library of congress, has lately placed on exhibit in the hall devoted to rare and curious books and manuscripts, original plans, drawn at various times from 17S0 to 179O, by John Fitch who, despite that fact that most people credit Robert Fulton with hay ing been the inventor of the steamboat, was the true and rightful discoverer sof steam water transportation. nearly twenty-five years before the maturing of Fulton's plans.
 Fitch. an cratic, unfortunate' genius, was born in Connecticut in 1749, and In the course of his early life moved to Phil adelphia, where along about 4.s3, he drew plans for side wheel steamboat. Later in 1S6 he built a model of d steam craft operated by a series of huge paddles or oars from which he later constructed full sized craft which made a trial trip on the Delaware river, August ?, 17S7 He afterwards secured the exclusive right to operate such boats on the rivers and waterways of number of eastern states and In 1790 he ran a boat of his inven- tion and construction from Philadelphia
 
 phia he removed to Bradstown, Ky, where he tried to work up interest in his steamboat but to no purpose. He ended his life in 179s by committing suicide talk ing for that purpose an overdose of opium.
 Unfortunately for Fitch. he was a man before his age. It required a long time to arouse interest and confidence in invention so radical as a ship operated by steam, although, just prior to his death, Fitch, with true foresight, pre- dicted that the day was not far distant when steam vessels would be as common as the rivers and seas of the globe, vehicles on the public highways, and the manner In which this was realized affords strange example of how one mans misfortunes are the upbuilding of anothers fortunes.
 Went to England and France.
 It seems that while living in Philadel- phia Fitch took trip to England and France, with a view of interesting Eu- ropean capitalists In his invention. with whom however he succeeded no better than with those of this country. While there he left his plans for few weeks with the American consul at L'Orient. France. where they were seen by Robert Fulton, at that time residing in Paris. 1917, nearly twen-y y after the death of Fitch, when Robert Fulton laid
 
 the committee appointed by that body to report on tho case, ord, red him to bring forward all his plans, drawings, etc. for their inspection. This Fulton did, where upon the committee reported that the steamboat plans of Fulton and Livings- tone were in substance the invention patented in 179O by Fitch. who had the exclusive right to operate such a water craft within the United States But 1t was impossible to find any of the latters relatievs or any one who had the slight est interest in upholdng his claim, the matter went by default. and thus 1t Is that Fulton has gone down in history as the inventor of the steamboat. Fitchs last resting place in Bradstown, Ky, is unmarked by any stone or monument to indicate the place of his interment.
 Fortunately for future ger erations. the plans and papers of Fitch from which Fulton borrowed his steamboat ideas, passed in time into the possession of the government which has preserved them carefully to this dey and thanks to MT. Ford they have been lately placed on ex- hibit in accordance with the plan followed by the Library officials in changing their exhibits from time to time and are now open to public inspections The plan for the boat invented about 17s6 operated by paddles is undoubtedly the most in- teresting of the lot It is drawn on sheet of rough wrapping paper which Fitch picked up in some store, in course lead pencil. blue pencil and a little pen and ink looking more like the efforts of some ten year old youngster to depict boat than plan for new and sweeping invention. The plan for the propeller craft of 1790 is In pen and ink and what is evidently sheet of writing paper Ad- ed to this are other similar plans for other boats all of the same general char acters IS regard execution and the mater ials employed therein as well as a pam phlet printed in Philadelphia in 17s5 in which Fitch sets for the merits of this in- vention. Taken all in all the collection is one of the most Interesting in Washing ton.
 Papers Are Numerous.
 The material on exhibit constitutes on- iy small part of the Fitch papers and plans which number all told some 1,2O0 memorials. petitions. circulars. etc. all to the end of interesting the world and hun anty in his peculiar invention. The manner is which the Library of congress came into possession of these papers is interesting and worth relating. The tradi- tion is that shortly before his death Fitch left all his papers. etc, to the Pennsyl- vania Philosophical Society. the first in- stitution of it's kind founded in the United States. of which he was a mem- Der. Time passed and the nex. heard of the Fitch papers was when they were acquired by the well known Peter Force. Tn 1869 the Library of consrc purchased the Peter Force collection of 22,5Es b,-ad volumes and s7.e9o papers. pamphlets. etc, for sio0eO0 since which time the employ es of the Libray have been busy sorting out. ordering and arranging this most re- markable and gigantic collection of works. The Fitch Tl;.ns were gotten into shape by Mir. Ford only few months ago at which time he selected some of fpta rla