Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-04-11
MARYLAND WAS FIRST
R"msey Invented the Steamboat
Before Fulton

~ The hardness with which grea
y benefactOrs are granted the recog
70 milton to which their public services
y entitle tnem is again exemplifiec
u by the announcement in The BaItl.
. more Sun that the residents of
/, ShepferdstOwn, IVA. are organic.
{ ing a corporation to erect a monu.
. ment to James Rumsey, the inveu-
E ter of the first steamboat.
The article aroused much inter
9 est in local historical circles. be.
: cause Rumsey was MaryIsnder
ard because so-called historians
have given the credit of inventine
! the first vessel proTelle by steam
to Robert Fulton. The reason for
this is plain. A century ago Mary
larders were too busy "makine''
History to write history, the latter
work bei4g left to their Northern
brethren who gave to the New
Yorker, FOlton. the credit due the
Marylander, Rumsey.
TIE citizens of Shepherdstown.
! where Rumsey spent most of his !
| life, desire TO obtain from the Mary |
land Legislature an appropria- !
ton TO supplement the sum given
by the West Virginia Legislature. |
In regard to the matter Mr.. Mondes
Cohen, president Of the MARYLAND
Historical Society, said:
"Some of the members of the
Historical Society might make
contributions ifthe Shepherdstown
corporation asked for aid, but 1
am sure that the Maryland Legisla-
ture will not act favorably, and {
why should itP 1t is only that {
there should be a monument to |
RuTsey, but if Maryland is to pay
for it. it should be placed in our 3
own State. The Historical So.,iety /
could not aid in the project, for ,
there is no money in the treasury, !
but J am certain that individual !
members might contribute to the a
memorial"
RGmsey's Eoat, which was
finished in the fall of 1888, was of
ak tons burden. The boiler was a e
primitive affair, being simply an d
iron pct or kettle, such as is .
ordinarily used in the country for d
culinary purposes, with lid placed " !"
on its mouth and securely fastered IL
with bands, rivets and soft solder. VI '.
The engine was based on the u u
atmospheric" principle, its power
being obtained by the weight of
he air pressing on the piston, 81
beneath which the vacuum had al
'een created by the condense ton Oh
II the steam. en-
The mode of propellatlon was by OF
pump worked by steam, which, mt
eing placed in the toward part of fe'
ne boat, drew up at each alternate ba
treke Of the engine a quantity of VIC
'ater, which the downward stroke
orced through a trunk Ut the th,
ottom along the kelson and out tel
the stern under the rudder. tn,
be impetus of the water rushina leg
lrough the trunk against the to
xterior water drove the boat Of
inward, the reaction of the effluent the
alter rrorelling it at a rate of att
'eed con neasurate with the pow wa
srplie6.
In 1884 Rumsey exhibited to ~,
gorge Washington the model of -,
s steamboat and that "frst e.,
merican" gave him a certificate 10y 10y
his approval of and faith in the o. o.
vention. o"'
Rumsey launched his boat on U 80
e Potomac river and in Decem r.
r,l787,a successful trial trip was g. g.
messed by an immense throng Ct 80
ople. This was 20 years hafcre o 49,
Ilton tried his invention on the w. -
ldsona The RumseJ Society, Of i,
lica Benjamin Franklin was a Dull pull
mber, was organized in Phila- WIN
Iphia in 1888 to further the IN oy
ltion. Is II
Rumsey went to England, where east
imilar society was formed, and east 81
obtained patents for his beat IA I
Great Britain, Holland and mas
lnce, where the invention was pam
eted as the new wonder Of the 'he
rid. Another successful trial sn
D was mace on the Tbames rive, ing
December, 1902, but at the very II
amt of his success Rumsey was BerS
en- sick and died, leaving the as
rels won ty his inventive genius ing
,e worn by another. beinI
n 1889 the Legislature OF Ken beloI
KY presented to Rumsey's son has
l medal to CT NINE morate his anot
ler's services in "giving to the locat
ID the benefits Of the steam creeI
t. and :
umsey was born in Bohemia the t
lor, Cecil county, Md, about II
,. one nunureu ana fourteen Perry
o n@Ve eiSpseu since MS death Ryan
London, and patriotic Mary ness
ers beieve'it is time that the secur
e erect suitable memorial to of II
great acnieVement' who
senator non,o, pro,...s they
ance
nator John w. Daniel few serva
ago discussed in the United win O.