Evening star., 1907-10-27
American
Squadron

received WIN Cpiiidi CDLIitSy " Ai4'
Frencn squadron commanded by Rear Ad-
rniral Philibert. The American command
er ard his officers visited the exposition
at Bordeaux on the 18th of June III
special train provided by the authorities,
accompanied by Admiral Philfoert. They
we're tha guests of The exposition Of
ncfa!s at H banquet rendered them at the
Hotel Bayonne. followed by a special the
atrlcal representation in their honor.
Other social and o1tici4 honors were paid
to hn the iit1 Americss gt,ts contained in
the United states ra.aYon may not be
departments tI'a'.D1ne Of the e5v snt were rep
resented by appropriated and interesting
models The SInitlsouian institution ex
h bit contained modeS of - steamboats,
Fitch, Clermont, Phoenix and the Savan-
nah; objects concerning Robert Fulton
among others the compass employed on
the Clermonc, Fulton's note for 5000 to
continue his researches, a. portrait Of
Fulton by West, photograph of the
statue of Fulton in the Capitol, etc.
The French Maritime League, Admira!
Gervals president. IN commemorating the
centenary of steam nav
Wonderful igation would accen-
tUate the material
DeVelcPment. DEVELOPMENT not only
in the application of steam. but in
every branch OF industry concerned, ocean
and inland, in dredge boats, canal cut
ting, sea soundings, fisheries, geodetic
surveys. oceanography, life saving, mod
els of arsenas, hospitals etc.
NJ P. Camena d'Alneida has written
an exhaustive and precious article in lie
Correspondent entitled: The Centenary
Of Steam Navigation and the Maritime
Expositio of Bordeaux. 1Sn7-19GT." NJ
O. Almeida com mnences by saying: '"The
year 1907. which marked the decisive
debut of steam navigation. terminated
series of long and oft7n unfruitful re-
searches. The origin OF the new mode
of propulsion in reality dated very far
back indeed In review, the author
mentions the Catarns whom Pierre d Ara
gon brought to Sicily 10 fight against
Charles 'Anjou. for whom he claims the
priority of the invention of steam navi-
cation. The author cites the name of
BlascO de Garay, who at the close Of
1542 submitted to the Emperor Charles
V a project by which ..shIps were pro
peeled without the aid of sails or oars.
The apparatus consisted of a boiler filled
with boiling water and wheels on the
sides of the vessel. notwithstanding the
incredulity of the emparor's encourage
he ordered the trial to be made with the
Trinidad. which took place June II, 1543,
in the harbor of Barcelona. The report
made to the emperor pra'S the pre-
cision of the trial, the rapidity of evolu-
ton, etc but the emperor's treasurer was
not convinced. Charles, however. paid
the cost of the trial and the inventor
took his machine apart and went away
diSConSolate.
Poor Blasco de Garayl Had he indeed
discovered steam navigation? Was the
treasurer a CRATER whom Blasco. unused
to the wiles and exactions of the court,
Rad failed to interest? At any rate,
steam navigation appears thus to have
been retarded during two hundred and
siXty-five years.
<
One hundred ard s!xty-four years later.
in 1907, Denis Papin. a French physician,
who had been obliged to
Papin's quit France after the revo-
cation of the Edct of
IAaeiiiiie Nantes. applied steam to
the propulsion of a boat on the River
FUlda IN Germany. Paptn descended the
river from CassCl to Munden, whence he
proposed to steam to England. But the
boatmen of the Wescr. alarmed at this
menace to their business. destroyed the
boat and machine, ana Papin escaped to
England and died there in great poverty.
The attempt of Papin was considered
SO little conclusive that in 1853 the Acad-
emy of Sciences of Paris. after having
proposed a prize for the invention OF a
mechanism capable of replacing the force
of wind. accorded the honor to Bernou!H.
because he had demonstrated in the
most lucid and eloquent manner that the
project was not possible
In 1770 two French of1icers-Count
d Auxiron and CEevaler Monin de Fol
Ienay-made a trial of a system on the
Seine at Paris The attempt, however.
was treated like that of Papins. and
d Auxiron died of chagrin.
In 1916 Marquis Claude Francois d.
Jouffroy d Abbans launched on the Doubs
a boat with which lie ascended the river
by steam. In 1Te,! lie repeated the trial
or the Saone with boat with wheels
fourteen feet in diameter this time amid
the plaudits of the people, but the mar
quis failed to cause his invention TO he
officially recognized, and the invention
came To naught.
In England there were likewise at
tempts to apply steam to navigation. Pat
rick Miller and Symington constructed It