Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-22
TR|P0F THECLERM0NT
Story of FuIton's Notable Ex-
pertinent in 1907.
RESULT OF LONG STUDY
Conferences in the Cabin Of Capt.
Drinks Sloop.
JEERED BY THE MULTITUDE
Even the Shippers Wife Had No Be-
lief in the Possibility Of
Steam Navigation.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

the Hudson, and other Daughters of the
Revolution. not long ago inspired and as
sisted the local oracle of that historic sec
ton of New York to gather and publish its
traditions and history from the first settle
ment about the middle of the seventeenth
century. He has told how the ancestors of
the present generation lived their simple
and sincere lives; he has described their
manners customs, industries and pleasures;
he has gathered up their ballads, folk-songs
and nursery rhymes. anecdotes and MARIA
tives of the Indian wars and the revolution,
and has embodied a great deal of valuable
history from the local records, illuminated
by the traditions that nave passed down
from memory to memory through many
generations. No other part of America has
known more stirring events. None has been
the scene of more thrilling adventures and
absorbing romance. and valuable service.
has been performed for the future as well
as the present generation by Benjamin
Myer Brink. the author
But what interests most just at this
time Is his "reminiscences of Robert Fulton
and THE Clermont,' the first successful
steamboat. The estate of Chancellor Living
ston, from which the steamboat was named,
lies along that part of the Hudson and the
grandfather of the author was the captain
of the boat.
Some time about the middle of the dscade
1190-1SGM Capt. Andrew Brink" he says.
built large sloop which he named for his
favorite sister. The Maria His father had
instituted many years before the scow ferry
which crossed the river from his door at the
mouth of Sawyer's creek to Chancellor Liv-
1nsstons s. just opposite, and the son was
born with love of the water. The Maria
was thought by the people of those days a
craft of wondrous size, and it's owner i'm
mediately secured from the chancellor the
transportation of the products of his manor
and from other up-river towns, most prof
liable trade.
The Hudson River Skipper.
1.-The captain of a Hudson river sloop
before the advent of steam occupied
unique position" Mr.. Brink observed. "He
was the link socially. between the river
towns and city life. He was the business
agent not only of the merchant, but of the
farmer. He selected the merchants stock:
he sold the farmers products: he was the
expreSSman; he carried the news; he
matched the goods in the city from sam
pies which the housewives of the river
towns gave him; bore the messages of
friendship and business with which he was
intrusted at each end of his route; he was
the welcome guest in the city families on
which he called. to whom he told of their
country friends, and through him the news
of sorrow and bereavement of his patrons
or the tidings of their prosperity were con-
veyed. for he often carried the written mis-
Sives as poStman, but more frequently he
was intrusted with the verbal message
which bore the tidings of a sad death or
burial or was the happy messenger to an
nounce a marital engagement of youthful
lovers: or he bore the gossip of the river
village he asked to carry to city
friends and relatives what had passed since
the last voyage.
"Once started on the voyage, the uncer-
tainty of it's duration was the most promi-
nent feature. A slooD setting sail on an
afternoon might have reached her desti-
nation at Saugerties when the passengers
awoke next morning. And. again. it might
be becalmed before Spuyten Duyvil was
reached. and be a week on the trip up the
Hudson.
LAS above stated. the sloop Maria carried
much Of the produce of Livingston Manor.
And during the ten years Capt. Brink
sailed her livingston was frequent pas
senger. He had been experimenting with
steam before he went as a minister to
France in 1901. and while there had been
interested in the steamboat that Robert
Fulton had put on the Seine in 1904. and
which had broken down. The men became
very intimate. and Fulton married a niece
of the chancellor. So he came to be a
frequent and welcome guest at Clermont,
the home of Livingston.
Conferences in the Sloop's Cabin.
'In the cabin of the Maria the chancel-
lor and Fulton often discussed the problem
of steam navigation as a quicker means of
communication, and a more reliable power
than wind. and around the captains table
talked over their plans, the obstacles
countered and the cause of their failures.
On a voyage up the river the three decided
to attempt once more to solve the problem
and use every means to succeed They
went to work. Chancellor Livingston fur
nished the capital Robert Fulton obtained
from Scotland a Watt engine of twenty
horsepower. with copper boiler. which
he adapted to his plans. while Capt. Brink
set about embodying his ideas to what
the craft should be from his experience as
navigator of the Hudson. The latter
part of the year 1906 and until midsummer
of 1907 were spent upon the boat and the
engine. to the ridicule of many of the
quaintances OF the captain in his home
town. Even his own wife laughed at him,
to which he replied that he would soon go
to Albany in command of the steam craft.
and stop opposite his fathers place on the
| river and take her along. All she could
say was:
.'.When I see you and Mr. Fulton driv-
| ing boat with tea kettle will believe
I'VE will see how the captains wife took
| her ride.
The Memorable Day.
| 1.-THE morning of August II. 1907. was
| bright and warm" continues Mr.. Drinks
| AT a pier in the harbor of New York
| vessel was lying which the events of that
| day were to make historic and the trip
1 she was just to undertake would never be
| forgotten. motive power would be util-
! lied that day. which would change the
| face of all the earth. and would pillow
| every sea- The craft that was lying at
| the pier that morning in the early days of
the nineteenth century would have ex-
cited the contempt of those who saw the
century's close. A long. narrow vessel
| with two masts, on each of which was to
| be spread a sail: a low cabin on each side
! of the deck; somewhat forward of the CEN
| ter of the vessel a revolving wheel on either
| side with ten paddles like the arms Of a
| windmill. and these uninclosed In a wheel
| house. and on the pier a jeering crowd Of
| spectators exchanging cheap witticisms with
| each other at the expense of Fulton, and
| his associates on board, silent but conf
dent
when the appointed hour had arrived
| the vessel was cast loose. and the scoffing
| crowd became quiet, for they saw her pad
| dies reyolve and the boat worked Its way
out into the stream. Soon after reaching
| the middle of the river there was a break
| In the machinery. which occasiOned alarm
and which took some time to repair. This
| was duly accomplished and the vessel pro-
| ceeded slowly up the Hudson. and the
| crowd was quiet as the Missionaries, with
their jeered- at boat propelled by tea ket-
tie, passed out of sight
''The trip excited great interest along the
| river and some alarm, especially at night