The Washington herald., 1907-09-29

Just 100 years ago the Unwtting world
received two gifts from the genius OF
man which have so accelerated the life
OF the human family that the same un-
whiting world has lived more IN that
century than IN all Of the centuries be-
fore. The year 1867 marked the success
of two expcriments-the use OF steam
in navigation and the use OF special
newspaper correspondent in giving infor-
nation and moulding opipion. From that
time until now the estgamboatand the news
paper correspondent have grown, until the
affairs Of our neighbots Of Korea and the
domestic Quarrels 0f our brothers Of
Persia are the common property of the
great American public which follows the
baseball teams around the circuit The
telegraph came to aid the steamboat and
the correspondent, il is true, but the Two
inventions of lSU5 blazed the way.
The record-breaking voyage Of the mon
ster steamship Lusitania, which marked
the centennial achievement IN steam nav
igation, was heralded 20 every Ameri-
can in thousands Of columns Of news
paper articles. Its building had been
followed by the sailors OF the seven seas.
It's triumphal fve-day passage across the
Atlantic was watched each day by the
people of the five continents, thanks 10
the wireless telegraph When it had
completed its wonderful voyage the whole
civilized world knew the fact the same
day.
Just 100 years ago the first successful
steamboat was launched In the city Of
New York. from whence came these
thousands of columns about the LUsi-
tania. The New York papers did not look
upon the feat as worthy OF a notice in
their columns Two weeks after the first
trial voyage the New York Evening Post
published n signed communication from
Robert Fulton, announcing the success
Of the trip to Albany. which letter was
clipped from an Albany newspaper. After
the regular schedule was established by
the North River Steamboat. and Mr..
Fulton had inserted twenty-five ad-
vertisement, the Evening Post was gra-
cious enough 10 devote five lines to an
announcement that the Clarmont had
cleared for Albany with twenty-four pas
sengers.
At the same time I'm Denmark. from the
banks Of the El5e, Henry Crabb Robin
son was beginning his career as a spe-
cial correspondent for the London Times.
Those were troublesome times. The sun
of Austerlitz blazed in the zenith and
seemed to obey the command Of Napol-
con TO stand still even as 1t had oocyed
the command of Joshua ever the valley
of Ajal0n. The Scandiuavians and North
Germans We're attempting 10 stay the
power of the great Emperor. The Span
iards were on the point Of rising against
the French. England was harassing the
French on the high seas, and fighting for
Montevideo as the key to South Ameri-
can conquest The privateers Of the
clashing nations made the highways Of
the deep more dangerous than piracy
had ever made them.
"The English navy was asserting the
right of search" and was impressng
American citizens from American ships
1t seemed certain that another war would
result between England and the infant
American republic. The New England
States were SO dissatisfied with the FEEDER
al administration, under the Virginia do
minion, as TO darkly threaten disunion.
who had missed the Presidency by a
hair, was on trial for treason at Rich
mond. and the republic seemed to be tot
tering toward that great grave which
holds the bones of uncOunted millions Of
altruistic experiments. Such was the
condition of a disturbed and uneasy
world when the year 1907 was turning
into its autumn, and the steamboat and
the newspaper correspondent were born.