The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-10-28
;s1
MOREY THE INVENTOR.
An Article in National Industries
Gives Credit to VermOntey Tor Or
iginating the Steamboat.

Gives Credit to VermOntel. Tor Or
iginating the Steamboat.
A recent issue of National Indus
tries, devoted to the history of the
Hudson-Fulton celebration contains 4
lengthy article on The Steamboat and
Robert Fulton, by F. H. Alien OF
especial State interest is the follow
ing portion: at was the privilege OF
the writer to first see light upon the
banks of the Connecticut River about
ten miles south of the spot where the
first boat propelled by means of steam
applied to paddle wheels was success
fully launched and operated. This
event was nothing less than the sue
cessful invention of the first steam
boat, on principles which have re-
manned unchanged. The story of Capt.
Samuel Morey's paddle wheel dug
oni.' was familiar to me as child
and | have secured what / te!',v tn
be conclusive proof that it was Ca
tain Morey who brought to triumph
ant issue an invention which has
since made the name of Fulton i'm
mortal. History, with it's usual dis
regard of facts, has crowned Fulton,
whose Clermont, propelled by steam,
was driven from New York to AL
bany, in the year 1907, just fourteen
years after a small boat constructed
by Morey was moved by steam against
the current of the Connecticut River,
at the rate of four miles an hour. Far
away from all contemporaneous in
vestigators, Morey had as early as
1880 begun to devote much time to
steam, heat, and light. His mind
was original, logical, and scientific,
He corresponded with the late Prof
Stillman of Yale college, and was A
contributor to the Journal of Science
and Art upon subjects which en-
crossed his attention.
after demonstrating the possibility
of moving boats by means of steam
applied to paddle wheels, at his home
in Oxford, New Hampshire, Captain
Morey came to New York with the
interviews with Fulton and Chancel'
lor Livingston. For three seasons, he
continued his experiments at Hart
ford, at Bordentown, on the Delaware
and in New York. Fulton and Liv-
ingston suggested some changes. The
paddle wheel was placed in the sterl
of his boat, during the second sum.
mer of his residence here, and Chan.
cellor Livingston, Judge Livingston
Edward Livingston, Mr.. Stevens and
others were carried from the ferry tt
Greenwich and back; all expressing
their perfect satisfaction with the
trial. The speed attained was five
miles an hour, but was not satisfac.
tory to the inventor
Let him tell in brief, his own story
Chancellor Livingston requested
me to continue my endeavors to devise
a better mode of propelling, and
continued through the summer my ex
periments, encouraged by his prom
Use, which was to give me a consid
cradle sum, provided | succeeded il
making a boat run eight miles az
hour. He offered me, at that time
for what l had done, seven thousand
dollars, for the patent right on tn,
North River and to Amboy; but l die
not deem that sufficient, and no bar
gain was made. never received
anything from him.
Being DESTROYS OF deT1sing a more
, efficient mode of propelling, 1 contin
ued my eXertions, and, it being sick
ly in New York, l went to Borden
town, on the Delaware and there con
structed a steamboat, in 1897, ant
there devised the plan of propellint
by two wheels, one on each side. Tn,
crank in the middle, worked from thu
beam of the engine with shackle-bet
which mode is, in principle, the
same as that now used in the large
steamboats, and the boat was openl,
exhibited in Philadelphia. From tina
time on, / considered every obstacl,
removed and l took out patents fol
my improvements His patents were
granted in 1895.
! I'm Morey's early visits to Nes
York with his model, Fulton received
him with great cordially; entered
enthusiastically into his plans ant
suggested improvements; having free
access to all of Morey's knowledge
Later he was treated with such cold
mess and Indifference as to end thell