Evening star., 1909-07-17

the stack belching smoke like volcano.
up their hats with enthusiasm. As she
proceeded up the river. according to
writer OF the day, she spread consterna-
ton among the superstitious mariners
and unsophisticsted countrynen.
mo such sight had ever been seen be-
fore. The pine Wood used for fuel pro-
duced torrent OF black smoke fame
and sparks. which belched forth to a
great height above the smokestack. The
reTerberation of the exhaust as the boat
passed the Palisades was something alb
solutely unheard before by human ears.
Crews of other vessels We're terrified.
Many at first sight fell on their knees.
disappeared below decks or made for land.
One honest countryman. after beholding
the unaccountabie object from the shore.
ran home and told his wife that he had
seen the devil on his way to Albany in
saw mill Not since Hudson's Half
Moon had sailed over the same course
nearly two hundred years before, exciting
the wonder and awe of the aborigines.
had such an amazing sight been seen by
the neighboring inhabitants.
When the Clermont reached Haver-
straw bay a man in a skiff lay waiting
for 1t. He appeared to be a miller and
the paddlewheels attracted his attention
He asked permission to go aboard and
Fulton ordered q line to be thrown to
him. The miller said he did not know
about mill going up stream and came
TO inquire about it. One of the passen-
gers, seeing through the simple minded
visitor. but without disabusing him of his
mistake. showed him all the machinery
and contrivances and the device for
throwing the wheels out of gear when the
emily the visitor said: That will do. Now
show me the millstones. oh. said the
passenger, that is a secret which the
master has never told us yet. but when
we come back from Albany with a load
of corn, then il you come aboard. you
will see the meal fy.'
AT O'Clock Tuesday the boat arrived
at the place after which Fulton, in honor
of his distinguished colleague, had named
the steamboat Clermont dock. the land
ing place at Chancellor Livingston's place
is ITO miles from New York, and that dis
tance had been traversed against the
wind in just twenty-four hours The
average speed thus far had been about
40 miles an hour. Here Fulton rested
from / o'clock pm. Tuesday until 0 am.
readily be imagined. His voyage thus
far had been one of triumphant success.
1t was the first steamboat trip ever made
"Resuming their journey the next day.
reached Albany, distant forty miles. at
8 pm. The running time for the whole
$50 miles had been thirty-two hours, or
at a rate Of nearly five miles an hour
The return trip, Thursday and Friday
was made in thirty hours running time,
or an average of just five miles an hour.
The wind had been against the Clermont
both ways. says Fulton. SO that no adj
vantage could be derived from his sails.
The whole journey, therefore, had been
performed by the power of the steam en-
gine."
Other Steamboats, Appear.
After this triumphant success six other
steamboats, appeared upon the Hudson
within the next five years. Fulton's vic
tory was won by q narrow margin. The
Phoenix, built by Robert l.. Stevens of
Hoboken, was in motion only a few days
later, but, owing to the monopoly which
Livingston had secured from the leg1s-
lature. she was crowded of the Hudson
and was employed upon the Delaware.
Another steamer. the North River. came
out in 1908. two more in 1909, three in
1911 and more later. until steamboating
actually became common.
In 1912 Fulton built the first steam
ferryboat, which crossed the river from
Cortlandt street to Jersey City In twen-
ty minutes. 1t was a catamaran, con-
sisting Of two boats, each eighty feet
long and ten feet beam, joined by braces
at an interval of ten feet and covered
with an open deck thirty feet wide and
eighty feet long.
Inc VI TIE NdT VI 1917 III
rected his attention to fighting ships,
and Congress authorized the construction
of the Demologos. the first steam nan-of-
war, which was launched October %, 1914
an event Of great importance. July 4,
1918, she made her trial trip to sea. a
distance Of f1fty-three miles, in about
eight hours. but the treaty Of peace
with England had already been ratified
and Fulton did not live to see her COM
pleted.
While engaged in his experiments with
Chancellor Livingston in 1906 Robert
Fulton married Harriet Livingston. a
daughter of Walter Livingston and "a
relative of his patron. They had four
children. a son and three daughters, the
former dying at an early age. After re-
naming a widow for two years Mrs.
Fulton married Charles Augustus Dale,
an Englishman, and spent the rest of her
life in England. Rocert Fulton's children
were cared for and educated by her
brother, Henry Walter Livingston.
The only descendants are Robert Full
ton Ludlow, an artist, who lives at Claw
crack, N. Y. and Rev. Robert Fulton
Crary. d. D., an Episcopal clergyman,
who lives at Matteawan, N. Y, and their
children.