Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-09-03
ihe .isrnonl's lirsi Trim

The elaborate preparations now being
for the joint celebration of the
e~poch-making voyages of Hudson and
Fulton. recall the fact that it was just
one hundred and two years ago. ON
August Il. that the Clermont's trip to
Albany proved the ~practicability of
navigation by stream. The New York
Evening Sun tells the story of the trip
as follows:
: fc: days befc-e August =. =
stranSC-,ookinS craft WAS taken around
from the East River to the North River
and moored near the old State prison.
which stood oil the square now bounded
by Washington. West Tenth. West and
Charles Streets.
On Monday. August Il, the American
Citizen contained this momentous an
nouncement;
MIR. Fulton's ingenious Steam Boat.
invented with "A View TO the Navigation
of The Mississippi from New Orleans
upwards, Sails to-day from the North
River near The State prison. to Albany,
The Velocity of The Steam Boat is
Calculated ut 4 miles an hour it is
said that it will make Il progress of two
against The Current Of The Mississippi;
and if so it will certainly he a very
valuable acquisition TO the Commerce of
the Western States"
That morning the shore of the river
was crowded with thousands Of citizens
many of whom had come to dcride
what WA called "FultonIs Folly" Jeers
and catcalls salutcd Fulton's ears. and
the waggishly inclined significantly
tapped their forehcads. God help You,
Bobby! cried one. A fool and his
money are soon parted! cried another.
Bring rs back Il chip of the North
Pole!' facetiously shouted another.
Fulton, pale, but with an air of con-
fdcnce, went about his preparations TO
start. Presently dense volumes of
smoke began to pour forth from the
smokestack. The boiler began to hiss. !
At one o'clock the hawSer was drawn
in, the throttle opened, and to the ac-
of the stertorOus exhaust, !
the uncovered ~sidewheels began to
culver, then slowly TO rcvolve. \ hush
fell on the spectators. Fulton's own
hand ut the helm turned the bow. The
ClcrmOnt moved ont into the stream. |
the steam connections kissing ut the !
joints. the crude machinery humping |
and %groaning, the wheels splaShing and
the SmokeStaCk belChing like a volcano.
The boat continued 10 gather momcn-
tum and move away. Then the
tension of the situation was broken.
All on board swung their hats in the
air and gave a cheer. and like one echo
.magnifcd IL thousand times, came back
a o of applause from the shore.
SEcptics has been converted. Those
who came to scoff remained to cheer.
The Clermont was II success, and steam
navigation in America WAS established
beyond p~cradventure.
As the steamboat proceeded up the
river it spread CONSERVATION among
supcrstitious mariners and unsophisticut-
ed countrymcn. No such sight had ever
been seen before. The pine wood used
for fuel produced a torrent Of smoke.
flame. and sparks. which bclchcd forth
to Il great height above the smokestack.
The rcvcrbcration of the exhaust Us the
boat passed the Palisades was some
thing absolutely unhcard of before by
human ears in this region. Crews of
other vessels were terrified. Many at
first sight fell on their knees, disappear
cl below decks or made for land. One
honest cOuntryman. after beholding the
u~naccUuntable object from the shore.
ran home and told his wife that he had
seen the devil on his way to Albany in
II sawmill."
When the Clermont reached Harvcr-
staw Bay, says III of the passengers, a
man in a skin lay waiting for it. He
appeared to be a miller, and the paddle.
wheels attracted his attention. He
asked permission To go abDad and
Fulton ordered Il line to be thrown To
him. The miller said he did not
know about a mill going up stream and
came to inquire about it," One of the
passengers. seeing through the simple
minded visitor. bnt without disabusing
him of his mistake, showed him all the
machinery and contrivances and the dc,
vice for throwing the wheels out of gear
when the mill was required to come
about. Presently the visitor said. That
will do. Now show me the m%illstoncs.'
oh" said the passenger that is u
secret which the master has never told
us yet; but when we come back from
Albany with u load of corn, then il
yon come aboard, you will sec the meal
NY"
At II o'clock on Tuesday the boat
arrived ut the place after which Fulton,
IN honor of his distinguished colleague
had named the steamboat. ClcrmOnt
dock, the landing place at Chancellor
Livingston's place. is one hundred and
ten miles from New York. and that
distance had been travcrscd against the
wind in just twenty -four hours. The
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