Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-02-23

and almost universally made that he would
never reach his destination. 1t was to
them an impossibility Nevertheless he
reached his destination nearly on schedule
time, and returned, the accomplishment
of the Journey undertaken was complete
Another achievement for man had been
made. A river boat driven by steam power
had accomplished trip of one hundred and
fifty miles and return, a round journey OF
three hundred miles made upon the Hud-
son river successfully.
Another epoch in the annals Of the hui
man race had been established. The wheel
of progress had made another revolution.
It had been fourteen years since Fulton
began to give his attention to the subject
of navigating the rivers by vessels pro-
PEELED by steam Experiments both in
Europe and America had been made at
intervals for thirty years before Fulton had
made his trial experiment upon the Seine
in 1903, and no doubt Fulton had profited
by the many failures preceding his own
success. 1t had been nearly seventy years
since the earliest theories of steam navi-
CATION had been advanced and minor ex-
perments had been made when Fulton ac
complished his noted trip upon the Hudson.
A few people had at the time some faint
impression that the steamboat would in the
future be of service for travel and trans
portaton of freight upon the rivers and
inland waters. A small number thought it
possible to construct vessel propelled by
steam that could cross the Atlantic. The
multitude, however, failed to grasp the sig
nifcance of the successful operation Of a
boat propelled by steam. They knew of no
force capable of driving vessels except the
force of wind, and no application of any
power to their propulsion except the sheet
ed sails. That a passenger and freight
vessel could be made to push it's way
through the waters against tide and wind,
and glide serenely over the calm, smooth
surface where no winds prevailed, was to
them of little moment. 1t did not awaken
in this stiff-necked stubborn-minded people
any meaning of future growth. No posi-
bility of future improvement, of enlarge
ment, of adaptability, of increased capacity,
of greater power and speed crossed their
short GIFTED vision. It was to them the
whim Of visionary and impractical indi-
vidual 1t meant nothing but an accidental
happening Of the occasion.
A wonderful event had taken place in
their presence, but they did not comprehend
it, miracle had been performed, but
they having eyes to see did not see it.
Two great and wonderful events in the
history Of the world had taken place. One
of the successful operation, on a railroad
of locomotive engine in England, the
other the successful construction of water
going vessel and the application of steam
power to propel it against wind and tide,
and over calm and smooth waters of in
land streams and waterways in America
Strange to say, Notwithstanding that
the feasibility of railroads was now proven
most clearly, the English public failed to
appreciate the important fact, or to give
the subject any serious consideration; and
it was shown in this case, as we'll as in that
of steamboats,, that people may not open
their eyes to the fact Of great and mo-
mentous invention or discovery having been
made, and it's practicability and usefulness
established beyond a shadow of doubt,
until it's influence begins to affect their
daily life
One can hardly refrain from rejecting
upon the state Of feeling that must have
been Fulton's on that memorable trial trip
to Albany and return. There on a vessel
constructed from his own designs. a wide