Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-11-04
More About James Rumsey.

uSiSSuhS aTUSie oy frederick j.
Haskin and published in a recent issue
of the Miami Herald. Captain Lati-
mer, who is a native Shepherdstowner,
enjoyed reading the sketch, and SO will
our readers.
In the National Museum in Wash
ington is small crude model Of a
steamboat, which is little noticed by
sightseers, few Of whom stop to read
the sign that tells what il is. Yet the
boat OF which this is model, and not
Fulton's famous Clermont, is the true
parent OF the vast feet of steamers
that carry the commerce Of the world.
Every schoolboy in the country has
heard Of Robert Fulton, but in men,
DRY of James Rumsey, who really in
vented the steamboat, and whose in
vention was endorsed by George Wash
inCton, there is nothing save this
crazy little model and a few scant
notices in books.
The immediate reasons for Rumsey's
failure to attract attention were many,
but probably the fundamental reason
was only one. He was ahead Of his
times. The people, engaged in the
crudest tasks of pioneering. were not
yet ready for a steamboat. Rumsey
illustrates the fact that, however great
his ability, man is effective only in
Sofar as he is in tune with his time
and environment.
OF his life little is known. He was
born in Cecil county, Maryland, in
l74S. Then, somehow, he managed to
slip out of sight until after the Rcvou-
ton. AT the close of the war, he
settled in what was then Shepherds
town, Virginia. He went into bust
ness, but made failure, for the record
shows that like most men of genius he
was careless as to money. Business
did not mean much IN James RumScy,
for his mind was filled with an idea
A millwright by trade, he had studied
the subject of mechanics insofar as il
was known in his day, and suddenly
there flashed into his mind picture
- boat that would 20, without sails
or oars. So he started to work The
task was hard; without money, with
out proper facilities for making the
various parts necessary to complete
| the model, he struggled on until 1887
For four years he tried TO get the peo-
pie interested in his project. He
showed a small model of the boat to
Washington in 1855 and won praise
from the Father of His Country But
that did not put money in his pocket.
Then he wrote a book, "A Treatise
on the Use of Steam" to try to interest
the public in his work. This book,
however, had just the opposite effect,
for it brought down upon his head the
hostile criticism of some of the most
learned savants Of his day. One man
in particular took umbragc at his pre-
sumption in claiming to be the origin
ator Of the principle Of steam naviga-
ton and wrote book called "The Pro-
jector Detected" This person, whose
name was Cruise, claimed that the in
ventor had insulted him in his
Treatise" According to Cruise, Rum
sey was nothing better than presump-
tuous igoramus.
But the inventor had no time to re-
ply to such foolish attacks. For some
reason or other every attempt he made
to start his machine going ended in
failure. Between 1888 and 1887, he
tried four times to prove his theory
only to have each attempt end in dis
aster. But he kept on. His first trials
were made at night, with only his
brother-in-law and himself on board.
Rumors began to circulate about this
"crazy notion" as the people termed
| il, and the inventor came in for his
above referred M, the writer asks him
why it is that, il he actually has sue
ceeded in perfecting this marvel, he
withholds it from the world. But
Rumsey was working; and finally, on
December 3, 1887, his dream became a
reality. With cargo Of more than
two tons on board, and number OF
passengers, among whom was General
Horatio Gates, the boat moved under
its own steam, at speed of somewhat
over three miles an hour.
The event had been we'll advertised,
and thousands of people crowded the
high bluffs that overlook the Potomac
at Shepherdstown 10 watch the start.
The engine was of the crudest; for a
boiler he had simply large copper
kettle Of the type that was used in those
days in eyerv household The rest of