Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-09-23
A FORGOTTEN GENIUS
James Rumsey the Man Who
Invented the Steamboat
Crude Model Of Inventors Efforts May
be Seen in National Museum, mt
washington-sevcrn Years
Ahead Of Fulton
tBy Frederick J. Haskin)

'by FREDERICK j. HaSkin)
Washington. d. c.. Sept. 18--In the Ma.
tional Museum here Is a small crude mod
ell 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 n model, and not
F'ulton's famous Clermont Is the true
parent of the vast fleet of steamers that
carry the commerce of the world
Every SOCIOLOGY in the country has
heard of Robert Fulton, but in memory
OF James Rumsey. who really invented
the steamboat. and whose invention was
Endorsed by George Washington, there
Is nothing save this crazy little model
and 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. Rumeey illustrates the fact
that, however great his ability a man
| is effective only In so far as he is in tune
with his time and environment.
OF his life little Is known. Ho was
born IN Cecil county. Maryland, IN 174s.
Then. somehow. he managed to slip out
of sight until after the Revolution. At
the close of the war. he settled in what
! was then Shepherdstown, Va He went
into business, but made failure. for the
record shows that like most men of genius
he was careless as to money. Business
did not moan much TO James Rumsey, for
his mind was filled with an idea A mill
wright by trade, he had studied the sub
! ject of mechanics In so far as it was known
in his day. and suddenly there flashed in
| to his mind picture-a boat that would
,.,.tt
to work. The task was hard without
money, without proper facilities for max
ing the various parts necessary to COM
plete the model he struggled on until
1887. For four years he tried to get the
people interested in his project. He show
ed A small model Of the boat to Wash
, ington in 11s5 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 um
bragg at his presumption in claiming TO
be the originator Of the principle of steam
navigation and wrote book called THE
|
name was Cruse. claimed that the in
ventor had nsulted him in his treatise.
According to Cruise, Rpmsey was moth
ing better than a presumptuous ignora-
mus.
| But the inventor had no time to reply
to such foolish attacks. For some rea-
son or other every attempt he made to
start his machine going ended in failure
Between 1883 and 1857, he tried four times
to prove his theory, only to have each at
tempt end in disaster. But he kept on
His first trials We're made at night. will,
only his brother-in-law and himself on
board. Rumors began to circulate about
this crazy notion as the people termed
it, and the inventor came in for his full
share of ridcule. In the book above re-
| ferred to, the writer asks him why it is
that if he actually has succeeded in per
fecting this marvel, he wthholds 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 a number Of
passengers. among whom was Genera
i1oratio Gates, the boat moved under It's
own steam, at a speed of somewhat ovel
three miles an hour
The event had been we'll advertised
and thousands of people crowded the higl
bluffs that overlook the Potomac "A
Shepherdstown TO watch the start. TIL,
engine was of the crudest; for a bole
u he had simply large copper kettle o
i the type that was used in those days II
: every household Tho rest of the engine
was equally crude, having been built 70
the most part in the local blacksmith shop
= But finally 1t warmed TO it's work. ant
g amid the GREATNESS silence of the crowd
Il the boat moved. my Cod" sfs moves!
n exclaimed General Oates. That was tn
y first successful attempt to propei a boa
= by any ether means than the prmitiv
wind ard muscle eystcm.
While WORKING on hts model, Rumse
!" had endeavored 20 obtain patent right
y on his idea from the various State Leg
islatuyes. FOR In those days .he Unite
States Patent Office had net yet been ere
q ated. But so far he had only succeede
10 IN getting protection IN Maryland az
- Virginia.
For Someone else had gotten there firs
= About the same time as Rumacy wa
working on his model In Shepherdstcwr
a shrewd unpr!ncipled charlatan by tn
name of john Fitch claimed .hat ne ha
7, conceived the idea o: n steamboat. \
n one ever cav F'itch's boat in action, bu
: he managed to get some grants from sey
d eral of the State Legislatures, and. be
II ing something OF n writer. to caricatur
,e Rumsey in a rather unfavorable ligh
l. Fitch went TO General Washington 70
" a letter of introduction TO the govorno
v of Virginia, nut Washington refused t
y give ii to him. stating that ne had see
~ Runlsey's model at least year befor
r. Fitch had even conceived the idea.
n, Early in 1888 Rumsey went to Phia
st delphia. He had already met DR.. Benja
he min Rush. one OF the siSners OF the Dec
,c laration of Independence, and had si;c
1t ceeded In convincing him of the eount
IN ness~of his idea. So on his arrival
T. Philadelphia. DIR. Rush introduced hii
le to the leading men of the city. A Run
&c sey society was formed, and Bentami
Ia Franklin was elected president. Fund
y were raised to send the inventor to Ems
" land and also to help him gain his right
lie in this country. One writer on this sui
In ject charged that Rumsey's failure I
s. obtain justice In America was due to tn
q influence which Fitch brought to bea
N against him. The first commissioner
n. patents was connection of Fitch an
e. the writer states that for this reason tn
rs government refused TO recognize tho va
In lidity of Rumseys claim Be that as
OF may, Rumsey decided to try his luck o
the other side.
The first thing he did on reaching Ems
- land, was to apply for patent rights o
IS his invention. Then he set about bult
n. Ing a boat. His second vessel was large
z, and better constructed than the origins