Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-20
Forgotten American
Genius
ny Frederic j. uaskin

noticed hy s,ghtsccrs, few of whom stop
o. read the sign that tells what ii is. Yet
the boat of which this is n model, and not
hllton's famous Clermont, rs 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 memory OF
James Rumscy. who really invented the
steamboat, and whose invention WAS IN
dorsed 10y George Washington. there is
nothing save this crazy little model and
few scant notices IN books
The immediate reasons for Rumseys
failure to attract attention were many,
hut probably the fundamental reason was
only one he was ahead OF his times. The
people. engaged in the crudest takes OF
pioneering. were not yet ready for steam
boat Rumsey illustrates the fact that,
however great his ability, man Is f'cctive
only insofar as he is IN tune with his time
aud environment.
Of his life little is known He was
horn an Cecil county, Maryland, IN l7i3.
Then somehow. he managed to slip out of
msht until after the revolution. At the
close III the war, he settled in what was
then Shepherdstown, Virginia. He went
into business, but made n failure. for the
record shows that like most men OF genius
he was careless as 10 money. Business
did not mean much To James Rumsey,
tor his mind was filled with an idea
mllwrrht hy trade. he had studied the
subject of mechanics Insoiay "a II was
known in his day, and suddenly there
flashed into his mind a picture "A boat
that would 90, without sails or oars. 10
he started o. work. The task was hard:
without money. without proper facilities
fnr making the various parts necessary to
h., vif.A on n
1887 For four years he tired to get the
people Interested in has project lie show
ed n small model of tho boat 20 Washing
ton IN 1885 and won praise from the
Father of hIs Country But that did not
put money IN his pocket
While working on his model, Rumsey
had cndcavorcd 10 obtain patent nights
on his idea from the various state le gisa-
turcs, for m those DAYS the t.. >. Patent
Olhcc had not vet been created But 50
iar be- had only succeeded IN getting pro-
lection IN Maryland and Virginia.
For someone else had gotten there first.
About the same tune as Rumsc' was work
lng on his model m Shephcrdstown, a
shrewd unprinciple charlatan by the
name uf John Fitch claimed that he had
conceived the idea of a steamboat. No one
ever saw iltch's boat IN action, but he
managed 90 get some grants from several
uf the state legislatures, and being some
thing oi \ writer, 90 caricature Rumsey IN
rather unfavorablc light. Fitch went to
General Washington for letter Of intro
ductlon 20 the governor of Virginia, but
Washington refused Ito give II To him,
stating that he had seen Rumsey's model
~ least a ycar before Fitch had even CON
ccived the idea.
Early in l7SS Rumsev went 90 Philadel-
phia lie had already met DIR Bcnl amin
Rush. one of the signers Of the Declaration
Of Independence and had succeeded IN
convincing HIM of the soundnesS Of his idea.
10 on his arrival IN Philadelphia DIR. Rush
introduced him 90 the leading men Of the
c,ty. 4 Rumsey Society was formed. and
benjamin Franklin was elected prcsi-
dent. Funds were raised 10 send the in
vcntor to ngland and also 20 help him
gam has rights IN this country One writer
on tins subject charged that Rumseys s
failure o. obtain justice in America was
due to the influence which Fitch brought TO
hear against HIM. The first commissioner
of patents was connection of Fitch, and
the writer states that for this reason the
government refused 10 recognize the va
hdit of Rumsey'S claim. Re that as IT
NAV, Rumscy decided TO try hls luck
on the other side.
th1'hen he wrote a book. "a Treatise on
use Of Steam, To try to interest the
public IN has work. This book however, had
just the opposite effect, for II brought down
upon his head the hostile criticism of
~nme of the most learned savants of his
day. One man IN particular took umbrage
at his presumption IN claiming to be the
originator of the principle of steam navi-
CATION and wrote a book, called The
Protector Detected This person whose
name was Crlse, claimed that the in
ventor had insulted him in his Treatise.
According 20 Cruise, Rumsey was nothing
better than a presumptuOus lgnoramus.
But the inventor had no time to reply
81 such foolish attacks. For some reason
or other every attempt he made TO start
hls machine going ended IN failure. Be
tween 1873 and 1877, he tined four times
a. prove his theory only TO have each
attempt end IN disaster But he kept on.
llis FIRST trials were made az night, with
only his brother-in-law and himself on
hoard RumOrs began 70 circulate about
this crazy notion as the people termed
IL, and the inventor came In for his full
share OF ridlcule In the book above re-
fcrrcd 10, the writer asks him why II Is
that, If he actually has succeeded in per-
fectinc this marvel, he withholds it from
finally, on December 3, 1857, his dream
became reality. With . cargo of more than
two tons on board, and a number of pas
sengers, among whom was General Ho-
ratio Gates, the boat moved under it's own
steam, at a speed of somewhat over three
miles an hour
The event had been well advertised
aud thousands OF people crowded the
high bluffs that overlook the Potomac at
Shcpherdtown TO watch the start The
engine was Of the crudest; for a boiler. he
had simply a large copper kettle of the
type that was used IN those days in every
household. The rest Of the engine was
equally crude, having been built for the
most part IN the local blacksmith shop
But finally u warmed TO lts work, and
amid the breathless silence OF the crowd.
the boat moved MY God. she movesp'
exclaimed General Gates. That was the
FIRST successful attempt TO propel a boat by
any other means than the primitive wind
and muscle system.
The first thing he did on reaching |
England was 20 apply for patent rights /
an has invention. Then be set about 1
building a boat. His second vessel was /
larger and better constructed than the /
original model and many of its deficiencies I
were remcdied IN this second attempt. I
But he died before the work was COM |
pietcd.
For more than quarter Of a century |
admirers Of the inventor sought rec
.oDtttou az hrs claims h.fora Copgra.e