Evening star., 1934-09-23


ington was one of the first
cities in the country to have a steamboat.
Indeed If we go back to the beginning OF
things, We will find James Rumsey, In l7S6,
driving his steamboat against the current Of
the Potomac at the rate Of five miles an hour,
which 81 years before Robert Fulton
launched the Clermont on the Hudson River,
and Rumsey was favored with the presence OF
George Washington. OF course, the place Of
Rumsey's successful demonstration was ut
Shepherdstown, Va, some distance from
Washington; but on the Potomac, nevertheless.
Some are bold enough to say that Robert
Fulton tried out his steamboat. or model Of 1t.
on Rock Creek but this Is rather doubtful.
However, there is some evidence that he did.
Back in 1871 Jacob Colclazer, at meeting
Of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants, gave
an account Of the building of a steamboat
on Rock Greek by Robert Fulton, In 1905.
with experiments on that stream.
Fulton went abroad in 1887, and did not
return until late in 1906. In 1905 Joel Barlow
was occupying rooms at Mrs. Doynes, on the
south side of Pennsylvania between Sixth and
Seventh streets northwest, for which he was
paying $40 a week for himself, wife and two
servants, and did not buy Kalorama from
William Augustine Washington until early IN
1907 Fulton Barlow's friend and stopped
at Kalorama after Barlow had purchased It.
Hence, any experimenting the inventor may
have done, at this point on Rock Creek, must
have taken place between the time it was first
occupied by Barlow and the time of the Cler-
mont's memorable voyage from New York to
Albany, in August, 1907. Indeed, Fultons
first visit to Washington was made just prior
to January 2. 1907, for his arrival in this city
is mentioned on that date in the National
Intelligencer
Jacob Colclazer who made the statement
referred TO- might have been mistaken IN
giving the date 1906 and he also might
have got Fllton's submarine torpedo demon
strations mixed with his steamboat expert
ments. However, he seems to have been .
very reliable man, and shortly after his death,
q resolution was spread upon the minutes Of
the Association of Oldest Inhabitants, which
reads:
Resolved, That We heartily lament the
death of our brother member Jacob Colclazer,
which occurred April 26 1872. He was one
Of the oldest inhabitants Of the District Of
Columbia being So years Of age, q soldier in
the War of 1872, good and useful citizen,
regular in his attendance upon our meetings,
and took q lively interest in all that con-
cefned the welfare and claimed the attention
of our association.
DASSING over the question as to whether
] Fulton did or did not try out his original
steamboat Rock Greek, we do know that It
was one of his early steamboats, that was the
first to ply the Potomac at the Federal
Capital, unless we include the Columbian,
clumsy, fat-bottomed steamboat, said to have
been used for carrying grain and wood on the
Potomac as early 1913, and that it was
given the appropriate name Washington;
this was in 1915. But it took some time to
build the boat, and the first item the writer
picked up in the press regarding the prelind-
nary steps providing for the vessel, was dated
December IA, 1872 and stated:
Steam Boat.
"A meeting of the subscribers to the stock
Tor establishing a steamboat to run between
the City of Washington and Potomac Greek,
near Fredericksburg, will be held at Triplet's
Navern in Alexandria at II o'clock on Satur-
day the I'd day of January, 1918, at which
the subscribers requested to attend either
in person by proxy.
'The subscription proposed to be made for
the establishment of a steam boat, to run
between Georgetown, the City Of washington
and Alexandria, under the patent Of Messrs.