Robert Fulton, a celebrated engineer, whose name is connected with
steamboat navigation, was born in the town of Little Britain, in the
state of Pennsylvania, in 1765. His genius disclosed itself at an
early period. He was attracted to the shops of mechanics; and at the
age of seven he painted landscapes and portraits in Philadelphia. Thus
he was enabled in part to purchase a small farm for his widowed
mother. At the age of twenty-one, he by the advice of his friends
repaired to London, to place himself under guidance of Mr. West, the
painter, and by him was kindly received, and admitted as an inmate of
his house for several years. Prosecuting his business as painter, he
spent two years in Devonshire, where he became acquainted with the
duke of Bridgewater and with lord Stanhope, well known for his
attachment to the mechanic arts. In 1793, he engaged in the project of
improving inland navigation, and in 1796, obtained patents for a
double inclined plane, and for machines for spinning flax and making
ropes. The subject of canals now chiefly occupied his attention, and
at this period, in 1796, his work on canals was published. In his
profession of civil engineer he was greatly benefitted by his skill in
drawing and painting. He went to Paris in 1797, and being received
into the family of Joel Barlow, he there spent seven years, studying
chemistry, physics and mathematics, and acquiring a knowledge of the
French, Italian, and German languages. In Dec. 1797, he made his first
experiment on sub-marine explosion in the Seine, but without success.
His plan for a sub-marine boat was afterwards perfected.--In 1801,
while he was residing with his friend, Mr. Barlow, he met in Paris
Chancellor Livingston, the American minister, who explained to him the
importance in America of navigating boats by steam. Mr. Fulton had
already conceived the project as early as 1793, as appears by his
letter to lord Stanhope. He now engaged anew in the affair, and at the
common expense of himself and Mr. Livingston built a boat on the
Seine, in 1803, and successfully navigated the river. The principles
of the steam engine he did not invent; he claimed only the application
of that machine to water wheel, for propelling vessels. In 1806 he
returned to America; he and Mr. Livingston built, in 1807, the first
boat, the Clermont, 130 feet in length, which navigated the Hudson at
the rate of five miles an hour. Nothing could exceed the surprise and
admiration of all who witnessed the experiment. The minds of the most
incredulous were, changed in a few minutes. Before the boat had made
the progress of a quarter of a mile, the greatest unbeliever must have
been converted. The man who, while he looked on the expensive machine,
thanked his stars that he had more wisdom than to waste his money on
such idle schemes, changed the expression of his features as the boat
moved from the wharf and gained her speed, and his complacent
expression gradually softened into one of wonder. The jeers of the
ignorant, who had neither sense nor feeling to suppress their
contemptuous ridicule and rude jokes, were silenced for a moment by a
vulgar astonishment, which deprived them of the power of utterance,
till the triumph of genius extorted from the incredulous multitude
which crowded the shores, shouts and acclamations of congratulation
and applause. In February, 1809, he took out his first patent. In 1811
and 1812, he built two steam ferry boats for crossing the Hudson; he
contrived also a very ingenious floating dock for the reception of
those boats. In 1813, he obtained a patent for a sub-marine battery.
Conceiving the plan of a steam man-of-war, the government, in March
1814, appropriated $320,000 for constructing it, and appointed him the
engineer. In about four months, she was launched with the name of
Fulton the First; but before this frigate was finished, Fulton had
paid the debt of nature.
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The population of Great Britain for the last ten years shows an
average annual increase of 230,000. The population of London has
increased 27 per cent. within fifteen years.
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Within the last 16 years, 612 steamboats have been built in
Pittsburg--besides 31 the present year.
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