Show frenchman first to use steam to propel boat A deposition signed by two nota nes ries of lyons france a letter from the american bobert robert rul 1 ton and numerous nume ious other papers up ap pear to prove prone conclusively that the inventor of the first steamboat was not the american artist inventor fulton but a french royalist the marquis claude dorothee de bouff roy dabbins who died years ago july 18 1832 hile robert fulton was still a young painter and only eighteen the second steamboat invented by bouff roy dabbins successfully mounted the current from lyons up the sa one river to the ile barbe amidst the acclamation of the people jouffroy called after his principal family name has an avenue in paris named for him but little credit seems to hae hane been given him for his invention until a french writer jacques took up his cause in a newspaper later jouffroy s engine builder pener perier collaborated with the young er fulton in installing watts en gines on steamboats one of the replicas of which probably was that which navigated the hudson river and gave robert fulton the cred t for being the first and foremost in of the steamboat fulton who mho spent much time in pans paris had a letter to the french patent off ce called les arts et getiers disclaiming his part as the first inventor of the steamboat |