Show INVENTOR OF THE STEAMBOAT I I 1 in 1797 at the ago of 32 fulton went to paris and there that year in the company of joel barlow the immortal author of 1111 hasty asty pudding experimented on the seine with a submarine explosive to which ho he gave the name of torpedo then he ho built a submarine boat in which Napo elon took a pacing interest and ani which on july 3 1801 at brest had a fairly successful trial but much to his disappointment neither france franco nor england would buy this invention which now after a century is justified ty by the Import importance anco which the submarine boat has assumed in naval operations but dut meantime fulton had made the acquaintance of robert R alti grigston the american minister linister to france who in ln 1798 had unsuccessfully tried to operate a steamboat at NOW york learning of Ful tons cleverness as an rn inventor the diplomat proposed a partnership with the ultimate purpose of securing A the exclusive right to run steamers in new york waters A boat built by fulton and d tried at paris in 1803 was sufficiently promising as a model to warrant a more ambitious undertaking and in 1806 fulton returned to america to begin work on the clermont which took her namo name from front Livings tons country seat on the hudson the boat was ho feet long and sixteen and a half foot broad it Is a curious fact a commentary on french claims of priority in steam navigation that in franco the first steamboats were called the fulton boats boatz |