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Show Mistoricai Mighlights Lf CLna Scott Wation (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) Steamboat Inventor NE hundred and fifty years ago on August 26, 1791 the newly established Patent Office of the United Unit-ed States issued 13 patents. This, in itself, is not important except for the fact that it marked the beginning begin-ning of the controversy over "Who invented the steamboat?" which, after a century and a half, is still unsettled. For among the 13 patents issued on that day, six were awarded to James Rumsay (or Ramsey), one to John Fitch, two to Nathan Read and three to John Stevens Jr., and the names ol all these men were destined to be linked with the , invention of the steamboat. Of course, the school Robert Fulton book histories say that Robert Fulton was the inventor of the steamboat. But whether or not that is true depends upon the definition of "inventor." Partisans of Stevens, Rumsay and Fitch assert that all three have better claims to the honor of "inventing" the steamboat steam-boat than does Fulton. Read had begun experimenting with steam engines for propelling boats in 1788 and his contribution contri-bution to the development of the steamboat was the invention inven-tion of the multi-tubular boiler and the portable porta-ble high - pressure pres-sure engine both imnortant John Stevens Jr. but hardly a large enough contribution to entitle him to the honor of being called the "inventor" of the steamboat. Stevens began studying steam engines en-gines in 1789 but it was not until 1798 that he completed his first steamboat and operated it successfully success-fully on the Hudson river. It was Stevens who made the first application applica-tion of steam to the screw-propellor for driving a boat through the water wa-ter and his steamboat contained the first condensing double-acting engine ever made in America and a multitubular multi-tubular boiler on which he secured American patents in 1803. Among the patents granted to Rumsay was one for "propelling boats or vessels" and his claim to the title of "steamboat inventor" rests upon these facts: On September Septem-ber 7, 1784, George Washington saw and certified to Rumsay's model of a boat which could go upstream by machinery; in 1785 he obtained from the Pennsylvania assembly an exclusive exclu-sive right for 10 years to "navigate and build" such contrivances; in March, 1786, he exhibited on the Potomac Po-tomac river a boat propelled by steam; in 1787 both Virginia and Maryland granted him patents on it; later he obtained similar patents pat-ents in England, France and Holland Hol-land and in December, 1792, gave a successful exhibition of his steamboat steam-boat on the Thames river. Most vocal'of all the partisans are those of John Fitch and the evidence which they submit sub-mit to prove his right to the honor that has been given giv-en to Robert Fulton Ful-ton seems to be conclusive enough to establish his right to the title of "inventor of the steamboat." Arranged chronologically, chrono-logically, here are the steps which Jf Is m establish their John Fitch claims: 1785 In April, Fitch, then living in Bucks county. Pa., conceived the idea of a steamboat and in November Novem-ber he presented a drawing of the boat, models and tube boiler to the American Philosophical society. 1787 On August 22 his boat, equipped with a 12-inch cylinder was demonstrated at Philadelphia and members of the Constitutional convention, con-vention, then in session, witnessed the successful demonstration. 1790 Newspaper advertisements prove that Fitch was operating a steamboat successfully and carrying passengers across the Delaware. 1791 Congress voted to grant Fitch a patent on his steamboat. It was signed by President George Washington and is the only one granted grant-ed on August 26, 1791, in which the wording "Propelling boats &c by steam &c" is used and there is no record of a similar patent issued on any earlier date than that. Fitch was unable to interest enough people in his invention to capitalize on it and he died in poverty pov-erty in Bardstown, Ky., July 2, 1798. In his last years he wrote: "The day will come when some more powerful pow-erful man will get fame and riches from my invention; but nobody will believe that poor John Fitch can do anything worthy of attention." The man who did get "fame and riches" was Robert Fulton, for he had access ac-cess to Fitch's drawings and specifications specifi-cations and from them constructed his "Clermont" in 1807. |
