the age of invention-第9节

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　And　its　engines　were　built　in　America；　while　those　of　the　Clermont　had　been　imported　from　England。　Moreover；　in　June；　1808；　the　Phoenix　stood　to　sea；　and　made　the　first　ocean　voyage　in　the　history　of　steam　navigation。　Because　of　a　monopoly　of　the　Hudson；　which　the　New　York　Legislature　had　granted　to　Livingston　and　Fulton；　Stevens　was　compelled　to　send　his　ship　to　the　Delaware。　Hence　the　trip　out　into　the　waters　of　the　Atlantic；　a　journey　that　was　not　undertaken　without　trepidation。　But；　despite　the　fact　that　a　great　storm　arose；　the　Phoenix　made　the　trip　in　safety；　and　continued　for　many　years　thereafter　to　ply　the　Delaware　between　Philadelphia　and　Trenton。

Robert　Fulton；　like　many　and　many　another　great　inventor；　from　Leonardo　da　Vinci　down　to　the　present　time；　was　also　an　artist。　He　was　born　November　14；　1765；　at　Little　Britain；　Lancaster　County；　Pennsylvania；　of　that　stock　which　is　so　often　miscalled　〃Scotch…Irish。〃　He　was　only　a　child　when　his　father　died；　leaving　behind　him　a　son　who　seems　to　have　been　much　more　interested　in　his　own　ideas　than　in　his　schoolbooks。　Even　in　his　childhood　Robert　showed　his　mechanical　ability。　There　was　a　firm　of　noted　gunsmiths　in　Lancaster；　in　whose　shops　he　made　himself　at　home　and　became　expert　in　the　use　of　tools。　At　the　age　of　fourteen　he　applied　his　ingenuity　to　a　heavy　fishing　boat　and　equipped　it　with　paddle…wheels；　which　were　turned　by　a　crank；　thus　greatly　lightening　the　labor　of　moving　it。

At　the　age　of　seventeen　young　Fulton　moved　to　Philadelphia　and　set　up　as　a　portrait　painter。　Some　of　the　miniatures　which　he　painted　at　this　time　are　said　to　be　very　good。　He　worked　hard；　made　many　good　friends；　including　Benjamin　Franklin；　and　succeeded　financially。　He　determined　to　go　to　Europe　to　studyif　possible　under　his　fellow　Pennsylvanian；　Benjamin　West；　then　rising　into　fame　in　London。　The　West　and　the　Fulton　families　had　been　intimate；　and　Fulton　hoped　that　West　would　take　him　as　a　pupil。　First　buying　a　farm　for　his　mother　with　a　part　of　his　savings；　he　sailed　for　England　in　1786；　with　forty　guineas　in　his　pocket。　West　received　him　not　only　as　a　pupil　but　as　a　guest　in　his　house　and　introduced　him　to　many　of　his　friends。　Again　Fulton　succeeded；　and　in　1791　two　of　his　portraits　were　exhibited　at　the　Royal　Academy；　and　the　Royal　Society　of　British　Artists　hung　four　paintings　by　him。

Then　came　the　commission　which　changed　the　course　of　Fulton's　life。　His　work　had　attracted　the　notice　of　Viscount　Courtenay；　later　Earl　of　Devon；　and　he　was　invited　to　Devonshire　to　paint　that　nobleman's　portrait。　Here　he　met　Francis；　third　Duke　of　Bridgewater；　the　father　of　the　English　canal　system；　and　his　hardly　less　famous　engineer；　James　Brindley；　and　also　Earl　Stanhope；　a　restless；　inquiring　spirit。　Fulton　the　mechanic　presently　began　to　dominate　Fulton　the　artist。　He　studied　canals；　invented　a　means　of　sawing　marble　in　the　quarries；　improved　the　wheel　for　spinning　flax；　invented　a　machine　for　making　rope；　and　a　method　of　raising　canal　boats　by　inclined　planes　instead　of　locks。　What　money　he　made　from　these　inventions　we　do　not　know；　but　somewhat　later　（1796）　he　speaks　hopefully　of　an　improvement　in　tanning。　This　same　year　he　published　a　pamphlet　entitled　〃A　Treatise　on　the　Improvement　of　Canal　Navigation〃；　copies　of　which　were　sent　to　Napoleon　and　President　Washington。

Fulton　went　to　France　in　1797。　To　earn　money　he　painted　several　portraits　and　a　panorama　of　the　Burning　of　Moscow。　This　panorama；　covering　the　walls　of　a　circular　hall　built　especially　for　it；　became　very　popular；　and　Fulton　painted　another。　In　Paris　he　formed　a　warm　friendship　with　that　singular　American；　Joel　Barlow；　soldier；　poet；　speculator；　and　diplomatist；　and　his　wife；　and　for　seven　years　lived　in　their　house。

The　long　and　complicated　story　of　Fulton's　sudden　interest　in　torpedoes　and　submarine　boats；　his　dealings　with　the　Directory　and　Napoleon　and　with　the　British　Admiralty　does　not　belong　here。　His　experiments　and　his　negotiations　with　the　two　Governments　occupied　the　greater　part　of　his　time　for　the　years　between　1797　and　1806。　His　expressed　purpose　was　to　make　an　engine　of　war　so　terrible　that　war　would　automatically　be　abolished。　The　world；　however；　was　not　ready　for　diving　boats　and　torpedoes；　nor　yet　for　the　end　of　war；　and　his　efforts　had　no　tangible　results。*

*　The　submarine　was　the　invention　of　David　Bushnell；　a　Connecticut　Yankee；　whose　〃American　Turtle〃　blew　up　at　least　one　British　vessel　in　the　War　of　Independence　and　created　much　consternation　among　the　King's　ships　in　American　waters。


During　all　the　years　after　1793；　at　least；　and　perhaps　earlier；　the　idea　of　the　steamboat　had　seldom　been　out　of　his　mind；　but　lack　of　funds　and　the　greater　urgency；　as　he　thought；　of　the　submarine　prevented　him　from　working　seriously　upon　it。　In　1801；　however；　Robert　R。　Livingston　came　to　France　as　American　Minister。　Livingston　had　already　made　some　unsuccessful　experiments　with　the　steamboat　in　the　United　States；　and；　in　1798；　had　received　the　monopoly　of　steam　navigation　on　the　waters　of　New　York　for　twenty　years；　provided　that　he　produced　a　vessel　within　twelve　months　able　to　steam　four　miles　an　hour。　This　grant　had；　of　course；　been　forfeited；　but　might　be　renewed；　Livingston　thought。

Fulton　and　Livingston　met；　probably　at　Barlow's　house；　and；　in　1802；　drew　up　an　agreement　to　construct　a　steamboat　to　ply　between　New　York　and　Albany。　Livingston　agreed　to　advance　five　hundred　dollars　for　experimentation　in　Europe。　In　this　same　year　Fulton　built　a　model　and　tested　different　means　of　propulsion；　giving　〃the　preference　to　a　wheel　on　each　side　of　the　model。〃*　The　boat　was　built　on　the　Seine；　but　proved　too　frail　for　the　borrowed　engine。　A　second　boat　was　tried　in　August；　1803；　and　moved；　though　at　a　disappointingly　slow　rate　of　speed。

*　Fulton　to　Barlow；　quoted　in　Sutcliffe；　〃Robert　Fulton　and　the　Clermont〃；　p。　124。


Just　at　this　time　Fulton　wrote　ordering　an　engine　from　Boulton　and　Watt　to　be　transported　to　America。　The　order　was　at　first　refused；　as　it　was　then　the　shortsighted　policy　of　the　British　Government　to　maintain　a　monopoly　of　mechanical　contrivances。　Permission　to　export　was　given　the　next　year；　however；　and　the　engine　was　shipped　in　1805。　It　lay　for　some　time　in　the　New　York　Customs　House。　Meanwhile　Fulton　had　studied　the　Watt　engine　on　Symington's　steamboat；　the　Charlotte　Dundas；　on　the　Forth　and　Clyde　Canal；　and　Livingston　had　been　granted　a　renewal　of　his　monopoly　of　the　waters　of　New　York。

Fulton　arrived　at　New　York　in　1806　and　began　the　construction　of　the　Clermont；　so　named　after　Livingston's　estate　on　the　Hudson。　The　building　was　done　on　the　East　River。　The　boat　excited　the　jeers　of　passersby；　who　called　it　〃Fulton's　Folly。〃　On　Monday；　August　17；　1807；　the　memorable　first　voyage　was　begun。　Carrying　a　party　of　invited　guests；　the　Clermont　steamed　off　at　one　o'clock。　Past　the　towns　and　villages　along　the　Hudson；　the　boat　moved　steadily；　black　smoke　rolling　from　her　stack。　Pine　wood　was　the　fuel。　During　the　night；　the　sparks　pouring　from　her　funnel；　the　clanking　of　her　machinery；　and　the　splashing　of　the　paddles　frightened　the　animals　in　the　woods　and　the　occupants　of　the　scattered　houses　along　the　banks。　At　one　o'clock　Tuesday　the　boat　arrived　at　Clermont；　110　miles　from　New　York。　After　spending　the　night　at　Clermont；　the　voyage　was　resumed　on　Wednesday。　Albany；　forty　miles　away；　was　reached　in　eight　hours；　making　a　record　of　150　miles　in　thirty…two　hours。　Returning　to　New　York；　the　distance　was　covered　in　thirty　hours。　The　steamboat　was　a　success。

The　boat　was　then　laid　up　for　two　weeks　while　the　cabins　were　boarded　in；　a　roof　built　over　the　engine；　and　coverings　placed　over　the　paddle…wheels　to　catch　the　sprayall　under　Fulton's　eye。　Then　the　Clermont　began　regular　trips　to　Albany；　carrying　sometimes　a　hundred　passengers；　making　the　round　trip　every　four　days；　and　continued　until　floating　ice　marked　the　end　of　navigation　for　the　winter。

Why　had　Fulton　succeeded　where　others　had　failed？　There　was　nothing　new　in　his　boat。　Every　essential　feature　of　the　Clermont　had　been　anticipated　by　one　or　other　of　the　numerous　experimenters　before　him。　The　answer　seems　to　be　that　he　was　a　better　engineer　than　any　of　them。　He　had　calculated　proportions；　and　his　hull　and　his　engine　were　in　relation。　Then　too；　he　had　one　of　Watt's　engines；　undoubtedly　the　best　at　the　time；　and　the　unwavering　support　of　Robert　Livingston。

Fulton's　restless　mind　was　never　still；　but　he　did　not　turn　capriciously　from　one　idea　to　another。　Though　never　satisfied；　his　new　ideas　were　tested　scientifically　and　the　results　carefully　written　down。　Some　of　his　notebooks　read　almost　like　geometrical　demonstrations；　and　his　drawings　and　plans　were　beautifully　executed。　Before　his　death　in　1815　he　had　constructed　or　planned　sixteen　or　seventeen　boats；　including　boats　for　the　Hudson；　Potomac；　and　Mississippi　rivers；　for　the　Neva　in　Russia；　and　a　steam　vessel　of　war　for　the　United　States。　He　was　a　member　of　the　commission　on　the　Erie　Canal；　though　he　did　not　live　to　see　that　enterprise　begun。

The　mighty　influence　of　the　steamboat　in　the　development　of　inland　America　is　told　elsewhere　in　this　Series。*　The　steamboat　has　long　since　gro