376 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 7 



(Mr. E. B. Hicks of Brunswick,) to visit the 

 northern rivers, vi'here it was understood these 

 boats on fhallow'and switt water were in success- 

 ful operation, to make such examinations, and 

 collect such information, as would better enable 

 them to move in this interesting enterprise. That 

 ofcntlemaii addressed a letter to some of the citi- 

 zens of Clarksville, sugijesting the importance of 

 appomfing some one Irom that place, to accompa- 

 ny and aid him in the laborious work assigned 

 him. The meeting which was called on that oc- 

 casion, resulted in the passage of a unanimous re- 

 solution that tiie appomtment be made, and that 

 appointment lell on myself We set out about the 

 middle of June last, and reached I he City of 

 Washington a short time before the adjournment 

 of Congress ; there sought and procured an ac- 

 quaintance with the members from the states of 

 Massachusetts and Connecticut, and from them, 

 obtained letters of introduction to all such persons, 

 on the line of our contemplated travel, as would 

 be likely to afford us any aid in the business with 

 which we were charged. Thus prepared, we left 

 Washington ; and in a few days we were on the 

 banks of the Connecticut River, which, we were 

 informed, ofiered Ihe best means of information 

 on this subject, and which we determined to make 

 the scene of our examinations and investigations. 

 My friend, Mr. Hicks, has done no more ihan 

 justice to the gentlemen whose names he has in- 

 troduced, in terms of compliment, in a report late- 

 ly addressed, by him, to the Superintendent of the 

 Koanoke Navigation Company on this subject. 

 They received us not only as fellow-citizens of the 

 same country and government, but with that 

 liberal spirit of patriotism, and extended useful- 

 ness, which seeks to shed upon others those high 

 advantages, and superior lights, which them- 

 selves possessed. And although every man 

 eeems to have his business and employment, yet 

 every thing was made subordinate to the duty of 

 aflfbrding us that attention which, as strangers, 

 and that aid which a? explorers, we so much need- 

 ed. In fact, we too little know, and too little ap- 

 preciate our Yankee brethren. 



Ou reaching Hartford, where the use of steam- 

 boats of light draught commences, we determin- 

 ed to remain a few days, and collect, from con- 

 versation with the intelligent men of the j)lace, all 

 the information and important facts we could. 

 Here we made the acquaintance of Alfred Smith, 

 Esq. President of the (Connecticut Navigation 

 Company, and who personally superintended and 

 aided in the surveys of that river, and all the works 

 upon it. Alfred Smith is a man of clear strong 

 head, of a reflecting and investigating cast of 

 mind, and well stored with that sort of informa- 

 tion, which such a mind is apt to acquire — with 

 feelings which at the same time they do not hurry 

 him into the incautious extravagance of the enthu- 

 siast, yet do not suffer him to linger far in rear of 

 the spirit of the age in which he lives. With a 

 character stainless and irreproachable, he deserv- 

 edly stands high in the confidence of his country- 

 men. From such a source, we could not fail to 

 learn much that was valuable, and entirely to be 

 relied upon. From him, we obtained all the in- 

 formation which could be had h-om mere conver- 

 sation, and much to aid and guide us in our subse- 

 quent examinations. From Hartl()rd to Spring- 

 field, a distance of 26 miles, the steamboat 



Massachusetts, of 35 horsepower, daily plies each 

 way ; descending in the morning from Springfield 

 to Hartliird, and "returning in the evening to the 

 former place. It was built by Thos. Blanchard, 

 about 4 years ago, at his own individual risk ; so 

 little sanguine were his fellow-citizens of his suc- 

 cess, that lew or none would join him. The two 

 great objects to be obtained, in order to secure 

 success, are the procurement of great power and 

 shallow draught ; for where the water is rapid and 

 calls for power in the beat to ascend it, it is usually 

 shoaly and must have a shallow float in order to 

 pass without hanging. In the building of craft 

 of every description, the hull is generally made o£ 

 stronfr,"heavy timbers, it being the fbundation up- 

 on Avhich all the superstructure rests, and by 

 which it is supported : and of necessity, if the ves- 

 sel be of much burden, must sink deep in the wa- 

 ter. But in the boat Massachusetts, a skill in 

 construction and design is displayed, which se- 

 cures a good burden, without fbrliiiting the light 

 draught. It is built upon the principle of a sus- 

 pended bridge, in which two stiong arches or cir- 

 cles of oak timber are thrown over, and the decks, 

 cabins, and hull, hang beautifully and successfully 

 upon it ; and thus all the under-works, being sup- 

 ported, and not supporting, can be made very light 

 and thin, and secures to the boat a very shallow 

 draught. This is a design, for which Mr. Blan- 

 chard has procured a patent ; and to show that no 

 strength in the boat is forfeited by this construc- 

 tion, it is only necessary to mention, that it has 

 been running over rocks, sands and rapids, for four 

 years, with great profit to the owners, without one 

 dollar being necessary fiir repairs. This boat is upon 

 the high j)ressure principle, 97i feet long. 13^ wide, 

 and draws 22"inches water with a freight of from 40 

 to 50 passengers, and their baggage. Its travel 

 being entirely by day light, there are no accom- 

 modations for lodging ; but two quite spacious ca- 

 bins, one for ladies, and one for gentlemen, and an 

 upper deck, where passengers either sit or pro- 

 menade at pleasure. The wheel is in the stern; 

 one having been tried with wheels on the sides, 

 and found not to answer, on account of the nar- 

 row passes between the rocks, which broke and 

 displaced the paddles. The cost of the above 

 boat, was i»5!7000, and the charge for crew per 

 month, was ^100; fuel would add something to the 

 expense, but nothing material. Its gross income 

 is from Jt^75 to ^100 per day, and of course it is 

 first rate property, as well as a great pubhc conve- 

 nience. 



Having thus given some description of the 

 plan and principle upon which the boat is con- 

 structed, it follows in order to give some account 

 of the water upon which it is used, to enable you 

 to fi:irm an opinion as to the possibility of applying 

 such boats to any practical purposes on the Roa- 

 noke, Dan, and Staunton. Steamboats which 

 have sufficient size to encounter, with ease and 

 safety, the swells and storms of Long Island 

 Sound, come without difficulty to Hartford. From 

 Hartford up, the navigation is much interrupted 

 by falls, shallows, and shifting bars of sand, which 

 entirely l()r!iid the ascent of boats of such burden 

 as are used below. The distance fnmi HarKiird 

 to the foot of Enfield Falls is 12 miles, and in all 

 this stretcli, the river is smooth and gentle in its 

 current, with not more than three inches fidl to the 

 mile. From the head of the same fall, to Spring- 



