HISTORY OF STEAM. 279 



STEAM BOATS. 



Numerous have been the claimants for the honor of being the first to 

 apply the staam engine for the purposes of navigation; America claims it 

 for Fitch and Fulton England for Bell, Miller, Hulls, James Taylor and 

 Symington France for Papin, and Spain for Blascoe de Gary ; but the 

 question of priority of invention rests between John Fitch and Syming- 

 ton ; the former is said to have taken out a patent in New York in 1788, 

 having previously explained his invention in print, 1786, while Symington 

 in 1788 made his first experiment in a double keeled vessel at Dalswin- 

 ton Hulls is said to have written a discription of a steam vessel in 1736'. 

 However, the honor of building a vessel, which was propelled by steam, 

 is due to Symington, who constructed the first steam boat in this country. 

 In 1789 a second was built by the same gentleman, on a larger scale, 

 which was tried on the Forth and Clyde canal. For want of pecuniary 

 means, Symington did not pursue his labors for more than 10 years. In 

 1800 he built one for the Forth and Clyde Canal Company; but this 

 was abandoned by them in 1803, because the action of the paddles injured 

 the banks of their Canal. The difficulties which Fulton had to contend 

 with in 1806 at New York are familiar to every one. His vessel, the 

 " Clermontf was nicknamed "the Fulton Folly." After a trifling stop- 

 page she glided along so beautifully on the bosom of the Hudson, that 

 those 



" Who came to laugh remained to praise.'' 



She was 133 feet long, 7 deep, and 18 feet broad the boiler was 

 20 feet long, 7 deep and 8 broad; the cylinder was 2 feet diameter, her 

 burden was 160 tons, and she performed the voyage, 150 miles, in 32 

 hours ; nearly at the rate of 5 miles an hour. The alarm which she created 

 to seamen and landsmen during her first voyage was ludicrous in the 

 extreme. To Fulton, therefore, we are indebted for that machine of 

 which the waters of half the world are now covered with its models, and 

 by means of which the journey between the old and new worlds is made 

 a pleasure trip of a few days. 



In England the annexed table will show the giant strides made since 

 1813, in thisspeedy and commodious description of transit. 



