EVOLUTION OF SCREW PROPULSION IN THE UNITED STATES. 53 



companies still continued to use the side-wheel tow-boat to tow their large 

 fleet of canal boats. Previous to 1847 all towing was done by the paddle- 

 wheel boat, mostly by old ferry-boats ; these were to be found everywhere in 

 the United States and Cuba. 



THJe; first SCRieW tug, the SAMPSON. 



The New Jersey was engaged in towing on the Delaware, and was being 

 repaired at Reaney & Neafie's. 



Mr. Michael Malloy, who was engaged in towing vessels to a point 

 below the Horse Shoe on the Delaware with old ferry-boats, after witnessing 

 the work done by the New Jersey, and with our recommendation, con- 

 cluded to build one to do their work. We built the Sampson for him, of 

 wood, and Reaney & Neafie built the engines. She proved a success and Mr. 

 Malloy parted with his old ferry-boats, and all others in Philadelphia who 

 followed towing did the same. The Sampson was the first screw tug-boat 

 built in this country, and in connection with Reaney, Neafie & Co. we built 

 a large number for all parts of the United States. 



After building the Aspinwall we built the iron hulls of several unim- 

 portant vessels, when we joined Neafie & Levy in the construction of a good- 

 sized ocean screw steamship, for sale. Neafie & Levy had full control of the 

 machinery and we had full control of the hull complete, the price of both 

 having been fixed at the start. Mr. Thomas Clyde joined in the scheme 

 and secured her when finished at the prices fixed; her name was the 

 Clyde. 



After that we concluded to add engine building to our plant, and we 

 secured the services of Mr. J. Shields Wilson, referred to in Part I, as the 

 engineering head. The time was very favorable, as the great question of 

 the use and utihty of compound engines had begun to agitate the engineer- 

 ing world. This question was new and one that had been taken up by 

 John Elder, who successfully introduced it in several new lines of steamers 

 in England, and by MacFarland Gray, Engineering Member of the Board 

 of Trade in London, who handled the subject with much skill in "Engineer- 

 ing," a periodical that favored it. 



Mr. Wilson, who at that time was the ablest marine engineer in the 

 United States, had interested himself at the very beginning of the agita- 

 tion, had followed it up- and had become so much convinced of its merit 

 that we prevailed on Mr. Thomas Clyde to make a beginning, and he con- 

 tracted with us to build the George W. Clyde, the first ship built in this 

 country with fore-and-aft compound engines. 



