432 Biographical RemarTcs of William C. Redjield. 



abandoned. But tlie idea was not without profit, for it suggested 

 to bim the system of tow boats for conveying freight, which was 

 established in the spring of 1826, and still continues under its 

 original organization. The fleets of barges and canal boats, 

 sometimes numbering forty or fifty, which make so conspicuous a 

 figure on the Hudson river, were thus set in movement by Mr. 

 Redfield, and for thirty years the superintendence of the line first 

 established, constituted the appropriate business of our friend. In 

 its management he employed unwearied industry, superior mecha- 

 nical genius for contriving expedients, and. a knowledge of both 

 the science and art of steam navigation possessed by few men of 

 business. Seldom have we seen the inductive philosopher so 

 happily united with the practical engineer, eich character bor- 

 rowing aid from the other. I know not that any other man con- 

 nected with the management of a steam navigation concern as 

 his profession ever carried into his business more of the spirit of 

 true science, and it is chiefly on this account that I have thought 

 it fitting to attend our associate into the familiar walks of busi- 

 ness, for the purpose of seeing how compatible, and how produc- 

 tive of useful results is the happy union, in the same person, 

 of the philosopher and the man of business. No one else 

 could have so thoroughly connected the statistics of the pro- 

 fesssion in this country, embracing all the facts relating to 

 the explosion of steamboat boilers, as they successively occur- 

 red — the number of lives lost — the number of deaths by 

 steam compared with those by lightning — and the number com- 

 pared witb those lost by other modes of travel. Moreover, while 

 Mr. Eedfield was diligently pursuing his daily biisiness and con- 

 ducting with success the affairs of the " Steam Navigation Com- 

 pany," he was also collecting facts for the improvement of the art 

 itself, or for securing the safety of passengers. He devised sim- 

 pler, cheaper, and safer forms of apparatus than those in general 

 use. He investigated the influence of legal enactments for regu- 

 lating steam navigation, and pointed out to legislatures and govern- 

 ments the inefficacy or inexpediency of such enactments, and sug- 

 gested the true measures to be taken to promote the convenience 

 and secure the safety of the public. He addressed a series of letters 

 through the public prints to one of our prominent tfaval comman- 

 ders, setting forth the atiaptedness of steam as an agent of national 

 defense. He resjjonded to the call of the Secretary of tbe United 

 States Treasury to point out the causes of steamboat explosions 



