fastened there with bands, rivets and soft solder. The engine, which was constructed partly by the village blacksmith, but principally by Rumsey himself, was upon the Newcomer or "atmospheric" principle, its power being obtained by the weight of the air, pressing on the piston beneath which a vacuum had been created by the condensation of the steam. The mode of propulsion was by means of a pump, worked by steam, which, being placed toward the forward part of the boat, drew up at each alternate stroke of the engine a quantity of water, which, by the return or down stroke, was forced through 'a trunk at the bottom along the Kelson, and out at the stern under the rudder. The impetus of the water rushing through the trunk against the exterior water of the river, drove the boat forward; the reaction of the effluent water propelling her at a rate of speed commensurate with the power applied." The construction of the boat and machinery and all the operations preparatory to the trial, were carried on with as little publicity as possible. It is said that the trial was made at night, in October, 1783, on the Potomac. at Sir John's Run, near Bath, with only Rumsey and his two friends, Orrick and Barns, present; and although expectations were not met, the results were such as to give encouragement and assurance for the future. At that time there were no general Patent laws in existence, but each State regulated for itself the rights and franchises granted inventors. Rumsey accordingly sought to protect his rights, in the method of propelling boats by steam, by Petitions addressed to both the Legislature of Maryland, and the General Assembly of Virginia. These petitions recited the progress he had made, the expense incurred, and asked, in consideration of the public interest and benefit to be derived from such an enterprise, that there be granted to him certain exclusive rights and franchises for such a term of years as would compensate him for his labor and outlay. At the next session, the Maryland Legislature passed an act entitled as follows: "An Act to invest James Rumsey with an exclusive privilege and benefit of making and selling new invented boats on a model by him invented; for and during the space of ten years from the end of this session of the Assembly." Penalities were affixed for violating Rumsey's rights. Further, George Washington, to whom Rumsey had exhibited a working model of his boat during the season of 1784, at Bath, (where Washington had a cottage, as a visitor at the Springs) adds his testimony as follows: "I have seen the model of Rumsey's boats, constructed to work against the stream; examined the powers upon which it acts; been eye witness to an actual experiment in running water of some rapidity, and give it as my opinion (although I had little faith before) that he has discovered the act of working boats by mechanism and small manual assistance against rapid currents "That the discovery is of vast importance, may be of the greatest usefulness in our inland navigation, and if it succeeds (of which I have no doubt) the value of it is greatly enhanced by the simplicity of the works which, when seen and examined, may be executed by the most common mechanic. "Given under my hand at the town of Bath, County of Berkeley, in the State of Virginia, this 7th day of September, 1784." "GEORGE WASHINGTON." The following is an extract from a letter by Rumsey to Washington, dated March 10, 1785: "I have taken the greatest pains to perfect another kind of boat upon the principles I mentioned to you in Richmond in November last, and have the pleasure to inform you that I have brought it to great perfection. It is true it will cost something more than the other way, but when in use will be more manageable, and can be worked with as few hands. The power is immense and I have quite convinced myself that boats of passage may be made to go against the current of the Mississippi or Ohio Rivers, or in the Gulf Streams (from Leeland to the Windward Islands) from sixty to one hundred miles per day. I know *See "Henning's Statutes at Large," Vol. XI. p. 502. this will appear strange and improbable to many persons, yet I am very certain it may be performed; besides it is simple (when understood) and is also strictly philosophical. The principles of this boat I am very cautious not to explain, as it would be easily executed by an ingenious person." Washington, in his reply to the foregoing, a few days afterward, says: "It gives me much pleasure to find by your letter that you are not less sanguine in your boat project than when I saw you in Richmond, and that you have made such further discoveries as will render them more extensively useful than was first expected. You have my best wishes for the success of your plan." In a later letter Washington further says: * "Mr. McMeiken's explanation of the movements of Rumsey's boat is consonant to my ideas, and warranted by the principle upon which it acts. The small manual assistance, to which I alluded, was to be applied in still water and to the steerage. The counteraction being proportioned to the action it must ascend a swift current faster than a gentle stream, and with more ease than it can move through dead water. But in the first there may be, and no doubt is, a point beyond which it cannot go without involving difficulties which may be found insurmountable. Further than this I am not at liberty to explain myself; but if a model, or thing in miniature, is a just representation of a greater object in practice, there is no doubt of the utility of the invention. A view of this model, with the explanation, removed the principal doubt I ever had of the practicability of propelling against a stream by the aid of mechanical power; but as he wanted to avail himself of my introduction of it to the public attention. I chose previously to see the actual performance of the model in a descending stream before I passed my certificate, and having done so, all my doubts are satisfied." In May, 1785, Rumsey, being then wholly occupied with his duties as Secretary of the "Potomac Improvement *Letter to Hugh Williamson, a member of Congress, dated, "Mount Vernon 15 March 1786," published in Spark's Life of Washington." Vol. IX, pp. 104-5. Company," organized at the close of the Revolution to remove the rocks, open the channel and make the Potomac navigable from Georgetown to the Shenandoah river, at what is now known as Harper's Ferry, employed his brother-in-law, Joseph Barns, to build him a larger and more improved boat. It was built at the mouth of Sir John's Run, about fifty feet in length and of proportionate width, and was taken down the river in December, 1785, by Barns and Mr. McMeiken to the Shenandoah, where Rumsey, as stated, was then employed, so that its machinery (part of which was manufactured at Shepherdstown, Baltimore, Frederick, and at the Antietam works, in Maryland, near Shepherdstown) could be adjusted under the supervision of Rumsey himself. Shepherdstown was selected as the point for the trial trip in consequence of the beautiful sheet of water in front of the town and the fact that it was a town of some importance at that period; besides, in the vicinity a number of noted persons resided, many of them of historic fame and of high intelligence. Shepherdstown was the spot whereon the first settlers who entered the Valley had located. An additional reason why this town should have the honor of witnessing this grandest of events was that it was then the place of Rumsey's residence, he having moved his family from Bath to that town where, some time previously, he had married a Miss Morrow, a sister of the "three Morrows, as they were called, "men of some note in their day." The difficulty of getting and fitting parts of the machinery so delayed the work that it was January (1786) before the boat was in shape to be taken to Shepnerdstown for trial. By that time winter compelled further delay, during which Rumsey greatly improved the boiler, which had been made at Shepherdstown "out of pipes about the size of gun barrels; male and female screws were cut in the ends. All the pipes joined together and then the whole was bent around a saddler's collar-block, such as are used *One of the Morrow's was a member of Congress, another a Governor of Ohio, "he completing the trio of Shepherdtowners who became governor of Ohio-Morrow, Tiffin and Worthington-all born and bred in the quaint little village near the Packhorse Ford." by harness makers. The pipe thus formed was in shape somewhat approaching the worm of a still, though flattened at the sides. This was the rude steam generator, the best, possibly, attainable at that period under ordinary circumstances." The following is an extract from a letter* written by Washington to Rumsey, urging him to exhibit his boat publicly, and as soon as possible and the reason for his haste: "If you have no cause to change your opinion respecting your mechanical boat, and reasons unknown to me do not exist to delay the exhibition of it, I would advise you to give it to the public as soon as it can be prepared conveniently. The postponement creates distrust in the public mind; it gives time also for the imagination to work, and this is assisted by a little dropping from one, and something from another, to whom you have disclosed the secret. Should a mechanical genius, therefore, hit upon your plan or something similar to it, I need not add that it would place you in an awkward situation, and perhaps disconcert all your prospects concerning this useful discovery; for you are not, with your experience in life, now to learn that the shoulders of the public are too broad to feel the weight of the complaints of an individual, or to regard promises, if they find it convenient and have the shadow of plausibility on their side, to retract them. I will inform you further that many people in guessing at your plan, have come very near the mark; and that one, wanting a certificate from me, that it was differant from yours. I told him that as I was not at liberty to declare what your plan was, so I did not not think it proper to say that it was not. Whatever may be your determination after this hint, I have only to request that my sentiments on the subject may be ascribed to friendly motives and taken in good part." "In March 1786, the machinery of the boat which had been laid up for the winter in Mr. Hamilton's cellar was taken out and replaced in the boat for the purpose of a *Letter dated, "Mount Vernon, 31 January 1786," published in "Spark's Life of Washington,” Vol. XII, p. 279. |