the paths of inland commerce-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ess　in　1785　opened：　〃The　subscriber　begs　leave　to　lay　at　the　feet　of　Congress；　an　attempt　he　has　made　to　facilitate　the　internal　Navigation　of　the　United　States；　adapted　especially　to　the　Waters　of　the　Mississippi。〃　At　another　time　with　prophetic　vision　he　wrote：　〃The　Grand　and　Principle　object　must　be　on　the　Atlantick；　which　would　soon　overspread　the　wild　forests　of　America　with　people；　and　make　us　the　most　oppulent　Empire　on　Earth。　Pardon　me；　generous　public；　for　suggesting　ideas　that　cannot　be　dijested　at　this　day。〃

Foremost　in　exhibiting　high　civic　and　patriotic　motives；　Fitch　was　also　foremost　in　appreciating　the　importance　of　the　steamboat　in　the　expansion　of　American　trade。　This　significance　was　also　clearly　perceived　by　his　brilliant　successor；　Robert　Fulton。　That　the　West　and　its　commerce　were　always　predominant　in　Fulton's　great　schemes　is　proved　by　words　which　he　addressed　in　1803　to　James　Monroe；　American　Ambassador　to　Great　Britain：　〃You　have　perhaps　heard　of　the　success　of　my　experiments　for　navigating　boats　by　steam　engines　and　you　will　feel　the　importance　of　establishing　such　boats　on　the　Mississippi　and　other　rivers　of　the　United　States　as　soon　as　possible。〃　Robert　Fulton　had　been　interested　in　steamboats　for　a　period　not　definitely　known；　possibly　since　his　sojourn　in　Philadelphia　in　the　days　of　Fitch's　early　efforts。　That　he　profited　by　the　other　inventor's　efforts　at　the　time；　however；　is　not　suggested　by　any　of　his　biographers。　He　subsequently　went　to　London　and　gave　himself　up　to　the　study　and　practice　of　engineering。　There　he　later　met　James　Rumsey；　who　came　to　England　in　1788；　and　by　him　no　doubt　was　informed；　if　he　was　not　already　aware；　of　the　experiments　and　models　of　Rumsey　and　Fitch。　He　obtained　the　loan　of　Fitch's　plans　and　drawings　and　made　his　own　trial　of　various　existing　devices；　such　as　oars；　paddles；　duck's　feet；　and　Fitch's　endless　chain　with　〃resisting…boards〃　attached。　Meanwhile　Fulton　was　also　devoting　his　attention　to　problems　of　canal　construction　and　to　the　development　of　submarine　boats　and　submarine　explosives。　He　was　engaged　in　these　researches　in　France　in　1801　when　the　new　American　minister；　Robert　R。　Livingston；　arrived；　and　the　two　men　soon　formed　a　friendship　destined　to　have　a　vital　and　enduring　influence　upon　the　development　of　steam　navigation　on　the　inland　waterways　of　America。

Livingston　already　had　no　little　experience　in　the　same　field　of　invention　as　Fulton。　In　1798　he　had　obtained；　for　a　period　of　twenty　years；　the　right　to　operate　steamboats　on　all　the　waters　of　the　State　of　New　York；　a　monopoly　which　had　just　lapsed　owing　to　the　death　of　Fitch。　In　the　same　year　Livingston　had　built　a　steamboat　which　had　made　three　miles　an　hour　on　the　Hudson。　He　had　experimented　with　most　of　the　models　then　in　existence　upright　paddles　at　the　side；　endless…chain　paddles；　and　stern　paddle　wheels。　Fulton　was　soon　inspired　to　resume　his　efforts　by　Livingston's　account　of　his　own　experiments　and　of　recent　advances　in　England；　where　a　steamboat　had　navigated　the　Thames　in　1801　and　a　year　later　the　famous　sternwheeler　Charlotte　Dundas　had　towed　boats　of　140　tons'　burden　on　the　Forth　and　Clyde　Canal　at　the　rate　of　five　miles　an　hour。　In　this　same　year　Fulton　and　Livingston　made　successful　experiments　on　the　Seine。

It　is　fortunate　that；　in　one　particular；　Livingston's　influence　did　not　prevail　with　Fulton；　for　the　American　Minister　was　distinctly　prejudiced　against　paddle　wheels。　Although　Livingston　had　previously　ridden　as　a　passenger　on　Morey's　sternwheeler　at　the　rate　of　five　miles　an　hour；　yet　he　had　turned　a　deaf　ear　when　his　partner　in　experimentation；　Nicholas　J。　Roosevelt；　had　insisted　strongly　on　〃throwing　wheels　over　the　sides。〃　At　the　beginning；　Fulton　himself　was　inclined　to　agree　with　Livingston　in　this　respect；　but；　probably　late　in　1803；　he　began　to　investigate　more　carefully　the　possibilities　of　the　paddle　wheel　as　used　twice　in　America　by　Morey　and　by　four　or　five　experimenters　in　Europe。　In　1804　an　eight…mile　trip　which　Fulton　made　on　the　Charlotte　Dundas　in　an　hour　and　twenty　minutes　established　his　faith　in　the　undeniable　superiority　of　two　fundamental　factors　of　early　navigationpaddle　wheels　and　British　engines。　Fulton's　splendid　fame　rests；　and　rightly　so；　on　his　perception　of　the　fact　that　no　mere　ingenuity　of　design　could　counterbalance　weakness；　uncertainty；　and　inefficiency　in　the　mechanism　which　was　intended　to　make　a　steamboat　run　and　keep　running。　As　early　as　November；　1803；　Fulton　had　written　to　Boulton　and　Watt　of　Birmingham　that　he　had　〃not　confidence　in　any　other　engines〃　than　theirs　and　that　he　was　seeking　a　means　of　getting　one　of　those　engines　to　America。　〃I　cannot　establish　the　boat　without　the　engine；〃　he　now　emphatically　wrote　to　James　Monroe；　then　Ambassador　to　the　Court　of　St。　James。　〃The　question　then　is　shall　we　or　shall　we　not　have　such　boats。〃

But　there　were　difficulties　in　the　way。　Though　England　forbade　the　exportation　of　engines；　Fulton　knew　that；　in　numerous　instances；　this　rule　had　not　been　enforced；　and　he　had　hopes　of　success。　〃The　British　Government；〃　Fulton　wrote　Monroe；　〃must　have　little　friendship　or　even　civility　toward　America；　if　they　refuse　such　a　request。〃　Before　the　steamboat　which　Fulton　and　Livingston　proposed　to　build　in　America　could　be　operated　there　was　another　obstacle　to　be　surmounted。　The　rights　of　steam　navigation　of　New　York　waters　which　Livingston　had　obtained　on　the　death　of　Fitch　in　1798　had　lapsed　because　of　his　failure　to　run　a　steamboat　at　the　rate　of　four　miles　an　hour；　which　was　one　provision　of　the　grant。　In　April；　1803；　the　grant　was　renewed　to　Livingston；　Roosevelt；　and　Fulton　jointly　for　another　period　of　twenty　years；　and　the　date　when　the　boat　was　to　make　the　required　four　miles　an　hour　was　extended　finally　to　1807。

Any　one　who　is　inclined　to　criticize　the　Livingston…　Roosevelt…Fulton　monopoly　which　now　came　into　existence　should　remember　that　the　previous　state　grants　formed　a　precedent　of　no　slight　moment。　The　whole　proceeding　was　in　perfect　accord　with　the　spirit　of　the　times；　for　it　was　an　era　of　speculation　and　monopoly　ushered　in　by　the　toll…road　and　turnpike　organizations；　when　probably　no　less　than　two　hundred　companies　were　formed。　It　was　young　America　showing　itself　in　an　unmistakable　manner　〃conceived　in　liberty〃　and　starting　on　the　long　road　to　learn　that　obedience　to　law　and　respect　for　public　rights　constitute　true　liberty。　Finally；　it　must　be　pointed　out　that　Fulton；　like　his　famous　predecessor；　Fitch；　was　impelled　by　motives　far　higher　than　the　love　of　personal　gain。　〃I　consider　them　＇steamboats＇　of　such　infinite　use　in　America；〃　he　wrote　Monroe；　〃that　I　should　feel　a　culpable　neglect　toward　my　country　if　I　relaxed　for　a　moment　in　pursuing　every　necessary　measure　for　carrying　it　into　effect。〃　And　later；　when　repeating　his　argument；　he　says：　〃I　plead　this　not　for　myself　alone　but　for　our　country。〃

It　is　now　evident　why　the　alliance　of　Fulton　with　Livingston　was　of　such　epoch…making　importance；　for；　although　it　may　have　in　some　brief　measure　delayed　Fulton's　adoption　of　paddle　wheels；　it　gave　him　an　entry　to　the　waters　of　New　York。　Livingston　and　Fulton　thus　supplemented　each　other；　Livingston　possessed　a　monopoly　and　Fulton　a　correct　estimate　of　the　value　of　paddle　wheels　and；　secondly；　of　Boulton　and　Watt　engines。　It　was　a　rare　combination　destined　to　crown　with　success　a　long　period　of　effort　and　discouragement　in　the　history　of　navigation。

After　considerable　delay　and　difficulty；　the　two　Americans　obtained　permission　to　export　the　necessary　engine　from　Great　Britain　and　shipped　it　to　New　York；　whither　Fulton　himself　proceeded　to　construct　his　steamboat。　The　hull　was　built　by　Charles　Brown；　a　New　York　shipbuilder；　and　the　Boulton　and　Watt　machinery；　set　in　masonry；　was　finally　installed。

The　voyage　to　Albany；　against　a　stiff　wind；　occupied　thirty…two　hours；　the　return　trip　was　made　in　thirty。　H。　Freeland；　one　of　the　spectators　who　stood　on　the　banks　of　the　Hudson　when　the　boat　made　its　maiden　voyage　in　1807；　gives　the　following　description：

〃Some　imagined　it　to　be　a　sea…monster　whilst　others　did　not　hesitate　to　express　their　belief　that　it　was　a　sign　of　the　approaching　judgment。　What　seemed　strange　in　the　vessel　was　the　substitution　of　lofty　and　straight　smoke…pipes；　rising　from　the　deck；　instead　of　the　gracefully　tapered　masts。。。and；　in　place　of　the　spars　and　rigging；　the　curious　play　of　the　walking…beam　and　pistons；　and　the　slow　turning　and　splashing　of　the　huge　and　naked　paddlewheels；　met　the　astonished　gaze。　The　dense　clouds　of　smoke；　as　they　rose；　wave　upon　wave；　added　still　more　to　the　wonderment　of　the　rustics。。。。　On　her　return　trip　the　curiosity　she　excited　was　scarcely　less　intense。。。fishermen　became　terrified；　and　rode　homewards；　and　they　saw　nothing　but　destruction　devastating　their　fishing　grounds；　whilst　the　wreaths　of　black　vapor　and　rushing　noise　of　the　paddle…wheels；　foaming　with　the　stirred…up　water；　produced　great　excitement。。。。〃

With　the　launching　of　the　Clermont　on　the　Hudson　a　new　era　in　American　history　began。　How　quick　with　life　it　was　many　of　the　preceding　pages　bear　testimony。　The　infatuation　of　the　public　for　building　toll　and　turnpike　roads　was