A history of the growth of the steam-engine . Fig. 68.—Fitch and Voights Boiler, 1T87. Fig. 69.—Fitchs First Boat, 1T8T. claimed that this boiler was copied from his designs. Fitchbrought evidence to prove that Rumsey had not built sucha boiler until after his own. Fitchs first boat-engine had a steam-cylinder 12 inchesin diameter. A second engine was now built (1788) with a STEAM-NAVIGATION. 239 cylinder 18 inches in diameter, and a new boat. The firstvessel was 45 feet long and 12 feet wide ; the new boat was60 feet long and of bnt 8 feet breadth of beam. The firstboat (Fig. 69) had paddles
A history of the growth of the steam-engine . Fig. 68.—Fitch and Voights Boiler, 1T87. Fig. 69.—Fitchs First Boat, 1T8T. claimed that this boiler was copied from his designs. Fitchbrought evidence to prove that Rumsey had not built sucha boiler until after his own. Fitchs first boat-engine had a steam-cylinder 12 inchesin diameter. A second engine was now built (1788) with a STEAM-NAVIGATION. 239 cylinder 18 inches in diameter, and a new boat. The firstvessel was 45 feet long and 12 feet wide ; the new boat was60 feet long and of bnt 8 feet breadth of beam. The firstboat (Fig. 69) had paddles worked at the sides, with themotion given the Indian paddle in propelling a canoe ; in. Fig. to.—John Fitch, 1T88. the second boat (Fig. 70) they were similarly worked, butwere placed at the stern. There were three of these pad,dies. The boat was finally finished in Jnly, 1788, and madea trip to Burlington, 20 miles from Philadelphia. Whenjust reaching their destination, their boiler gave out, andthey made their return-trip to Philadelphia floating withthe tide. Subsequently, the boat made a number of excur-sions on the Delaware River, making three or four miles anhour. Another of Fitchs boats, in April, 1790^ made sevenmiles an hour. Fitch, writing of this boat, says that onthe 16th of April we got our work completed, and triedour boat again ; and, although the wind blew very fresh atthe east, we reigned lord high admirals of the Delaware, 240 THE MODERN STEAM-ENGINE. and no boat on the river could hold way with us. InJune of that year it was placed as a passenger-boat on aline from Philadelphia to Burlington, Bristol, Bordentown,and Trenton, occasionally leaving that
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidc, booksubjectsteamengines
