Appletons' cyclopædia of American biography . n thedestruction of the ship. Jn 1800 Fulton had re-turned to the United States, and renewed hiperiments with torpedoes. His system was neveradopted, though in 1810 congress appropriated f5,-000 for testing the torpedoes and submarine explo-sions. About this period Fulton invented a ma-chine to cut the cables of ships at anchor, in1813 he took out a patent for Several improve-ments in Maritime Warfare, and Means for injur-ing and destroying Ships and Vessels of War byigniting Gunpowder under Water. A letter fromhim to Jefferson, describing his subm
Appletons' cyclopædia of American biography . n thedestruction of the ship. Jn 1800 Fulton had re-turned to the United States, and renewed hiperiments with torpedoes. His system was neveradopted, though in 1810 congress appropriated f5,-000 for testing the torpedoes and submarine explo-sions. About this period Fulton invented a ma-chine to cut the cables of ships at anchor, in1813 he took out a patent for Several improve-ments in Maritime Warfare, and Means for injur-ing and destroying Ships and Vessels of War byigniting Gunpowder under Water. A letter fromhim to Jefferson, describing his submarine gun-nery, was printed from his manuscript in Scrib-ners Monthly, vol. xxii, with the reproduction ofhis rough sketches. Fulton began to turn his at-tention to the subject of steam navigation as earlyas 1793, as is shown in a letter to Lord Stanhope,dated 30 Sept. of that year. In 1803, having thefinancial assistance of Chancellor Livingston,Fulton launched a steamboat on the Seine, which,owing to faulty construction of the frame, imme-. diately sank. Another boat was soon built, withthe old machinery, and a trial-trip was made, butno great speed was attained. Encouraged withthis partial success, Fulton shortly afterward or-dered an engine of Watt & Boulton, to be sent tothe United States. Early in the spring of 1807the boat that was to navigate the Hudson and es-tablish the system of steam navigation was com-pleted at a ship-yard on the East river. (See ac-companying illustration.) The engine was put inlater, and on 11 Aug., 1807, the Clermontsteamed up the Hudson to Albany, the voyage oc-cupying thirty-two hours. During the autumn of1807 the Clermont was run as a packet be-tween New York and Albany. The success ofFultons enterprise excited much jealousy andrivalry, and a number of persons disputed hisclaim to originality. Litigation and competitionthreatened to rob him of all profit from his in-vention. Fultons first patent for improvementsin navigation by steam was tak
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