Our first century: being a popular descriptive portraiture of the one hundred great and memorable events of perpetual interest in the history of our country, political, military, mechanical, social, scientific and commercial: embracing also delineations of all the great historic characters celebrated in the annals of the republic; men of heroism, statesmanship, genius, oratory, adventure and philanthropy . FXBST STK.\>I-ilOAr ON TUEHUDSON. GREAT AND MEMORABLE EVENTS. 213 canal projects, liad adopted and patentedthe system of inclined planes as a substi-tute for locks, and had written a trea
Our first century: being a popular descriptive portraiture of the one hundred great and memorable events of perpetual interest in the history of our country, political, military, mechanical, social, scientific and commercial: embracing also delineations of all the great historic characters celebrated in the annals of the republic; men of heroism, statesmanship, genius, oratory, adventure and philanthropy . FXBST STK.\>I-ilOAr ON TUEHUDSON. GREAT AND MEMORABLE EVENTS. 213 canal projects, liad adopted and patentedthe system of inclined planes as a substi-tute for locks, and had written a treatiseon canals. He also invented a mill forsawing marble, patented several methodsof spinning flax and making ropes, andconstructed a torpedo to be used in war,for the destruction of an enemys vessels. At what time Mr. Fultons mind wasfirst directed to steam navigation, is notdefinitely known; but even in 1793, hehad matured a plan in which he reposedgreat confidence. No one. previously toMr. Fulton, liad constructed a steam-boat. /^^^^^ i^^^a S^^tI^ in any other way, or with any other result,than as an unsuccessful experiment; andalthough many have disputed his right tothe honor of the discovery, none have doneso with any semblance of justice. Millersexperiments, which simply proved thepracticability of the principle of projjellingvessels by steam, were made in 1787, inScotland; but Fultons boat, which beganto navigate the Hudson in 1807, was cer-tainly the first practical demonstration ofthis application of steam, being five yearsprior to the success of Henry Bell on theClyde, and nearly ten years preceding thefirst attempts on the Thames river, under Bruneis direction. The incomjdeteness ofFitchs plan is matter of history, thoughhis inventive ingenuity was very great. Among those of Fultons own country-men who had previously made unsuccessfulattempts to render the force of steam sub-servient to practical and useful purposes,was Chancellor Livingston, of New early as 1
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookpublishersprin, bookyear1876
