. The great American book of biography . years. In1809 Fulton obtained his first patent from the United States, and in 1811 hetook out a second patent. His patents were limited to the simple means ofadapting paddle-wheels tothe axle of the crank of Watts engine. Meanwhile the power of the Legislature to grant the steamboat monopoly 450 ROBERT FULTON. was denied, and a company was formed at Albany to establish another line ofsteam passage boats on the Hudson, between that city and New York. Fultonand his partner asked an injunction, which was refused, whereupon the StateLegislature passed a spe
. The great American book of biography . years. In1809 Fulton obtained his first patent from the United States, and in 1811 hetook out a second patent. His patents were limited to the simple means ofadapting paddle-wheels tothe axle of the crank of Watts engine. Meanwhile the power of the Legislature to grant the steamboat monopoly 450 ROBERT FULTON. was denied, and a company was formed at Albany to establish another line ofsteam passage boats on the Hudson, between that city and New York. Fultonand his partner asked an injunction, which was refused, whereupon the StateLegislature passed a special act confirming their monopoly. Years of litigationfollowed, continuing until after Fultons death ; and, finally, the eloquence ofDaniel Webster prevailed against the monopoly, the Supreme Court of theUnited States deciding, in the famous steamboat case, that all navigablewaters are under the sole jurisdiction of the United States, and free alike to allcitizens. In January, 1815, Fulton was summoned to Trenton, New Jersey, as a wit-. MISSISSIPPI STEAMBOATS OF TO-DAY. ness in one of the numerous suits which grew out of the efforts to break downhis monopoly. During his examination he was very much exposed, as the hallof the Legislature was uncommonly cold. In returning home, he crossed theHudson in an open boat, and was detained on the river several hours. Thissevere exposure brought on an attack of sickness, which for a short time con-fined him to his bed. The steam frigate, then almost ready for her engines,occasioned him great anxiety at the time, and before he had fairly recoveredhis strength he went to the shipyard to give some directions to the workmenemployed on her, and thus exposed himself again to the inclemency of theweather. In a few days his indisposition prostrated him again, and, growingrapidly worse, he died on the 24th of February, 1815, at the age of fifty years.
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