the breadth. Did Mr. Fulton in this copy after Mr. Fitch? Did he, in order to obviate the objection raised by Mr. Fitch to the side-wheels, construct his boat so much larger in order to diminish "the waste of power?" If all these were -Mr. Fitch's suggestions, and they undoubtedly were, then, on this score, Mr. Fulton has nothing to which he can lay a just claim.

Fulton spent most of the intervening period between 1793 and 1804 in Paris and London, and was a regular correspondent of Earl Stanhope, somewhat noted for his experiments in the mechanic arts and navigation. Stanhope, in 1795, revived Genevois' scheme of propelling vessels by means of duck-footed paddles. "The engine which gave them motion was of great power, and acted on machinery that produced a horizontal stroke; but the attempt to exceed three miles an hour failed."* "Paddle-wheels were suggested to his lordship, to produce the required speed, but the hint was thrown away upon the noble projector." Mr. Fulton, being in England at the time, and the intimate associate of Stanhope, caught at the suggestion which "was thrown away upon the noble projector;" and familiarizing himself with the machinery employed in the experiment, he needed only to adopt the scheme, of whatever improvements it consisted over those of Genevois, Thomason, Symington, Newcomen, Miller, Fitch, or others, and call it his own! In fact, Dr. Thornton as early as 1810, only two years after Mr. Fulton's success on the Hudson, solemnly pronounced against this plagiarism, as being an original invention of Fulton's. "Side-wheels," he says, "could not be claimed [by him] as a new invention; for their use in navigation had long been known, and published to the world by Dr. John Harris, in his Lexicon Technicum, in 1710, just one hundred years ago," and ninety-eight before Mr. Fulton's success on the Hudson. "If," continues Dr. Thornton, "Mr. Fulton should claim the actual application of steam to wheels, at the sides of a boat, in opposition to the above declarations, I beg

*Stuart.

† Ibid.

leave to offer, as a caveat against any such claim, the fire ship of Edward Thomason, in the 10th volume of the Repertory of Arts, which was laid before the lords of the Admiralty in 1796. This contains side wheels, operated on by a steam engine, and was intended to possess the power of moving given distances in all directions, according to the intention of the director." Thomason himself says, "The first thing I had to contrive, was the mode of applying the oars. It struck me that the most simple method would be, by fixing them to one or more fly-wheels on each side of the vessel," which plan, after deliberation, he adopted. Miller, 1787, had also thought of side wheels; but it was Symington, whom Miller called to his aid, who subsequently carried his patron's invention beyond the point he had contemplated. In March, 1802, the steam tug he had built, with side wheels, having Lord Dundas and several others on board, (who avouch for the facts,) "took two loaded vessels, each of seventy tons burden, in tow with great case through the Forth and Clyde Canal, a distance of nineteen and a half miles, in six hours, with a head wind." His engine was constructed with a steam cylinder twenty-two inches in diameter, and with a stroke of four feet. Mr. Fitch's engine, (1787,) was twelve inches in diameter, with a stroke of three feet. Mr. Fulton's experiment resulted in his boat attaining a speed of five miles an hour in 1808; Mr. Fitch's boat attained a speed in 1787 of nine miles an hour. In fact, Symington does not hesitate to declare, that he was Fulton's instructor, and that the only claim to originality, was constructing a boat for the Hudson, on the plan of that navigating the Forth and Clyde Canal! What inference, therefore, are we to draw, or what shall be drawn from this passage in Dr. Thornton's Vindication: "Mr. Vail, our consul at L'Orient, prevailed upon John Fitch to come to France, where he was solicitous to have steamboats built. But Mr. Vail, finding all the workmen put in requisition, and that none could be obtained to build the boats, paid the expenses of Mr. Fitch, who returned to the United States. Mr. Vail afterward subjected to the examination of Mr. Fulton, when in France, the

papers and designs of the steamboat appearing to the company." We may now dismiss the subject altogether.

1732.-In this year, Mr. Wilcox commenced the manufacture of paper at Joy Mills. He supplied Benjamin Franklin with his printing paper while a publisher in Philadelphia.

1717.—In this year, Thomas Masters asks privilege of lieutenant Governor Keith, to record two patents in the province obtained from the king, one for cleansing, curing, and refining Indian corn, the other for working and weaving palmeta, chip, and straw hats, &c., which prayer was granted.

1782.-The following advertisement appears in the Pennsylvania Gazette.

'Philadelphia Manufactures, suitable for every season of the year, namely, Jeans, Fustians, Everlastings, Coatings, &c., to be sold by the subscriber at his dwelling house and manufactory in South Alley, between Market street and Arch street and between Fifth and Sixth streets, on Hudson's Square. "Samuel Wetherill." Mr. Wetherill was the first manufacturer of these kinds of goods in America.

APPENDIX II.

CHRONOLOGY OF IMPORTANT DATA AND INVENTIONS

STEAM POWER.

B. C. 280.-Hero, of Alexandria, formed a toy which exhibited some of the properties of steam.

A. D. 540.-Anthemeus, employed by Justinian, on being vanquished by the eloquence of Zeno, to avenge himself, caused the house which Zeno occupied to be violently shaken, by means of pipes constructed for the reception of steam or

vapour.

1543.-Blasco de Garay invented a steamboat, which was exhibited before Charles V., at Barcelona. He employed a cauldron of boiling water, with a moveable wheel on each side of the vessel.

1650.-A railroad was constructed at Newcastle on Tyne. 1655 (or 1663).—The Marquis of Worcester invents a steam engine.

1681.-Denis Papin invents a steam engine.

1698.-Captain Savary invents an engine for raising water. 1710.-Newcomen's steam and atmospheric engine invented. 1718.-Savery invents an engine for dragging rivers, and raising water.

1736.-Jonathan Hulls obtains a patent for the invention of a steamboat.

1757.-Daniel Bernouilli proposes the employment of steam

in navigation.

1759.-Genevois publishes his scheme, which James Rumsey introduces into America, 1783.

1760. Gautier, Canon of Nancy, adopts and improves on Bernouilli's plan.

1764. James Watts perfects a steam engine in England. 1772.-Oliver Evans invents a steam engine—the first in America.

1774.-Compte d'Auxiron projects a scheme for propelling vessels by steam.

1775.-Perier, his former assistant, improves on his plan. 1778.-Marquis de Jouffroy experiments with a steamboat on the Soane, at Lyons.

1778.-Same year, Thomas Paine proposes to Congress the application of steam to navigation.

1785.-John Fitch the first inventor of steamboats on a reduced plan.

1786.-James Rumsey invents a steamboat. 1787.-Patrick Miller invents a steamboat. 1789.-Wm. Symington invents a steamboat. 1795.-Earl Stanhope invents a steamboat.

1796.-Edward Thomason invents a fire ship, driven by a steam engine.

1797.—First steamer on the Hudson, built by Chancellor Livingston.

1801. First successful experiment on the Thames.

1802.-Trevethick introduces the high pressure engine. 1804.-Woolf's double cylinder expansion engine con

structed.

1806.-Manufactories warmed by steam.

1807.-Robert Fulton combines, with mathematical precision, all the steam inventions known.