Seven years after the promulgation of Dr. Allen's inventions, Jonathan Hulls published " a description and draught of a new-invented machine for carrying vessels or ships out of, or into, any harbour, port, or river, against wind or tide, or in a calm," London 1737. Hulls has usually been regarded, in consequence of this publication, and especially on account of the "draught" which accom panied it, as the first inventor of steam-boats; and a copy of that draught is figured in numerous books, and designated as "the first steam-boat." The figure certainly presents more of the appearance of a steam-boat than did the generality of projects of his time. There is no evidence, however, of its having ever been constructed ; and there were no other arrangements in his engine, or his pro pelling mechanism, (which consisted of the common float-wheel) than such as had previously been proposed, except the creek motion, of which he was the in ventor and patentee. The crank, however, alone is enough to immortalize his namo amongst mechanics, owing to its extreme simplicity, its utility, its convenience, and its extensive application in converting the rectilineal into a rotary motion. It appears that it was this invention of the crank that led Hulls to propose its application to the rectilineal motion of the engine, and thereby give a rotary motion to the paddles. But, as Mr. Elijah Galloway observes, the application of the crank to the single acting engine has always been found smatter of great difficulty, because, as the ascending stroke has to be effected by a counterbalance, an immense fly-wheel is necessary to produce any thing like regularity, and it would be almost impossible to use such a fly-wheel in a steam-boat. In conse quence of the want of proper machinery, Hulls' idea fell to the ground, and was so completely forgotten, that Mr. Watt actually took out a patent for the appli cation of the crank to the steam-engine. The perfection to which the revolving machinery was brought by Mr. Watt and others, opened the way to the ready application of steam for the purposes of navigation. As in many other dis coveries of importance, there have been numerous candidates in different coun tries for the honour of the first invention of steam navigation. From a brief historical sketch given by Mr. John Fitch, an American, of his progress, it ap pears that as early as 1775, the same thought had also occurred to a Mr. Henry, of Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, and that in 1778 Mr. Thomas Paine (the celebrated political writer) had mentioned a similar project to Andrew Ellicot, famous in that country, in his day, for his ingenuity. To Fitch, the project became, as it had been to some of his predecessors, a ruinous one. " I confess," says he, "that the first thought of a steam-boat has been very unfortunate to me. The perplexities and embarrassments through which it has caused me to wade, far ex ceed any thing that the common course of life ever presented to my view." Fitch had made a model of his contrivance, and shown it to General Washing ton, who then recollected that a Mr. Ramsey, of Virginia, had mentioned the same subject to him in conversation in the winter of 1784. But Fitch alleges that the model then exhibited by Ramsey to the General, was a boat to stem the current of rapid rivers, by means of wheels, cranks, and poles, a project which had many years before been tried on the Schuyllkill, and failed. The inventions subsequently claimed by Rumsey, according to Fitch's statement, were improvements at a later period, grafted on his first scheme, and after Ramsey had beard of his (Fitch's) experiments, and for which he had ample opportunities • for as early as 1783, Fitch, on the Delaware river, had succeeded in moving a boat by paddles, which derived their motion from a steam-engine, and after some public trials, he presented a model and description of his apparatus to a philosophical society in Philadelphia, and also to Congress in 1785. Both Fitch and Ramsey were supported by associations of wealthy per sons, who were to share in the profits of the respective schemes, and who ad vanced the money to make the experiments.
Ramsey's boat, about 50 feet long, with which he made some short voyages on the Potomac in 1787, was propelled by a vertical pump in the middle of the ves sel, by which the water was drawn in at the bow and expelled at the stern, through a horizontal trunk in her bottom. The reaction of the effluent water
carried her at the rate of three or four miles an hour, when loaded with three tons, in addition to the weight of her engine,—which was a third of a ton. The 'boiler held no more than five gallon* of water, and needed only a pint of water at a time ; and the whole machinery did not occupy a space greater than that required for four barrels of flour. The fuel consumed was not more than from four to six bushels of colts in twelve hours. Rumsers second project was to apply the power of a steam-engine to long poles, which were to reach the bot tom of the river, and by that means to push a boat against a rapid current.
During .these operations Fitch and his friend, fancying that a profitable har vest might be reaped from the same invention, if put in operation in England, sent drawings of their apparatus to Bolton and Watt, with instructions to pro cure an English patent for it This measure coining to the knowledge of Rummy's company, they forthwith begin to contend with Fitch, even on the distant ground which he had selected as the scene of his future operations ; and Dr. Benjamin Binh entered the lists as a volunteer paiNatn of Itumsey. In a letter to Dr. Lettsom, Dr. Rush states, "a certain r. Rummy, from Virginia, strongly recommended by General Washington, lately produced the plan of a machine in our city, for improving the steam-engine, by reducing the fuel they consumed to one-eighth cart of the usual quantity. This plan, it is suspected, has been copied, with a few trifling variations, by a person in this city, (equally known for plagiarism in philosophy, and a licentious opposition to the proposed con stitution of the United States,) and transmitted to Mr. Bolton, of London, with the view of obtaining a patent for it. The only design of this letter is to request you to suggest to Mr. Bolton, and to assure him that proper vouchers will be sent to him, which will irrefragibly rove that the sole honour of the in vention belongs to Mr. Ruinsey, and that, if any emolument arises from it, he alone is entitled to it." " Mr. Rumeey," continues the partisan Doctor, " pos sesses a very uncommon mechanical genius ; he has invented a boat which sails, by means of steam, four miles an hour against the stream; he expects to increase the velocityof his boat to ten miles an hour, by the applicationof the principles of his new steam-engine to the discovery—his modesty is equal to his talents for invention. In behalf of his friends, (who are among the worthiest citizens,) I write to.you in his favour. Your name and character are well known in our city; we look up to you to protect rising genius, to detect and defeat fraud, and to reward industry and integrity, in a country which• has exhibited so many shining examples of them all, in the promotion of science." To neutralize the effect of this letter, the friends of Fitch aho addressed a statement of their case to the acme great man. In the communication of Mr. Thornton, which is characterised by candour and kind temperate feeling, he says to Dr. Lettsom,—" I find the company of which Mr. Rummy is principal, has procured a letter of introduction to thee from our good and worthy friend, Dr. Rush. He pretends (Rummy, I mean,) to be the inventor of the steamboat; I have, however, enclosed thee a couple of pamphlets, proving that he got it from Mr. Fitch, of Philadelphia. These pamphlets were published before I had any thing to do in the affair ; and on becoming acquainted with it fully, I purchased four shares, or one-tenth of the discovery. The boat is to be tried tars evening. or to-morrow, and I will endeavour to give thee an account of it. Ours is moved with paddles placed at the stern, and worked by a small steam-engine." Fitch, however. according to Mr. Stuart, in his Anecdotes of Steam-engines, did nothing in England, and the boat built at the expense of his wealthy friends on the Hudson, served only to make some . unsatisfactory experiments. Rumsey's experiments, which were conducted on the Potomac, were equally unsatisfactory ; and they were both partially abandoned.