R. Fulton.
You see Fulton considered his boat as a son, as dear and as promising!
This second time the boat did not disappoint him. In the presence of the invited guests, it moved successfully forth from the dock and steamed its way along the river, receiving the applause and admiration of the group of friends assembled by Fulton and Livingston. A public trial followed about two weeks later and a newspaper of the day described it so fully that a translation is here printed:
On the 9th of August, 1803, a trial was made of a new invention and its complete and brilliant success should have important consequences upon the commerce and internal navigation of France. During the past two or three months there has been seen at the end of the quay Chaillot, a boat of curious appearance, equipped with two large wheels, mounted on an axle like a chariot, while behind these wheels was a kind of large stove with a pipe, as if there were some kind of a small fire engine intended to operate the wheels of the boat. Several weeks ago some evil-minded persons threw this structure down. The builder, having repaired this damage, received, the day before yesterday, a most flattering reward for his labour and talent.
At six o’clock in the evening, aided by only three persons, he put his boat in motion, with two other boats in tow behind it, and for an hour and a half he afforded the curious spectacle of a boat moved by wheels like a chariot, these wheels being provided with paddles or flat plates, and being moved by a fire engine.
In following it along the quay, the speed against the current of the Seine appeared to us about that of a rapid pedestrian, while in going down-stream it was more rapid; it was manœuvred with facility, turning to the right and left, came to anchor, started again, and passed by the swimming-school.
One of the boats took to the quay a number of savants … who will make a report which will give to this discovery all the praise which it deserves; for this mechanism applied to our rivers, the Seine, the Loire, and the Rhone, should result most advantageously to our internal navigation. The tows of barges which now require four months to come from Nantes to Paris, would arrive promptly in 10 to 15 days. The author of this brilliant invention is Monsieur Fulton, an American and a celebrated mechanician.
Napoleon’s watchful eye was upon Fulton for he wrote on July 21st to the Councillor of State in the Department of the Marine as follows:
“I have just read the project of Citizen Fulton which you have sent me much too late in that it may change the face of the world. However that may be, I desire you immediately to confide its examination to a commission of members chosen by you from among the different classes of the Institute. It is here that learned Europe would seek for judges to solve the question under consideration. As soon as the report is made it will be sent to you and you will forward it to me. Try and let the whole matter be determined within a week as I am impatient.”
We may be sure that Fulton welcomed the questions of these learned men, and sent them “an invitation to see the experiment of a boat ascending the stream by means of a steam engine,” as their records show. He had previously made an offer to Napoleon to convey his troops to England for an attack, saying: