I arrived this afternoon at 4 o’clock on the steamboat from Albany. As the success of my experiment gives me great hope that such boats may be rendered of much importance to my country, to prevent erroneous opinions and to give some satisfaction to the friends of useful improvements, you will have the goodness to publish the following statement of facts:
I left New York on Monday at 1 o’clock and arrived at Clermont, the seat of Chancellor Livingston, at 1 o’clock on Tuesday, time 24 hours, distance 110 miles: On Wednesday I departed from the Chancellor’s at 9 in the morning and arrived at Albany at 5 in the afternoon, distance 40 miles, time 8 hours: the sum of this is 150 miles in 32 hours, equal near 5 miles an hour.
On Thursday at 9 o’clock in the morning I left Albany and arrived at the Chancellor’s at 6 in the evening: I started from thence at 7, and arrived at New York on Friday at 4 in the afternoon; time 30 hours, space run through, 150 miles, equal 5 miles an hour. Throughout the whole way my going and returning the wind was ahead; no advantage could be drawn from my sails—the whole has therefore been performed by the power of the steam engine.
I am, Sir,
Your Most Obedient,
Robert Fulton.
Friends were ready enough now to congratulate the inventor upon his success, but he had scant time to listen, for his first accomplishment made further work necessary. He plunged at once into hard work for the development of his plan which included steam navigation for the inland waters of America.
Fulton’s Inkstand
Reproduced through the courtesy of The Century Co.