“It does look so.”
Still the speakers gazed, and still the vessel continued to glide along. And shouts and applause burst from the thronging crowd around. The “thing” was succeeding indeed.
They were watching the trial trip of the first practically successful steamboat in America, the Clermont. Fulton had been successful, and together with his companion, Livingstone—after whose residence the vessel was named—had launched a satisfactory steamer in America, five years before the Comet appeared in Britain. Yet the Clermont’s engines were made in Britain by Boulton & Watt, and men from their works helped in mounting the machinery.
Colden, Fulton’s biographer, describing this trial trip, says:—
“The minds of the most incredulous were changed in a few minutes—before the boat had made the progress of a quarter of a mile the greatest unbeliever must have been converted. The man who, while he looked on the expensive machine, thanked his stars that he had more wisdom than to waste his money on such idle schemes, changed the expression of his features as the boat moved from the wharf and gained her speed; his complacent smile gradually stiffened into an expression of wonder; the jeers of the ignorant, who had neither sense nor feeling enough to repress their contemptuous ridicule and rude jokes, were silenced for the moment by a vulgar astonishment, which deprived them of the power of utterance, till the triumph of genius extorted from the incredulous multitude which crowded the shores shouts and acclamations of congratulations and applause.”
The scene of the vessel’s exploit was the famous river Hudson, and she came to make several trips between New York and Albany as a passenger boat. She performed the journey from Albany to New York in thirty-two hours, and back in thirty hours; her average speed being five miles an hour. Steamers now perform the passage in about eight hours.
The boat caused great astonishment at the time. Colden says she was described by some who saw her but indistinctly at night as “a monster moving on the water, defying the winds and tide, and breathing flames and smoke.” He states:—“She had the most terrific appearance from other vessels which were navigating the river when she was making her passage. The first steamboats, as others yet do, used dry pine-wood for fuel, which sends forth a column of ignited vapour, many feet above the flue, and whenever the fire is stirred a galaxy of sparks fly off, which, in the night, have an airy, brilliant, and beautiful appearance. This uncommon light first attracted the attention of the crews of other vessels. Notwithstanding the wind and tide were adverse to its approach, they saw, with astonishment, that it was rapidly coming towards them; and when it came so near that the noise of the machinery and the paddles was heard, the crews in some instances shrunk beneath their decks from the terrific sight; and others left their vessels to go on shore; while others, again, prostrated themselves and besought Providence to protect them from the approach of the horrible monster which was marching on the tides, and lighting its path by the fires which it vomited.”
Compare this with the stately passenger boats of the end of the century, gliding along four or five times as fast, but with little noise and less smoke, and beaming forth brilliant electric light from every saloon window.
The Clermont was 133 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 7 feet deep. The cylinder of her engine was 24 inches in diameter, and her piston had a stroke of four feet; her paddle wheels were at first too large, or at all events dipped too deeply in the water. When improved they appear to have been fifteen feet in diameter. Her engines were 18 horse-power, and the tonnage was but 160.