CHAPTER 4-2

The “Clermont”

It is said that Fulton and Livingston first met Captain Brink during a voyage up the Hudson upon the North River sloop Maria, of which he was then in command. In the little cabin of this boat they discussed their plans for the Clermont and at the time promised to install this interested captain in their own new boat when the long-planned invention should be accomplished.

The exact number of men employed on the Clermont is not actually known. In Fulton’s account-book, under date of September 20, 1807, we find a partial payroll:

To Captain Brink	80 Dollars
George, the Steward	10 “
Paid Griffin, the Black Steward	12 “
Paid Richard Wilson, the Black Cook	10 “

The chief engineer on the first voyage was a Scotchman whose name is unknown. On the arrival of the boat in Albany it is said that he celebrated the event by a rousing “spree,” so paralyzing his activities that Mr. Fulton was obliged to discharge him and to promote a Mr. Dyke, assistant engineer, to the chief position. This Mr. Dyke, Charles by name, continued in Fulton’s employ for many years, and when the Fulton Ferry to Brooklyn was established, Dyke was appointed by Fulton engineer of the first boat.

FROM NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, VOL. III.

“I vividly remember the starting of [the second ferry boat] and a painful incident therewith connected.—The boat had made one or two trips—and was lying at the wharf at the foot of Beckman slip. Some derangement had taken place in the machinery, which the chief engineer was engaged in rectifying. When the machinery was set In motion it came in contact with the engineer, and mangled him in a manner that produced his death the next day. He was removed to the house adjacent to that of the writer, and well does he recall the conversation between Mr. Fulton and the attending surgeon in reference to the unfortunate man.—Mr. Fulton, much affected, remarked— “‘Sir, I will give all I am worth to save the life of that man.’

“When told that his recovery was hopeless, he was perfectly unmanned and wept like a child. It is here introduced as showing that while his own misfortunes never for a single moment disturbed his equanimity, the finer feelings of his nature were sensitively alive to the distresses of others.”

(Signed) N. B. B.

The relations, commercial and other, of all bonds between these cities are many and frequent. At this time decked sailing vessels arrived and departed every day with twenty-five or thirty passengers. The passage generally took 86 or 48 hours, according as the wind or tide were more or less favorable.

We had been three days at Albany when the arrival from New York of a vessel propelled by steam was announced. This boat, which was decked, was about 25 metres (82 feet) long (An evident error; the length of the vessel was 150 feet.) and was commanded by the inventor, Mr. Robert Fulton. Many of the inhabitants of the city and strangers who were there at the time went to visit it. Every one made his remarks upon the advantages consequent upon the new means of navigation, but also upon the serious accidents which might result from the explosion of the boiler. The vessel was lying alongside the wharf: a placard announced its return to New York for the next day but one, the 20th of August, and that it would take passengers at the same price as the sailing vessels—three dollars.

So great was the fear of the explosion of the boiler that no one, except my companion and myself, dared to take passage in it for New York. We quitted Albany on the 20th of August in the presence of a great number of spectators. Chancellor Livingston, whom we supposed to be one of the promoters of this new way of navigating rivers, was the only stranger with us: he quitted the boat in the afternoon to go to his country residence which was upon the left bank of the river. From every point on the river whence the boat, announced by the smoke of its chimney, could be seen, we saw the inhabitants collect; they waved their handkerchiefs and hurrahod for Fulton, whose passage they had probably noticed as he ascended the river.

We arrived the next day between one and two o’clock at New York. We separated from Mr. Fulton after paying him the price of our passage. The day after our departure from Albany, and a few minutes after Chancellor Livingston had quitted us, Mr. Fulton expressed his surprise that notwithstanding the number of persons who were going to New York, only two Frenchmen had the courage to embark with him. In the course of the conversation I informed him that M. Chaptal, then Minister of the Interior, had instructed me to examine the forests of America. . . . It appears that, at this time, Mr. Fulton did not suspect that steam navigation might one day be applied to the sea.

List of passengers on board the North River Steamboat from Albany to New York, August 21, 1807:

Captain Thomas Hunt	7 Dollars
Monsieur Parmentoo Monsieur Mishaud	13 "
Mr. D. E. Tyle	6 "
Captain Davies	1 " ______
	27
Mr. Fulton

Letter from Fulton to Joel Barlow

My steamboat voyage to Albany and back has turned out rather more favorably than I had calculated. The distance from New York to Albany is one hundred and fifty miles. I ran it up in thirty-two hours, and down in thirty. I had a light breeze against me the whole way, both going and coming, and the voyage has been performed wholly by the power of the steam engine. I overtook many sloops and schooners, beating to the windward, and parted with them as if they had been at anchor. The power of propelling boats by steam is now fully proved.

The morning I left New York, there were not perhaps thirty persons in the city who believed that the boat would ever move one mile an hour, or be of the least utility, and while we were putting off from the wharf, which was crowded with spectators, I heard a number of sarcastic remarks. This is the way in which ignorant men compliment what they call philosophers and projectors. Having employed much time, money and zeal in accomplishing this work, it gives me, as it will you, great pleasure to see it fully answer my expectations. It will give a cheap and quick conveyance to the merchandize on the Mississippi, Missouri, and other great rivers, which are now laying open their treasures to the enterprise of our countrymen; and although the prospect of personal emolument has been some inducement to me, yet I feel infinitely more pleasure in reflecting on the immense advantage that my country will derive from the invention.

I sincerely rejoice with you at the success of our mutual and good friend Fulton with the Steam Boat, and hope and trust it will answer your highest expectations. Next year we intend to make an excursion to the North, we hope with Fulton, when we will try the new Balloon up the river, and make you the visit on which our hearts are much fixt.

New York,
Saturday, the 28 [29th] of August, 1807

Dear Sir:
On Saturday I wrote you that I arrived here on Friday at four o’clock, which made my voyage from Albany exactly thirty hours. We had a little wind on Friday morning, but no waves which produced any effect. I have been making every exertion to get off on Monday morning, but there has been much work to do—. boarding all the sides, decking over the boiler and works, finishing each cabin with twelve berths to make them comfortable, and strengthening many parts of the iron work. So much to do, and the rain, which delays the caulkers, will, I fear, not let me off till Wednesday morning. Then, however, the boat will be as complete as she can be made—all strong and in good order and the men well organized, and I hope, nothing to do but to run her for six weeks or two months.

The first week, that is if she starts on Wednesday, she will make one trip to Albany and back. Every succeeding week she will run three trips—that is, two to Albany and one to New York, or two to New York and one to Albany, always having Sunday and four nights for rest to the crew. By carrying for the usual price there can be no doubt but the steamboat will have the preference because of the certainty and agreeable movements. I have seen the captain of the fine sloop from Hudson. He says the average of his passages have been forty-eight hours. For the steamboat it would have been thirty certain.

The persons who came down with me were so much pleased that they said were she established to run periodically they would never go in any thing else. I will have her registered and every thing done which I can recollect. Every thing looks well and I have no doubt will be very productive.

Yours truly,
ROBERT FULTON.

You may look for me Thursday morning about seven o’clock. I think it would be well to write to your brother Edward to get information on the velocity of the Mississippi, the size and form of the boats used, the number of hands and quantity of tons in each boat, the number of miles they make against the current in twelve hours, and the quantity of tons which go up the river in a year. On this point beg of him to be accurate.

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