by Alice Crary Sutcliffe, The Century Co., New York, 1909
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CHAPTER 4-4
The “Clermont” During the succeeding months, the Clermont was kept in winter quarters, and underwent important alterations and improvements. The following letter from Fulton, who was then in Washington, to Chancellor Livingston in New York fully notes the plans for the enlargement of the boat and gives the specifications for her future financial and structural development.
The important letter is in possession of the New York Historical Society:
I have received your letter of the 12th inst. After all accidents and delays our boat has cleared 5 per cent. on the capital expended, and as the people are not discouraged, but continue to go in her at all risques and even increase in numbers, I think with you that one which should be complete would produce us from 8 to 10,000 dollars a year or perhaps more and that another boat which will cost 15,000 dollars will also produce us 10,000 dollars a year; therefore, as this is the only method which I know of gaining 50 or 75 per cent., I am, on my part, determined not to dispose of any portion of my interest on the North River; but I will sell so much of my funds as will pay my part of rendering this boat complete and for establishing another, so that one will depart from Albany and one from New York every other day and carry all the passengers.It should be noted that Fulton realized the revolutionizing possibilities of steam-navigation, and in this connection, at the close of the record of the Clermont’s success, it may not be inappropriate to tell of an incident which indicates that Fulton also contemplated the possibility of steam-railways. On one occasion, about a year 1810—11, Fulton was journeying to Washington by stage coach with a party of fellow passengers. A long delay in changing horses at one of the wayside taverns, en route, prompted a lady in the party to say to the inventor:It is now necessary to consider how to put our first boat in a complete state for 8 or 10 years and when I reflect that the present one is so weak that she must have additional knees and timbers, new side timbers, deck beams and deck, new windows and cabins altered, that she perhaps must be sheathed, her boiler taken out and a new one put in, her axels forged and Iron work strengthened. With all this work the saving of the present hull is of little consequence particularly as many of her Knees Bolts timbers and planks could enter into the construction of a new boat.
My present opinion therefore is that we should build a new hull her knees and floor timbers to be of oak her bottom planks of 2 Inch oak her side planks two Inch oak for 3 feet high. She to be 16 feet wide 150 feet long this will make her near twice as stiff as at present and enable us to carry a much greater quantity of sail, the 4 feet additional width will require 1146 lbs. additional purchase at the engine moving 2 feet a second or 15 double strokes a minute this will be gained by raising the steam 5 lbs. to the inch as 24 Inches the diameter of the cylinder gives 570 round Inches at 3 lb. to the inch=1710 lb. purchase gained to accomplish this with a good boiler and a commodious boat running our present speed, of a voyage in 30 hours, I think better and more productive to us than to gain one mile on the present boat.
So that we shall have to provide about 1,500 dols. added to 3,000 Bills against us in the Bank. With this arrangement we shall have one Boat in complete play, producing about 10,000 dollars a year to enable us to proceed with the second, to come out in the spring of 1809, and then our receipts will be about 20,000 dollars a year. Please to think of this and if you like it to try and contract with the carpenter at Hudson for the hull and let him immediately prepare his timbers, knees, and planks. She should be almost wall-sided: if 16 feet at bottom she need not be more than 18 on deck. Straight sides will be strong; it fits the mill work and prevents motion in the waves.... It is now time to lay her up for the winter.
The new boat, Cabins and all complete, including our materials will cost perhaps 2,000 dols. Boiler 800 dols. Iron work in the best manner and men's wages during the winter 200 dols.
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4,000 dols.To meet this I find that our copper boiler weighs 3930 Ibs. which at 40 cents all the price paid by Government will produce . . . 1,570 dols. Profits of this year 1,000
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2,570 dols.Nothing should be risqued from bad weather the gain will be trifling, the risque great. I cannot be with you before the first week in January. Compliments to all friends. Write me again.
Yours truly,
Do not risque the engine in the winds and waves of the season.
R. FULTON.
“Oh, Mr. Fulton, you have invented a way to travel quickly over the water— why can you not invent a way to carry us quickly over the land?”It seems to have been about this time that he wrote to Chancellor Livingston outlining a project for steam-railways. The Chancellor’s reply has been preserved, and is herewith given. He thought the plan impracticable and Fulton, in the evident impossibility of interesting his partner for the steamboat enterprise in this new undertaking, temporarily gave up the plan.Fulton bowed low, and said, “Madam, it will come.”
Mr. Paul A. Sabbaton, in the letter already quoted from (p. 217), relates that Fulton and Colden had agreed to go to Richmond, Virginia, to build a railway to transport coal from Captain Heath’s mines, twelve miles distant, but that Fulton’s death put an end to the project. He added, “Had it been otherwise, he would have been the first to put railways in use here.”Albany, N. Y. March 1, 1811
Dear Sir:
I did not till yesterday receive yours of the 25th of February, where it has loitered on the road I am at a loss to say. I had before read of your very ingenious proposition as to the railway communication. I fear however, on mature reflection, that they will be liable to serious objections, and ultimately more expensive than a canal. They must be double, so as to prevent the danger of two such bodies meeting. The walls on which they are placed must be at least four feet below the surface, and three above, and must be clamped with iron, and even then would hardly sustain so heavy a weight as you propose moving at the rate of four miles an hour on wheels. As to wood it would not last a week. They must be covered with iron and that too, very thick and strong.The means of stopping these heavy carriages without a great shock and of preventing them from running on each other—for they would be many on the road at once, would be very difficult. In case of accidental stops, or necessary stops to take on wood and water, etc. many accidents would happen.
The carriage of condensing water would be very troublesome. Upon the whole, I fear the expense would be much greater than that of canals, without being so convenient.
R. L. LIVINGSTON.
To Robert Fulton, Esq.
ENLARGEMENT OF THE CLERMONT
During the winter of 1807, as we have seen, the Clermont was virtually rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate the increased number of patrons. As the North River she made regular trips on the Hudson for several years.An interesting letter from Robert Fulton to Charles Wilson Peale refers in 1808 to the enlarged boat.
“Clermont, State of New York,
“My steam boat is now in complete operation and works much to my satisfaction, making the voyages from or to New York or Albany, 160 miles, on an average in 35 hours. She has three excellent Cabins, or rather rooms, containing 54 births, with kitchen, larder, pantry, Bar, and steward’s room. Passengers have been encourageing. Last Saturday she started from New York with 70, which is doing very well for these times when trade has not its usual activity.”
June the 11, 1808.
ON THE
NORTH RIVER (THE REMODELED CLERMONT)
The following time-schedule and list of
regulations for passengers is taken from
Captain Samuel WiswalI’s book, in possession of John Henry Livingston, Esq.,
of Clermont.
THE STEAM BOAT
For the Information of the Public
| THE STEAM BOAT will leave New York for Albany every Saturday afternoon exactly at 5 o’clock — and will pass West Point about 3 o’clock on Sunday morning. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| She will leave Albany for New York every Wednesday morning exactly at 8 o’clock, and pass Hudson about 3 in the afternoon. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| As the time at which the Boat may arrive at the different places above-mentioned may vary an hour more or less according to the advantage or disadvantage of wind and tide, those who wish to come on board will see the necessity of being on the spot an hour before the time. Persons wishing to come on board from any other landing than here specified, can calculate the time the Boat will pass, and be ready on their arrival. Inn-keepers or boatmen, who bring passengers on board, or take them ashore, from any part of the river, will be allowed one shilling for each person. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All other passengers are to pay at the rate of one dollar for every twenty miles, and half a dollar for every meal they think proper to have.
No one can be taken on board, and put on shore, however short the distance, for less than 2 dollars.
Young persons from 2 to 10 years of age to pay half price, or two-thirds, if he or she sit at table with the company.
Children under the age of 2 years to pay one fourth price.
Servants who pay two thirds price are entitled to a birth; they pay half price if no birth.
Every person paying full price is allowed 60 lbs. of baggage; if less than whole price 40 lbs. They are to pay at the rate of three cents a pound for all surplus baggage.
Any person taking a birth, shall have no right to change it without permission of the captain.
A person entering their name in the book for a passage, shall pay half price although they shall decline. Half the price of the passage to be paid at the time of entering, or the birth will be considered free for any other subscriber.
Passengers will breakfast before they come on board; dinner will be served up exactly at 2 o’clock; tea, with meats, which is also supper, at 8 in the evening; and breakfast at 9 in the morning: no one has a claim on the steward for victuals at any other hour.
REGULATIONS
FOR THE NORTH RIVER STEAM BOAT.
The rules which are made for order and neatness in the boat, are not to be abused.
Judgment shall be according to the letter
of the law. Gentlemen wishing well to so
public and useful an establishment, will
see the propriety of strict justice, and the
impropriety of the least imposition on the
purse or feelifigs of any individual.The Back Cabin, of 12 births, but which will accommodate 18 persons, is exclusively for the Ladies and their children. They who first apply and enter their names on the book, and at the same time pay their passage-money, shall have the choice of 12 births. Any greater number of persons will be accommodated with sophas or cross lockers.
The Great Cabin of 24 births, which will accommodate 36 persons, is for Gentlemen. The first who apply and enter their names in the book, at the same time paying their passage-money, will have their choice of the 24 births. Any greater number of persons will be accommodated with sophas.
The Fore Cabin, of 16 births, will accommodate 24 persons. The first who apply, on entering their names and paying their passage-money, will have the choice bf the births. Any greater number of persons will be accommodated with sophas.
Way-Passengers, who are not out for more than half the night, are not entitled to lie down in a birth.
As the comfort of all persons must be considered, cleanliness, neatness, and order are necessary; it is therefore not permitted that any person shall smoke in the ladies’ cabin, or in the great cabin, under a penalty, first of one dollar and a half, and half a dollar for each half hour they offend against this rule; the money to be spent in wine for the company.
It is not permitted for any person to lie down in a birth with their boots or shoes on, under a penalty of one dollar and a half and half a dollar for every half hour they may offend against this rule.
A shelf has been added to each birth, on which gentlemen will please to put their boots, shoes, and clothes, that the cabin may not be incumbered.
On deck and in the fore cabin it is allowed to smoke.
In the ladies’ cabin and in the great cabin, cards and all games are to cease at 10 o’clock in the evening, that those persons who wish to sleep might not be disturbed.
As the Steam-Boat has been fitted up in an elegant style, order is necessary to keep it so: gentlemen will therefore please to observe cleanliness, and a reasonable attention not to injure the furniture; for this purpose no one must sit on a table under the penalty of half a dollar for each time, and every breakage of tables, chairs, sophas, or windows, tearing of curtains, or injury of any kind, must be paid for before leaving the Boat.
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