Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1886 — Fulton’s First Steamboat. [ARTICLE]

Fulton’s First Steamboat.

The following letter descriptive of the first voyage of the Clermont from Albany was written by Bobert Fulton and sent to Chancellor Robert R. Living ston, grandfather of Clermont Livingston, in whose keeping the letter now is:—i— i l ■ t_ m New Yoke, Saturday, the 28th of August, 1807.— Dear Sir: On Saturday I wrote you that I arrived here on Friday at 4 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, bnt there has been inuoh work to doboarding all the sides, deckiug-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 calkers, 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; Bhe 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^Sundav and fonr 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 certaintv and agreeable movements. I have seen the captain of the fine sloop from Hudson. He says the average of his passages has 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 never would go in anything else. I will have her registered and everything done which I can recollect. Everything looks well and I have no doubt will be very productive. Yours truly, Robert Fulton. You may look for me Thursday morning about 7 o’clock. I think it would be weR to write to your brother Ed ward to get information on the velocity of the Miseissippi, 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 hinfto be accurate. —Hudson (New York) Bepublican.