On The Clermont

Helen Evertson Smith, in The Century, has a paper on "A Group of AmoricanGirlsEarly In the Century, " wbich gives pleasant glimpses of Chancellor Livingston and Robert Fulton. The ohancellor invited severa] of bis fair oousins to make a trip from New York tohishome at Glermoat inanewboat. Miss Smith says : The "new boat" of the letter was the nowcelebrated Clermont, the steamboat of Robert Fultou, whioh in August, 1807, made the first sucoessfnl steam voyage up the astonished Hudson and demonstra ted to the world that a new force had been disoovered by which old rnethods in nearly all lines vpere to be revolutionized. Very likely, with all their loving confidenee in the wisdom of the chancellor, the sisters embarked with some distrust of bis new boat's makiug goodi its promise to get them home in less than three days, even if both wind aud tide should prove unfavorable, but they were not afraid of auything worse thau delay, though most of their friends feared for them. During the nine years that had passed sinoe "Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton had first secured the concession to navigate tho waters in New York state for 20 years, pro'viding they should build a boat of not less than 20 tons, that would go uot less thau four miles an hour against wind and tide," the subject had been eo often taJked over in their presence that the sisters wero already quite intelligent upon it and Jaughed at the fears of their timorous friends. The enibarkation was from a dock "near the state prison" (which was in "Greenwich viliage, " on the North river) and was witnessed by a crowd of "not less than 500 persons. " Many were friends of the passengers, who bade them farewell with as much solicitude as if they were going to Madagascar, especially trembling with apprehension at the "terrible risk run by sailing in a boat full of fire. " The adventurous voyagers, who were the guests of Robert Fulton and Chancellor Livingston, were about 40 in nuinber, including but a few ladies. Among the latter, besides our two young sisters and their aunt, Mrs. Thomas Morris (daughter-in-law of Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolutiou), were at least one of the chancellor's two daughters, four of the many daughters of his brothers, John R. andColonel Harry.aud a young lady who was more iuterested in the result of this memorable experiment than any one save the inventor himself. In all the biographies of Fulton Miss Harriet Livingston is called the chancellor's niece, but she was really his cousin. She was a beautiful. graceful and accomplisbed woman and had long given herheart to Robert Fulton. The fair Harriet was at this time about two and twenty and "deeply in love with her handsome, gif ted lover as any girl well could be. " There were many distinguished and fine looking men on board the Clermont, but my grandmother always described Robert Fulton as surpassing them all. "That sou of a Pennsylvania farmer, " she was wout to say, "was really a prince among men. He was as modest as he was great aud as haudsome as he was modest. His eyes were gloriou8 with lovia aud genius. " A little before reaching Clermont, when the success ei the voyage was well assured, the betrothal was aunouuced by the chaneollor in a graceful speech, in the course of which he prophesied that the "name of the inventor would descend to posterity as that of a benefactor to the world, and that it was not impossible that before the close of the present century vesnels might even be able to make the voyago to Europe without other mortive power than steam. " This hardy prediction was received with but moderate approval by any, while smiles of incredulity wero cxchanged between those who were so placed that they could not be seen by the speechmaker or the inventor. John R. was heard tosay in an aside to his cousin, John Swift Livingston, that "Bob had many a bee in his bonnet before now, but this steam folly would provo the worst oneyet." But thechancellor'H brothers lived to see the ocean regularly traversed by steam vessels, but the prophet himself and the inventor both passed away before the realization of their dreams.