Steam

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=185 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="040b9c00dduajq.jpg"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="70" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 76 WIDTH="66"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="76" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="66" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Falmouth Packet Archives 1688-1850</B></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Falmouth Packet Archives 16881850"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id173.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Health"><U>Health</U></A>   |   <B>Steam </B>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Freemasonry"><U>Freemasonry</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id188.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HRH Prince of Wales Masonic Ceremony at"><U>HRH Prince of Wales & Masonic Ceremony at Truro Cathedral 1880 & 1887</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id124.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cartels Prisoners"><U>Cartels & Prisoners</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lighthouses Navigation"><U>Lighthouses & Navigation</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id109.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Piracy "><U>Piracy </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Smuggling "><U>Smuggling </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Customs Excise"><U>Customs & Excise</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="British Navy"><U>British Navy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Merchant Convoys"><U>Merchant Convoys</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="American Navy"><U>American Navy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="France Navy, Privateers, Convoys"><U>France - Navy, Privateers, Convoys</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="French Pacquets"><U>French Pacquets</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id149.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Trinity House"><U>Trinity House</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Philatelic "><U>Philatelic </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id129.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Genealogy"><U>Genealogy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id158.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dress of the Packet era"><U>Dress of the Packet era</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id117.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sailing (Racing)"><U>Sailing (Racing)</U></A></div> <div> Steam </div> <bR> <div> New York the 30th JanY I788   [</div> <div> Sir : </div> <div> Having accidentally become acquainted with a <B>Mr. Fitch*</B> from your City, whose <B>curious experiment on the Delaware</B> I had much heard of; I ask'd him a great many questions concerning <B>his new method of applying the power of </B><B><U>Steam,</U></B> to which he answer'd with much dif- fidence & modesty, and communicated to me several Certificates from several of the most respectable persons in Philadelphia, a Copy of one of which I hereby transmit you. <B>Anxious to know how far you think it may be rendered useful for inland Navigation</B>, I take the liberty of <B>asking your opinion concerning this new Invention</B> of which I make no doubt you have often heard. Embracing this opportunity of recalling myself to your memory give me leave to present you with the assurances of my unfeigned respect. </div> <div> Your Excellency's Most Obedient humble Servant </div> <div> St. John. </div> <bR> <div> <B>*</B>John Fitch (1743-1798); the explorer and inventor who patented a steamboat, four years after the above experiment, in <B>1791</B>. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>INCREDIBLE STEAMBOAT TRAVEL LETTER.</B> </div> <div> Folded letter datelined <B>"Ohio River, Near Point Pleasant, October 7, </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>1839</B></FONT><B>"</B>, mailed in Cincinnati, with faint Oct. 11 red cds & ms 25. Lengthy (3+ folio pgs) & very well written letter from William M. Reynolds (1812-76, clergyman, professor at Pennsylvania college; Pres. of Capitol Univ., Columbus, Ohio, 1850-53; Pres. of Illinois State Univ., 1857-60), with detailed description of the steamboat, travelling, etc...Includes: <B>"The boat...is the size most common for the Ohio. Its length is about one hundred feet & its breadth perhaps a third as much. It is divided into an upper & lower deck. On the latter are the boilers, the engine and most of the machinery...The fires are kept burning in front by four men who seem to relieve each other pretty frequently. They here employ both wood & coal....If the fires get too high, he rings a bell which is a signal for the firemen to open the furnace doors....He can also, by opening proper valves, let off the steam, so as either to reduce the speed, or to stop the motion entirely. The boat....differs from those you have seen in the east by having one wheel behind, instead of two upon the sides. Between the boilers & the engine is a kind of lower cabin in which those who wish to travel cheaply are stowed with boxes, bales of goods, the kitchen, & everything that is unpleasant....On the upper deck is the cabin...enter into a kind of hall, on each side of which the state rooms containing two births each for passengers are arranged, separated by wooden doors & partitions from each other & from the rest of the boat...."</B> much more excellent content throughout. A superb steamboat travel letter. a few small holes at folds. F</div> <div> [qf. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.stampauctioncentral.com/c/c1051.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.stampauctioncentral.com/c/c10"><U>David G. Phillips</U></A></FONT> ]</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="29a20370.jpg" border=0 width="800" height="567" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Painted by W. J. Huggins, Marine Painter to His Majesty William IVth.   London, Published by Mr. Huggins, 105 Leadenhall Street, 1842.                    Engraved by E. Duncan</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> *Crop from:   SHIPS OF THE GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.</div> <div> <B>THE </B><I><B>CALEDONIA </B></I><B>of 800 Tons, leaving Hamburg with HER MAJESTY'S MAILS</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="29c80c60.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="454" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>1841: ..Entering the Elbe; </B><I><B>             NEPTUNE, </B></I><B> with Her Majesty's Mails</B></div> <div> <I><B>                                                          The General Steam Navigation Company</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>