who, contrary to the popular expectation, has really accomplished a design, which, on examination, will clearly evince the many and important advantages which must result therefrom to the United States, some of which your petitioner begs leave to enumerate. The western waters of the United States, which have hitherto been navigated with great difficulty and expense, may now be ascended with safety, conveniency and great velocity, consequently by these means, an immediate increased value will be given to the western territory: all the internal waters of the United States will be rendered much more convenient and safe, and the carriage on them much more expeditious; that from these advantages will result a great saving in the labour of men and horses, as well as expense to the traveller. Your petitioner also conceives, that the introduction of a complete steam engine, formed upon the newest and best principles, into such a country as America, where labour is high, would entitle him to a public countenance and encouragement, independent of its use in navigation; he begs leave to say, that the great length of time and vast sums of money expended in bringing the scheme to perfection, have been wholly occasioned by his total ignorance of the improved state of steam engines, a perfect knowledge of which has not been acquired without an infinite number of fruitless experiments; for not a person could be found who was acquainted with the minutia of Bolton and Watts' new engine; and whether your petitioner's engine is similar or not to those in England, he is to this moment totally ignorant; but is happy to say, that he is now able to make a complete steam engine, which in its effects, he believes, is equal to the best in Europe; the construction of which he has never kept a secret. That on his first undertaking the scheme, he knew there were a great number of ways of applying the power of steam to the propelling of vessels through the water, perhaps all equally effective: but this formed no part of his consideration, knowing, that if he could bring his steam engine to work in a boat, he would be under no difficulty in applying its force; therefore he trusts no interference with him in propelling boats by steam, under any pretence of a different mode of application, will be permitted; for should that be the case, the employment of his time, and the amazing expense attending the perfecting his scheme, would, whilst they gave the world a valuable discovery, and to America peculiar and important advantages, eventuate in the total ruin of your petitioner; for a thousand different modes may be applied by subsequent navigators, all of them benefiting by the expense and persevering labour of your petitioner, and thus sharing with him those profits which they never earned: such a consequence he is confident, will not be permitted by your honourable body. Your petitioner, therefore, prays that your honours will take the subject of his petition into consideration; and by granting him an exclusive right to the use of the steam navigation for a limited time, do him that justice which he conceives he merits, and which he trusts will redound to the honour and add to the true interest of America. And your petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray. New-York, 22d June, 1790. JOHN FITCH, B. THE UNITED STATES To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting: Whereas John Fitch, of Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania, hath presented a petition to the secretary of state, the secretary for the department of war, and the attorney-general of the United States, alleging and suggesting that he hath invented the following useful devices, not before known or used, that is to say— for applying the force of steam to a trunk or trunks for drawing water in at the bow of a boat or vessel, and forcing the same out at the stern, in order to propel a boat or vessel through the water; for forcing a column of air through a trunk or trunks, filled with water, by the force of steam; for forcing a column of air through a trunk or trunks, out at the stern, with the bow valves closed by the force of steam; and for applying the force of steam to cranks and paddles, for propelling a boat or vessel through the water; and praying that a patent may be granted therefor: And whereas the said invention hath been deemed sufficiently useful and important-These are, therefore, in pursuance of the act, entitled "An act to promote the progress of useful arts," to grant to the said John Fitch, his heirs, administrators or assigns, for the term of fourteen years, the sole and exclusive right and liberty of making, using, and vending to others, to be used, the said invention, so far as he, the said John Fitch, was the inventor, according to the allegations and suggestions of the said petition. In testimony whereof, I have caused these letters to be made patent, and the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the the city of Philadelphia, this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the sixteenth. L..S.. GEO: WASHINGTON. By the President, TH: JEFFERSON. City of Philadelphia, August 26th, 1791. I do certify that the foregoing letters patent were delivered, to me, in pursuance of the act, entitled "An act to promote the progress of useful arts," that I have examined the same, and find them conformable to the said act. EDM: RANDOLPH, Attorney-General for the U.S. Delivered to the within named John Fitch, this 30th day of August, 1791. TH: JEFFERSON. To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting: I certify that the annexed is a true copy of a patent granted to John Fitch, for his improvement, being the application of steam, as a power, in propelling boats or vessels; dated August 26, 1791. In testimony whereof, I, John Q. Adams, Secretary of State of the United States, have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the seal of the Department of State to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this 11th day of August, A. D. 1818. JOHN Q. ADAMS. C. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To all to whom these Presents shall come. Whereas Robert Fulton, a citizen of the United States, hath alleged that he has invented a new and useful improvement in steam boats, which improvement, he states, has not been kno wn or used, before his application, hath made oath, that he does verily believe that he is the true inventor or discoverer of the said improvement; hath paid into the treasury of the United States the sum of thirty dollars, delivered a receipt for the same, and presented a petition to the secretary of state, signifying a desire of obtaining an exclusive property in the said improvement, and praying that a patent may be granted for that purpose: These are, therefore, to grant, according to law, to the said Robert Fulton, his heirs, administrators or assigns, for the term of fourteen years, from the 11th day of February, one thousand eight hundred and nine, the full and exclusive right and liberty of making, constructing, using and vending to others, to be used, the said improves ment, a description whereof is given in the words of the said Robert Fulton himself, in the schedule hereunto annexed, and is made a part of these presents. In testimony whereof, I have caused these letters to be made patent, and the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, this 11th day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the thirty-third. City of Washington, To wit: THOMAS JEFFERSON. By the President, JAMES MADISON, Secretary of State. I do hereby certify, that the foregoing letters patent were delivered to me, on the 11th day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine, to be examined; that I have examined the same, and find them conformable to law; and I do hereby return the same to the Secretary of State, within fifteen days from the date aforesaid, to wit, on this 11th day of February, in the year aforesaid. CÆSAR A. RODNEY, lumbia, give the following written descriptinon of my discoveries inventions, and improvements on steam boats. To obtain the power for driving the boat, I make use of Messrs. Bolton and Watts' steam engine, but instead of a beam above the cylinder, I have a triangular cast iron beam on each side of it, and near the bottom of the boat the base of the triangle is seven feet long; in the centre of the base a perpendicular is raised three feet six inches high, which is the vertex of the triangle; the two triangles are fixed on one strong iron shaft, so that they play together. On the top of the piston rod, there is a tee piece or strong iron bar which moves in guides at each side of the cylinder, from each end of the tee piece; and passing down by the sides of the cylinder is a strong bar of forged iron, called a shackle, which is connected by a shackle pin to the end of the beam; thus the end of the beam moves through a curve in a perpendicular direction, and its vertex moves through a curve in a horizontal direction; the other end of the triangle is cast with a weight of iron sufficient to balance the weight of the piston, and all the weight on the opposite side of the fulcrum, or centre of the base line. From the vertex of each triangle, a shackle, from six to eight feet long, is connected with a crank which is fixed on each side of the propeller wheels; close to each crank is a cast iron wheel about four feet six inches diameter, each driving a pinion two feet three inches diameter; these two pinions are on one shaft, in the centre of which is a fly wheel ten feet diameter; the movement for the air pump is taken from the base line of the beam and twenty-one inches from the fulcrum. The condensing water comes through the sides or bottom of the boat by a pipe, which enters the condenser, and is regulated by a cock or valve. The hot well, the forcing pump, to replenish the boiler, the steam guage, the safety valve, the float in the boiler, to regulate the quantity of water, the plug tree, and hand-geer, &c. are so familiar to all persons acquainted with the steam engine, and may be arranged in such a variety of ways, as not to require a description. I prefer a propelling wheel or wheels, to take the purchase on the water; they may be from eight to twenty feet diameter, and divided into any number of equal parts, from three to twenty; each wheel may have from three to twenty propellers, but a wheel or wheels from twelve to fifteen feet diameter each, with from eight to twelve propellers, will be found to apply the power of the engine to great advantage. Hitherto I have placed a propelling wheel on each |