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y years； provided that he produced a vessel within twelve months able to steam four miles an hour。 This grant had； of course； been forfeited； but might be renewed； Livingston thought。
Fulton and Livingston met； probably at Barlow's house； and； in 1802； drew up an agreement to construct a steamboat to ply between New York and Albany。 Livingston agreed to advance five hundred dollars for experimentation in Europe。 In this same year Fulton built a model and tested different means of propulsion； giving 〃the preference to a wheel on each side of the model。〃* The boat was built on the Seine； but proved too frail for the borrowed engine。 A second boat was tried in August； 1803； and moved； though at a disappointingly slow rate of speed。
* Fulton to Barlow； quoted in Sutcliffe； 〃Robert Fulton and the Clermont〃； p。 124。
Just at this time Fulton wrote ordering an engine from Boulton and Watt to be transported to America。 The order was at first refused； as it was then the shortsighted policy of the British Government to maintain a monopoly of mechanical contrivances。 Permission to export was given the next year； however； and the engine was shipped in 1805。 It lay for some time in the New York Customs House。 Meanwhile Fulton had studied the Watt engine on Symington's steamboat； the Charlotte Dundas； on the Forth and Clyde Canal； and Livingston had been granted a renewal of his monopoly of the waters of New York。
Fulton arrived at New York in 1806 and began the construction of the Clermont； so named after Livingston's estate on the Hudson。 The building was done on the East River。 The boat excited the jeers of passersby； who called it 〃Fulton's Folly。〃 On Monday； August 17； 1807； the memorable first voyage was begun。 Carrying a party of invited guests； the Clermont steamed off at one o'clock。 Past the towns and villages along the Hudson； the boat moved steadily； black smoke rolling from her stack。 Pine wood was the fuel。 During the night； the sparks pouring from her funnel； the clanking of her machinery； and the splashing of the paddles frightened the animals in the woods and the occupants of the scattered houses along the banks。 At one o'clock Tuesday the boat arrived at Clermont； 110 miles from New York。 After spending the night at Clermont； the voyage was resumed on Wednesday。 Albany； forty miles away； was reached in eight hours； making a record of 150 miles in thirty…two hours。 Returning to New York； the distance was covered in thirty hours。 The steamboat was a success。
The boat was then laid up for two weeks while the cabins were boarded in； a roof built over the engine； and coverings placed over the paddle…wheels to catch the sprayall under Fulton's eye。 Then the Clermont began regular trips to Albany； carrying sometimes a hundred passengers； making the round trip every four days； and continued until floating ice marked the end of navigation for the winter。
Why had Fulton succeeded where others had failed？ There was nothing new in his boat。 Every essential feature of the Clermont had been anticipated by one or other of the numerous experimenters before him。 The answer seems to be that he was a better engineer than any of them。 He had calculated proportions； and his hull and his engine were in relation。 Then too； he had one of Watt's engines； undoubtedly the best at the time； and the unwavering support of Robert Livingston。
Fulton's restless mind was never still； but he did not turn capriciously from one idea to another。 Though never satisfied； his new ideas were tested scientifically and the results carefully written down。 Some of his notebooks read almost like geometrical demonstrations； and his drawings and plans were beautifully executed。 Before his death in 1815 he had constructed or planned sixteen or seventeen boats； including boats for the Hudson； Potomac； and Mississippi rivers； for the Neva in Russia； and a steam vessel of war for the United States。 He was a member of the commission on the Erie Canal； though he did not live to see that enterprise begun。
The mighty influence of the steamboat in the development of inland America is told elsewhere in this Series。* The steamboat has long since grown to greatness； but it is well to remember that the true ancestor of the magnificent leviathan of our own day is the Clermont of Robert Fulton。
* Archer B。 Hulbert； 〃The Paths of Inland Commerce〃。
The world today is on the eve of another great development in transportation； quite as revolutionary as any that have preceded。 How soon will it take place？ How long before Kipling's vision in 〃The Night Mail〃 becomes a full reality？ How long before the air craft comes to play a great role in the world's transportation？ We cannot tell。 But； after looking at the nearest parallel in the facts of history； each of us may make his own guess。 The airship appears now to be much farther advanced than the steamboat was for many years after Robert Fulton died。 Already we have seen men ride the wind above the sea from the New World to the Old。 Already United States mails are regularly carried through the air from the Atlantic to the Golden Gate。 It was twelve years after the birth of Fulton's Clermont； and four years after the inventor's death； before any vessel tried to cross the Atlantic under steam。 This was in 1819； when the sailing packet Savannah； equipped with a ninety horsepower horizontal engine and paddle… wheels； crossed from Savannah to Liverpool in twenty…five days； during eighteen of which she used steam power。 The following year； however； the engine was taken out of the craft。 And it was not until 1833 that a real steamship crossed the Atlantic。 This time it was the Royal William； which made a successful passage from Quebec to London。 Four years more passed before the Great Western was launched at Bristol； the first steamship to be especially designed for transatlantic service； and the era of great steam liners began。
If steam could be made to drive a boat on the water； why not a wagon on the land？
History； seeking origins； often has difficulty when it attempts to discover the precise origin of an idea。 〃It frequently happens；〃 said Oliver Evans； 〃that two persons； reasoning right on a mechanical subject； think alike and invent the same thing without any communication with each other。〃* It is certain； however； that one of the first； if not the first； protagonist of the locomotive in America was the same Oliver Evans； a truly great inventor for whom the world was not quite ready。 The world has forgotten him。 But he was the first engine builder in America； and one of the best of his day。 He gave to his countrymen the high…pressure steam engine and new machinery for manufacturing flour that was not superseded for a hundred years。
* Coleman Sellers； 〃Oliver Evans and His Inventions；〃 〃Journal of the Franklin Institute〃； July； 1886： vol。 CXXII； p。 16。
〃Evans was apprenticed at the age of fourteen to a wheelwright。 He was a thoughtful； studious boy； who devoured eagerly the few books to which he had access； even by the light of a fire of shavings； when denied a candle by his parsimonious master。 He says that in 1779； when only seventeen years old； he began to contrive some method of propelling land c