Life of John Fitch: The Inventor of the Steam-boat

Portada
J.B. Lippincott & Company, 1857 - 391 páginas
 

Otras ediciones - Ver todas

Términos y frases comunes

Pasajes populares

Página iv - The day will come when some more powerful man will get fame and riches from my invention, but nobody will believe that poor John Fitch can do anything worthy of attention.
Página 159 - Provided always, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that neither this act nor any clause, article or thing herein contained shall extend or be construed to extend to give any ease, benefit or advantage to any papist or popish recusant whatsoever, or any person that shall deny in his preaching or writing the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity, as it is declared in the aforesaid articles of...
Página 162 - I take the liberty of terming a vacuum is, we believe, entirely new, as is also the method of letting the water into it, and throwing it off against the atmosphere without any friction.
Página 390 - ... of the parties themselves. The small depth of water in the rapids prevented the boat from pursuing her voyage immediately; and during the consequent detention of three weeks in the upper part of the Ohio, several trips were successfully made between Louisville and Cincinnati. In fine, the waters rose, and in the course of the last week in November, the voyage was resumed, the depth of water barely admitting their passage...
Página 194 - I have taken the greatest pains to perfect another kind of boat, upon the principles I mentioned to you at Richmond in November last, and have the pleasure to inform you that I have brought it to great perfection ; it is true, it will cost something more than the other way, but when in use, will be more manageable, and can be worked with as few hands; the power is immense — and I have quite convinced myself that boats of passage may be made to go against the current of the Mississippi or Ohio rivers,...
Página 263 - Thus has been effected, by little Johnny Fitch and Harry Voight, one of the greatest and most useful arts that has ever been introduced into the world ; and although the world and my country does not thank me for it, yet it gives me heartfelt satisfaction.
Página 364 - ... from which no particular mode of application can be free. These are, first, the weight of the engine and of the fuel ; second, the large space it occupies ; third, the tendency of its action to rack the vessel and render it leaky ; fourth, the expense of maintenance ; fifth, the irregularity of its motion and the motion of the water in the boiler and cistern, and of the fuel- vessel in rough water ; sixth, the difficulty arising from the liability of the paddles or oars to break if light, and...
Página 390 - Hitherto nothing extraordinary had been perceived. The following day they pursued their monotonous voyage in those vast solitudes. The weather was observed to be oppressively hot ; the air misty, still, and dull ; and though the sun was visible, like a glowing ball of copper, his rays hardly shed more than a mournful twilight on the surface of the water. Evening drew nigh, and with it some indications of what was passing around them became evident.
Página 391 - Towards evening they found themselves at a loss for a place of shelter. They had usually brought to under the shore, but everywhere they saw the high banks disappearing, overwhelming many a flat-boat and raft, from which the owners had landed and made their escape.
Página 320 - Indeed, they already rendered themselves the subjects of ridicule and derision, for their temerity and presumption in giving countenance to this wild projector and visionary madman. The company thereupon gave up the ghost, the boat went to pieces, and Fitch became bankrupt and broken-hearted. Often have I seen him stalking about like a troubled spectre, with down cast eye and lowering countenance, his coarse, soiled linen, peeping through the elbows of a tattered garment.

Información bibliográfica