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by aukepalmhof » Tue May 19, 2009 2:31 am
Built as a wooden hulled side paddle steamer on the yard of Charles Browne on the East River, where now Manhattan is situated. Designed by Robert Fulton (1765-1815.) Not an owner given.
Not any contract or plan of this steamer has survived, but in a letter of Fulton of 16 March 1807 is given that she was under construction.
23 April 1807 is given that her engine was carted from a Mr. Barker warehouse to the ship for installation.
09 August 1807 the first tests of the engine took place. Her engine was made by Boulton & Watt, Manchester U.K.
17 August 1807 she was ready for her trials.
The Custom House Enrollment dated 03 September 1807 at New York give her dimensions for the North River Steamboat as 142 x 14 x 4ft. Tonnage 78-71/95 tons.
First she was called THE STEAMBOAT, later THE NORTH RIVER STEAMBOAT, then NORTH RIVER STEAMBOAT OF CLERMONT, later shortened to CLERMONT in many sources, but that name she never carried.
As given, it was decked for a short distance at the stem and stern. The engine was open to view, and from the engine aft a house like that of a canal-boat was raised to cover the boiler and the apartment for the officers. In these, by addition of a few berths the passengers were accommodated. There where no wheel guards. The rudder was in the shape used by sailing vessels, and moved by a tiller. The boiler was of the form usual in Watt’s engines and was set in masonry. The condenser stood in a large cold water cistern.
17 August 1807 she made her first officially trial under command of Capt. Andrew Brink, with on board around 40 invited guests, at that time she was still unnamed, she left from at 01 p.m. her berth on the North River in the Greenwich village and 24 hours later she arrived at Chancellor Livingston’s estate. Her average speed just under 5 knots.
After an overnight stay she sailed again on 9 a.m. the next day and arrived 8 hours later in Albany a distance of 40 miles.
The next day with the addition of 5 paying passengers she sailed to Clermont in nine hours, the same day at 07 p.m she sailed from there and arrived 21 August at 04 p.m. in New York.
After this voyage her engine and boiler were closed in, and two cabins with in total 24 berths were erected, enrolled at the Custom House and put in the commercial service, leaving from Cortlandt Street for the first time on 04 September at 06.42 with on board 16 passengers including Fulton.
Her service was interrupted by a collision in which her unprotected paddle wheels were damaged.
She kept a twice a week service from New York to Albany, till the end of November, when ice made the service impossible.
During the first season in service a couple of defects were found and needed attention.
1808 THE STEAMBOAT was rebuilt, the Custom House gives that she had thereafter dimensions 149 x 17.11 x 7ft., with a tonnage of 182-48/95 ton. She got a new wood boiler. Three cabins added, with in total 58 berths. Her owner given as Livingstone & Fulton.
The first voyage was a disaster, the wood boiler was leaking steam from every seam, and the voyage to Albany took 48 hours and the return voyage 56.
After arrival the wooden boiler was replaced by a copper boiler, which took two weeks.
01 June the service to Albany resumed. Passengers were picked up during the voyage.
08 July 1814 she was retired.
Her final whereabouts are a mystery, by some is given that she was transported to the Cape Fear River, North Carolina and renamed THE HENRIETTA, an other source gives that she was broken up and that the ribs of the hull were use under a wharf in Jersey City, also is given that she was sunk off Poughkeepsie.
Source: American Steamships on the Atlantic by Cedric Ridgely-Nevitt. Ships of the World by Paine.
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Last edited by
aukepalmhof on Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:58 pm, edited 4 times in total.
