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VOL. XXXII. CLEVELAND, OCTOBER 12, 1905.2 2 io ae CENTENARY OF STEAM NAVIGATION The Fulton Centennial Commission met recently in the rooms of the Board of Trade and Transportation, New York, to outline a general plan for the observance of the centenary of steam navigation which occurs in 1907. There were present Aaron Vanderbilt, J. H. Kennedy, William McCarroll, Arthur English, Louis I. Romaine, Isaac Stern and Rear Admiral George W. Melville. Mr. Gustav Schwab, who could not be present, expressed him- self in writing as follows: "T am firmly of the conviction that we should not pro- pose the expenditure of a large sum of .money in some ephemeral and fleeting show, such as a water or land parade, or fireworks or anything of that description, but that we should suggest to the mayor some plan for a lasting and permanent memorial that would serve to transmit to future generations a fitting and living remem- brance of the birth of the greatest revolution in water transportation that has ever taken place. I do not think that such a memorial could take a better shape than that of a monumental water gate, the whole surmounted by an arch, with steps spreading down to the water, at the Battery. Such a monument approach to this great me- tropolis, soon to be the mightiest city of the world, is, I think, needed and would be most appropriate, to serve as an entrance gate to the city for her distinguished guests from foreign shores. I believe that the Municipal Art Society, or some kindred organization, has already planned or suggested an improvement of this character, and I do not believe that a more fitting and more mag- nificent memorial could be devised to celebrate Fulton's invention. An active canvass among the business men and citizens of New York city should succeed without great difficulty in raising the sum necessary for the con- struction of such a monumental gateway." Rear Admiral G. W. Melville stated that he believed it would be a good thing to adopt the suggestion of Mr. Schwab for a monumental arch and waterway if a pzoper site could be obtained, and suggested that a suitable land and water parade should be made features of the celebra- tion; that the entire celebration should be limited to one week--starting promptly on Monday morning and con- cluding on Saturday night. "To my mind, in the proposed commemoration of the first successful establishment of steam navigation, the controlling idea should be the educational one," said Mr. al Romaine. "Few people fully appreciate the enormous advance made in the methods of navigating the rivers, lakes and harbors of this and other countries, and of the high seas, since Robert Fulton's time. Here where the paddle wheels of the Clermont first broke the surface of the Hudson is the opportunity offered of presenting this great object lesson to millions of people. "This presentation may be made of great historical interest, showing the evolution of steam-propelled craft from Fulton's Clermont to the 24,000-ton steamer of the present day, a procession of vessels upon the waters of the Hudson, unique in character, and beautiful as a great marine pageant amid miost picturesque and suitable sur- roundings. "The natural conditions of the shores of the Hudson river from the Weehawken ferry on the New Jersey side, and Seventy-second street on the New York side, for several miles northward, are such that magnificent view- points are to be had high above the river, from which literally millions of spectators may view.such a scene. The greater part of the land on both sides of the river can be made available for this purpose, particularly as the shores on the New York side are embraced in the park department from 72nd street to 129th street, a dis- tance of three miles, and further north along the Boule- vard Lafayette and Fort. Washington park; while the cliffs and palisades on the New Jersey. shore offer excep- tional advantages. "Concerning the scope or character: of the marine pa- -rade, the central idea, in my opinion, should be the im- portance of the steamer Clermont, not as a link in the chain of craft from the galleys of the Phoenicians to the modern battleships, but as the beginning of the steam era; for only in this way can the full importance of Rob- ert Fulton's achievement be appreciated. "Let the Clermont then lead the procession, a perfect facsimile of the vessel built-by Fulton, then may follow other early steam craft;. the first vessel to use steam-on the Atlantic, the first steamer that navigated the great lakes, the first of the Mississippi boats and of other inland water steamers of this and other countries; the first harbor craft, the first propeller and the first warship propelled by 'steam, and so on through the various types to characteristic examples of the craft of the present day. "Following this may be. the strictly naval parade and there is no reason why this should not be the greatest