Ron van Maanen
According to an item dated New York 15 July intended Fulton (1) on coming Monday in the harbour of New York to test his submerged engine which was able to destroy ships. The object which was to be destroyed was a brig of 200 tons. This was a promising inventions offered in 1797 to the French government and if accepted could had destroy the British fleet.
In the edition of 19 September was an item dated Leeuwarden, Netherlands 18 September published. This item used letters received from North America dated 30 July reporting that on 26 July Fulton tested his fire engine in the presence of a large audience. He used a bark which was enough be submerged to be invisible and used his battery against a old ships of 300 tons which immediately with lots of violence exploded.
According to item dated New York 15 August published in the edition dated Thursday 8 October wrote Fulton a few days after his experiment a letter to the governor, mayor and the council of the city what exactly happened. The first test failed because the gunpowder fell out of the pan and so there was no ignition. He improved his invention by placing a fuse inside the sheet and which lit the 70 pound within the torpedo which as result that the brig was destroyed. The Dutch newspapers Koninklijke courant dated 6 October 1807 and Ommelander courant dated 18 September 1807 supplied similar details.
Note
1. Robert Fulton (14 November 1765 Little Britain, Penssylvania-24 February 1815 New York), American engineer/inventor who invented during his stay in France in 1793-1797 the submarine Nautilus which was tested in 1800-1804.
