John Fitch.

Philad"^ September 6th ]788.

A true copy from the original read September 6. 1788.

J. Shallus Asst. Clk. of the General Assembly.

To the Honorable the House of Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The petition of Henry Voight of the city of Phiadelphia, humbly sheweth.

That your petitioner has long turned his attention to improvements in mechanics and he presumes was not an unuseful Citizen during the war as his various manufacturing machines will evince Since the building of M' Fitch's Steam boat your petitioner has been much consulted, employed and part interested in its completion . That during the many experiments and consultations about

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the best mode of constructing an engine on bonrd a boat your })etitioner foresaw the great inconvenience of the usual mode of boiling water and amongst a number of other projects your petitioner conceived that water might be boiled in a pipe, a drawing of which he made in the spring of 1786 and in June showed it to Timothy Matlack Esq"" & M^ John Nacarrow both of them Gentlemen of great mechanical knowledge from whom he hath obtained Certificates but M'' Fitch was advised not to go out of the old way. The attempt therefore first made on the Steam boat was Avith the accustomed heavy boiler which so loaded the boat that Mr. Fitch determined to take it out and introduce a boiler more suited to the purpose accordingly preparations were made for a Pipe boiler which is now executed and the boat working with it exactly on the principles and form exhibited to M'' Matlack and M'" Nacarrow -- Your petitioner hearing that a M^ Rumsey was to come to town and that he pretended to the exclusive right to a Pipe boiler your petitioner made an entry of his said boiler with the Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of the city of Philadelphia being told the" copy rights of books were there entered and he conjectured such entry in a public office might secure to him in Pennsylvania the exclusive right to the same a.s death in such case would not deprive the public of the discovery. .