James Rumsey

James Rumsey
Portrait c. 1790
Born1743 (1743)
DiedDecember 21, 1792(1792-12-21) (aged 48–49)
CitizenshipUnited States
OccupationEngineer
RelativesBenjamin Rumsey (cousin)
Engineering career
ProjectsPatowmack Company
Significant designwater-tube boiler;
steam powered water-jet propulsion

James Rumsey (1743 – December 21, 1792) was an American mechanical engineer chiefly known for exhibiting a boat propelled by machinery in 1787 on the Potomac River at Shepherdstown in present-day West Virginia before a crowd of local notables, including Horatio Gates. A pump driven by steam power ejected a stream of water from the stern of the boat and thereby propelled the boat forward.