DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1311#0214
OF THE WORLD'S INDUSTRY. . 181
with a tube passing vertically through the upper part of the globe, and dipping under the
surface of the water, on the application of heat to the globe the water will be driven up
the tube; he observes—"the force of the vapour (produced by the action of fire) which
causes the water to rise is produced from the said water, which vapour will depart after
the water shall have passed out with great force." This is the French claim to the inven-
tion of the steam-engine. In 1629, Branca, of Rome, described the eolipyle, or vapour
blow-pipe. This, however, has little connection with the subject. In 1663, the marquis
of Worcester published his Century of Inventions, In his sixty-eighth invention, he states
that he has discovered an admirable and very powerful method of raising water by the
assistance of fire, not by aspiration, for as the philosophers say, intra sphcerum activitatis, the
aspiration acting only at certain distances; " but my method has no limits if the vessel pos-
sesses sufficient strength." He took a cannon, filled it to three-fourths with water, and shut
up the open end; he then kept up a constant fire around it, and in the course of twenty-
four hours the cannon burst with a great noise. '* Having a way to make my vessels so
that they are strengthened by the force within them, and that they are filled in succes-
sion, I have seen water run in a continuous manner, as from a fountain, to the height of
forty feet. A vessel full of water rarefied by the action of fire, raised forty vessels of cold
water. The person who superintends this experiment has only two stop-cocks to open, so
that at the instant when one of the two vessels is emptied, it is filled with cold water
during the time that the other begins to act, and this in succession. The fire is kept in a
constant degree of activity by the same person, he has sufficient time for this during the
intervals which remain after turning the stop-cocks." Such is the English claim to the
discovery of the steam-engine. "Whatever opinion may be arrived at, one thing is certain,
that if his predecessors were ignorant of the force of vapour and its moving power, the
marquis of Worcester was quite familiar with them. In 1683, sir Samuel Moreland wrote
his Elevations of Water by all kinds of Machines, fyc, a manuscript preserved in the British
Museum. He observes, that " water being evaporated by the force of fire, its vapours
require a much greater space (about 2,000 times) than the water previously occupied, and
rather than be confined will burst a piece of cannon. But being well regulated according
to the rules of statics, and by science reduced to measure, to weight, and to balance, then
they will carry their burdens peaceably (like good horses); and thus they will be of great
use to the human race, particularly for raising water." In 1690, Denis Papin, a native of
Blois, in Prance, first thought of placing a piston in a cylinder, and acting upon it by
the force of steam. It is unnecessary to enter into the question of the priority of the dis-
covery of the steam-engine from the preceding details, because they appear merely to
demonstrate the force of steam, or its moving power—the alphabet of the steam-engine.
In 1698, captain Savery obtained a patent for an instrument in which the power of steam
was applied to practical purposes. The water was placed in a boiler, the steam escaped by
a tube at the upper part of the boiler into a large spherical vessel, where, upon being con-
densed, a vacuum was formed, which enabled the atmosphere to act. It was, therefore, the
atmosphere, and not the steam which was the moving power. In 1705, a patent was taken
out for au improved engine on the same principle, in the names of Newcomen, Crawley,
and Savery. It was iu 1764, that James Watt was employed to repair a model of one of
these engines belonging to the Natural Philosophy class in Glasgow college. He was
struck with the defects of the machine, and set about improving it. In 1768, he com-
pleted his first engine, which, as with those uow in use, differed from that of Newcomen
by the condensation of the steam taking place in a second vessel, so that the descent
of the piston was produced by the force of the steam, and not by atmospheric pressure;
the ascent of the piston was also produced by the power of the steam. The engine of Watt
was therefore a true steam-engine; those which preceded it can. only be considered as
vol. ii. 3 A
with a tube passing vertically through the upper part of the globe, and dipping under the
surface of the water, on the application of heat to the globe the water will be driven up
the tube; he observes—"the force of the vapour (produced by the action of fire) which
causes the water to rise is produced from the said water, which vapour will depart after
the water shall have passed out with great force." This is the French claim to the inven-
tion of the steam-engine. In 1629, Branca, of Rome, described the eolipyle, or vapour
blow-pipe. This, however, has little connection with the subject. In 1663, the marquis
of Worcester published his Century of Inventions, In his sixty-eighth invention, he states
that he has discovered an admirable and very powerful method of raising water by the
assistance of fire, not by aspiration, for as the philosophers say, intra sphcerum activitatis, the
aspiration acting only at certain distances; " but my method has no limits if the vessel pos-
sesses sufficient strength." He took a cannon, filled it to three-fourths with water, and shut
up the open end; he then kept up a constant fire around it, and in the course of twenty-
four hours the cannon burst with a great noise. '* Having a way to make my vessels so
that they are strengthened by the force within them, and that they are filled in succes-
sion, I have seen water run in a continuous manner, as from a fountain, to the height of
forty feet. A vessel full of water rarefied by the action of fire, raised forty vessels of cold
water. The person who superintends this experiment has only two stop-cocks to open, so
that at the instant when one of the two vessels is emptied, it is filled with cold water
during the time that the other begins to act, and this in succession. The fire is kept in a
constant degree of activity by the same person, he has sufficient time for this during the
intervals which remain after turning the stop-cocks." Such is the English claim to the
discovery of the steam-engine. "Whatever opinion may be arrived at, one thing is certain,
that if his predecessors were ignorant of the force of vapour and its moving power, the
marquis of Worcester was quite familiar with them. In 1683, sir Samuel Moreland wrote
his Elevations of Water by all kinds of Machines, fyc, a manuscript preserved in the British
Museum. He observes, that " water being evaporated by the force of fire, its vapours
require a much greater space (about 2,000 times) than the water previously occupied, and
rather than be confined will burst a piece of cannon. But being well regulated according
to the rules of statics, and by science reduced to measure, to weight, and to balance, then
they will carry their burdens peaceably (like good horses); and thus they will be of great
use to the human race, particularly for raising water." In 1690, Denis Papin, a native of
Blois, in Prance, first thought of placing a piston in a cylinder, and acting upon it by
the force of steam. It is unnecessary to enter into the question of the priority of the dis-
covery of the steam-engine from the preceding details, because they appear merely to
demonstrate the force of steam, or its moving power—the alphabet of the steam-engine.
In 1698, captain Savery obtained a patent for an instrument in which the power of steam
was applied to practical purposes. The water was placed in a boiler, the steam escaped by
a tube at the upper part of the boiler into a large spherical vessel, where, upon being con-
densed, a vacuum was formed, which enabled the atmosphere to act. It was, therefore, the
atmosphere, and not the steam which was the moving power. In 1705, a patent was taken
out for au improved engine on the same principle, in the names of Newcomen, Crawley,
and Savery. It was iu 1764, that James Watt was employed to repair a model of one of
these engines belonging to the Natural Philosophy class in Glasgow college. He was
struck with the defects of the machine, and set about improving it. In 1768, he com-
pleted his first engine, which, as with those uow in use, differed from that of Newcomen
by the condensation of the steam taking place in a second vessel, so that the descent
of the piston was produced by the force of the steam, and not by atmospheric pressure;
the ascent of the piston was also produced by the power of the steam. The engine of Watt
was therefore a true steam-engine; those which preceded it can. only be considered as
vol. ii. 3 A