A history of the growth of the steam-engine . pipewas fitted, leading nearly to the bottom, and open at thetop. Fire being applied, the steam formed by its elasticforce drove the water out through the vertical pipe, raisingit to a height limited only by either the desire of thebuilder or the strength of the vessel. In 1629, Giovanni Branca, of the Italian town of Loretto,described, in a work published at Rome, a number of in-genious mechanical contrivances, among which was a steam-engine (Fig. 6), in which the steam, issuing from a boilei-,impinged upon the vanes of a horizontal wheel. This it
A history of the growth of the steam-engine . pipewas fitted, leading nearly to the bottom, and open at thetop. Fire being applied, the steam formed by its elasticforce drove the water out through the vertical pipe, raisingit to a height limited only by either the desire of thebuilder or the strength of the vessel. In 1629, Giovanni Branca, of the Italian town of Loretto,described, in a work published at Rome, a number of in-genious mechanical contrivances, among which was a steam-engine (Fig. 6), in which the steam, issuing from a boilei-,impinged upon the vanes of a horizontal wheel. This itwas proposed to apply to many Le Machine deverse del Signior Giovanni Branca, cittadino Romano,Ingegniero, Architetto della Sta. Casa di Loretto. Roma MDCXXIX. THE PERIOD OF SPECULATION. 17 At this time experiments were in progress in Englandwhich soon resulted in the useful application of steam-power to raising water. A patent, dated January 21,1630, was granted to DavidRamseye by Charles I., which covered a numher of dis-. FiG. 6.—Brancas Steam-Engine, A. D. 1629. tinct inventions. These were : 1. To multiply and makesaltpeter in any open field, in fower acres of ground, suffi-cient to serve all our dominions. 2. To raise water fromlow pitts by fire. 3. To make any sort of mills to goe onstanding waters by continual motion, without help of wind,water, or horse. 4. To make all sortes of tapistrie withoutany weaving-loom, or waie ever yet in use in this To make boats, shippes, and barges to goe against strongwind and tide. 6. To make the earth more fertile than To raise water from low places and mynes, and coalpitts, by a new waie never yet in use. 8. To make hardiron soft, and likewise coppef to be tuflfe and soft, which isnot in use in this kingdome. 9. To make yellow waxe whiteverie speedilie. This -seems to have been the first authentic reference to Rymers Foedera, Sanderson. Ewbanks Hydraulics, p. 419. 18 THE STEAM-ENGINE AS A SIMPLE
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