A history of the growth of the steam-engine . experimenting, in 1786-87,with boats having double or triple hulls, and propelled bypaddle-wheels placed between the parts of the compoundvessel. James Taylor, a young man who had been engagedas tutor for Mr. Millers sons, suggested, in 1787, the sub-stitution of steam for the manual power which had been,up to that time, relied upon in their propulsion. Mr, Milrler, in 1787, printed a description of his plan of propellingapparatus, and in it stated that he had reason to believe11 242 THE MODERN STEAM-ENGINE. that the power of the Steam-Engine may h
A history of the growth of the steam-engine . experimenting, in 1786-87,with boats having double or triple hulls, and propelled bypaddle-wheels placed between the parts of the compoundvessel. James Taylor, a young man who had been engagedas tutor for Mr. Millers sons, suggested, in 1787, the sub-stitution of steam for the manual power which had been,up to that time, relied upon in their propulsion. Mr, Milrler, in 1787, printed a description of his plan of propellingapparatus, and in it stated that he had reason to believe11 242 THE MODERN STEAM-ENGINE. that the power of the Steam-Engine may he applied to workthe wheels. In the winter of 1787-88, William Symmington, whohad planned a new form of steam-engine, and made a success-ful working-model, was employed by Mr. Miller to constructan engine for a new boat. This was built; the little engine,having two cylinders of but four inches in diameter, wasplaced on board, and a trial was made October 14, vessel (Fig. 72) was 25 feet long, of 7 feet beam, andmade 5 miles an Fig. 72.—Miller, Taylor, and Symmington, 1788. In the year 1789, a large vessel was built, with an enginehaving a steam-cylinder 18 inches in diameter, and this ves-sel was ready for trial in November of that year. On thefirst trial, the -paddle-wheels proved too slight, and brokedown ; they were replaced by stronger wheels, and, in De-cember, the boat, on trial, made seven miles an hour. Miller, like many other inventors, seems to have lost hisinterest in the matter as soon as success seemed assured,and dropped it to take up other incomplete plans. Morethan a quarter of a century later, the British Governmentgave Taylor a pension of £50 per annum, and, in 1837, his STEAM-NAVIGATION. 243 four daughters were each given a similar annuity. received no reward, although he is said to have ex-pended over £30,000. The engine of Symmington wascondemned by Miller as the most improper of all steam-engines for giving mojbion to a vessel
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidc, booksubjectsteamengines
