A history of the growth of the steam-engine . 78 THE STEAM-ENGINE AS A TEAIN OF MECHANISM. century, the steam-engine had become generally introduced,and had been applied to nearly all of the purposes for whicha single-acting engine could be used. The path which hadbeen opened by Worcester had been fairly laid out by Saveryand his contemporaries, and the builders of the Newcomenengine, with such improvements as they had been able to ef-fect, had followed it as far as they were able. The real andpractical introduction of the steam-engine is as fairly at-tributable to Smeaton as to any one of the
A history of the growth of the steam-engine . 78 THE STEAM-ENGINE AS A TEAIN OF MECHANISM. century, the steam-engine had become generally introduced,and had been applied to nearly all of the purposes for whicha single-acting engine could be used. The path which hadbeen opened by Worcester had been fairly laid out by Saveryand his contemporaries, and the builders of the Newcomenengine, with such improvements as they had been able to ef-fect, had followed it as far as they were able. The real andpractical introduction of the steam-engine is as fairly at-tributable to Smeaton as to any one of the inventors whosenames are more generally known in connection with it. Asa mechanic, he was unrivaled ; as an engineer, he was headand shoulders above any constructor of his time engaged ingeneral practice. There were very few important publicworks built in Great Britain at that time in relation towhich he was not consulted ; and he was often visited byforeign engineers, who desired his advice with regard toworks in progress on the CHAPTER HI. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN WATT AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES. The world ia now entering upon the Mechanical Epoch. There ia noth-ing in the future more aure than the great triurapha which that epoch ia toachieve. It haa already advanced to acme glorioua conquests. What mira-cles of invention now crowd upon us ! Look abroad, and contemplate theinfinite achievements of the ateam-power. And yet we have only begun—we are but on the threshold of thisepoch. . What is it but the setting of the great diatinctive seal upon thenineteenth century ?—an advertisement of the fact that society has riaen tooccupy a higher platform than ever before ?—a proclamation from the highplacea, announcing honor, honor immortal, to the workmen who fill thisworld with beauty, comfort, and power—^honor to be forever embalmed inhistory, to be perpetuated in monuments, to be written in the hearts of thiaand succeeding generations!—^
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