XIV

CONTENTS.

arts—Fulton, Eli Whitney , and Arkwright—Pressure engines might havc been antieipated, andvaluable lessons in Science may be derived from a disordered pump—Archimedes—Heron’s foun-tain—Portable ones recommended in flower gardens and drawing rooms in hot weather—Theirinvention gave rise to a new dass of hydraulic engines—Pressure engine at Chemnitz —Anothermodification of Heron’s fountain—Spiral pump ofWirtz • -352

BOOK IV.

MACHINES FOR RAISING WATER (CHIEFLY OF MODERN ORIGIN) INCLUDING EARLYAPPLICATIONS OF STEAM FOR THAT PÜRPOSE.

CHAPTER I.

Devices of the lower animals—Some animals aware that force is increased by the space throughwhich a body moves—Birds drop Shell fish from great elevations to break the Shells—Death of./Eschylus—Combats between the males of sheep and goats—Military ram of the ancients—Waterrams—Waves—Momentum acquired by running water—Examples—Whitehurst’s machine—Hy-drauJic ram of Montgolfier—‘ Canne hydraulique’ and its modifications - - - 365

CHAPTER II.

Machines for raising water by fire: air machines—Ancient weather glasses—Dilatation of air byheat and condensation by cold—Ancient Egyptian air machines—Statue of Menmon—Statues ofSerapis and the Bird of Memnon—Decaus’s and Kircher’s machinery to account for the sounds ofthe Theban idol—Remarks on the statue of Memnon—Machine for raising water by the sun’s heat,from Heron—Similar machines in the 16th Century—Air machines by Porta and Decaus—Distillingby the sun’s heat—Musical air machines by Drebble and Decaus—Air machines acted on by ordi-nary fire—Modifications of them employed in ancient altars—Bronze altars—Tricks performed bythe heathen priests with fire—Others by heated air and vapor—Bellows employed in ancient altars—Tricks performed at altars mentioned by Heron—Altar that feeds itself with Harne from Heron—Ingenuity displayed by ancient priests—Secrets of the temples—The Spiritalia—Sketch of itscontents—Curious lustral vase - 374

CHAPTER 111.

On steam : miserable condition of the great portion of the human race in past times—Brightcr pros-pects for posterity—Inorganic motivc foroes—Wonders of steam—Its beueficial influence on man’sfuture destiny—Will supersede nearly all human drudgery—Progress of the arts—Cause why steamwas not formerly employed—Pots boiling over and primitive experiments by females—Steam anagent iu working prodigies—Priests familiär with steam—Sacrifices boiled—Seething bones—Earthquakes—Anthemius and Zeno—Hot baths at Rome—Ball supported on a jet of steam, fromthe Spiritalia—Heron’s whirling eolipile—Steam engines on the same principle—Eolipiles de-scribed by Vitruvius —Their various uses—Heraldic device—Eolipiles from Rivius—Cupelofur-nace and eolipile from Erckers—Similar applications of steam revived and patented—Eolipiles ofthe human form —Ancient tenures—Jack of Hilton—Puster a steam deity of the ancient Germans —Ingenuity of the priests in constructing and working it—Supposed allusions to eolipilic idols in theBible—Employed in ancient wars to project streams of liquid fire—Draft of chimneys improved,perfumes dispersed, and music produced by eolipiles—Eolipiles the germ of modern steam engines 388

CHAPTER IV.

Employment of steam in former times—Claims of various people to the steam engine—Applicationof steam as a motive agent pereeived by Roger Bacon —Other modern inventions and discoveriesknown to him—Spanish steam ship in 1543—Official documents relating to it—Remarks on these—Antiquity of paddle wheels as propellers—Project of the author for propelling vessels—Experi-ments on steam in the 16th Century—Jerome Cardan —Vacuum formet) by the condensation ofsteam known to the alchymists—Experiments from Fludd—Others from Porta—Expansive forceof steam illustrated by old authors—Interesting example of raising water by steam from Porta—Mathesius, Canini and Besson—Device for raising hot water from Decaus—Invention of the steamengine claimed by Arago for France —Nothing new in the apparatus of Decaus nor in the principleof its Operation—Hot springs—Geysers—Boilers with tubulär spouts—Eolipiles—Observations onDecaus—Writings of Porta—Claims of Arago in behalf of Decaus untenable—Instances of hot wa-ter raised by steam in the arts—Manufaclure of soap—Discovery of iodine—Ancient soap makers—Soap vats in Pompeii—Manipulations of ancient mechanics—Löss of ancient writings—Largesums anciently expended on soap—Logic of Omar ----- -402

CHAPTER v.

Few inventions formerly recorded—Lord Bacon —His project ibrdrainingmines—Thomas Bushell—lce produced by hydraulic machines—Eolipiles—Branca’s application of the blast of one to pro-duce motion—Its inutility—Curious extract from Wiikins—Ramseye’s patent for raising water byfire—Manufacture of nitre—Figure illustrating the application of steam, from an old English work—Kircher’s device for raising water by steam—John Bäte—Antiquity of hoys’ kites in England—Discovery of atmospheric pressure—Engine of motion—Anecdotes of Oliver Evans and John Fitch —Elasticity and condensation of steam—Steam engines modifications of guns—A moving pistonthe essential feature in both—Classification of modern steam engines—Guerricke’s apparatus—

The same adopted in steam engines—Guerricke one of the authors of the steam engine - - 416

CHAPTER VI.

Reasons of old inventors for concealing their discoveries—Century of Inventions—Marquis of Wor-cester—His Inventions matured before the civil wars—Several revived since his death—Problemsin the ‘Century’ in older authors—Bird roasting itself—Imprisoning ehair—Portable fortifications—Flying—Diving—Drebble’s sub-marine ship—The 68th problem—This remarkably explicit—

The device consisted of one boiler and two receivers—The receivers charged by atmosphericpressure—Three and four-way cocks—An hydraulic machine of Worcester mentioned by Cosmo