Pump Enginefrom Decaus.
319
Chap. 7/
Schottus saw tried at Nuremberg in 1656. In giving an account of it,Schottus remarks that the invention was not then new, it being known inother cities, and he himself remembered having seen a small one in hisnative city (Königshofen ) forty years before, consequently about 1617.We are not informed by either the professor or jesuit of the particularconstruction of this small engine, but there is a book extant that was pub-lished in 1615, which contains a figure and description of a German engine of that time, and which furnishes the information desired. Thisbook is the “Forcible Movements” of Decaus, a work which, like theTheatre des Instrumens of Besson, escaped the notice of Beckman.®
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This machine is named “ A rare and necessary Engin, by which youmay give great reliefe to houses that are on fire we give the whole ofthe explanation : “ This engin is much practiced in Germany , and it hath
been seen what great and ready help it may bring; for although the firebe 40 foot high, the said engin shall there cast its water by help of fouror five men lifting up and putting down a long handle, in form of a lever,where the handle of the pump is fastned : the said pump is easily un-derstood : there are two suckers [valves] within it, one below to open whenthe handle is lifted up, and to shut when it is put down ; and another toopen to let out the water: and at the end of the said engin there is a manwhich holds the copper pipe, turning it to and again to the place wherethe fire shall be.” In other words, this was a single forcing pump, suchas figured at No. 118, and secured in a tub. For the convenience of
a Of Decaus’ history scarcely any tliing is known—even his naare is !eti. in doubt, forhe is sometimes named Isauk, at others Solomon de Caus. An account ofhis book maybe seen in Stuart’s Anecdotes of the Steam-Engine, vol. i, p. 27. But there seems to bean error in the note given of the English translation by Leak, which is stated to havebeen made in 1707, whereas the copy in our possession is dated nearly fifty years ear-lier. It is entitled “ New and rare inventions of Water-works, shewing the easiestwaies to raise water higher then the spring ; by which invention the perpetual inotionis proposed, many hard labours performed and varieties of motions and sounds pro-duced. A work both usefull, profitable and delightfull for all sorts of people : firstwritten in French by Isaak de Caus, a late faraous Engenier, and now translated intoEnglish by John Leak.” London : printed by and for Joseph Moxon , 1659.