4S ENGINE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS* 



REMARKS. -W. tf . 

 ConfiHeratlon of The convenience and facilities afforded by Mr. Harriott's 



the two principal _ . ... , . , , , i • 



•bjedlions to a Engine, will be obvious to every one ; and the only circum- 

 water engine fiances which can be urged in the way of objection againft it, 

 cane. ° ' are tno ^ e wmcr * ne has himfelf noticed ; namely, that it in 

 general requires the water to be railed, which is to work it as 

 Labour of raifing a crane, and that this water is fubjecr to freeze. To meet 

 the Water, the f e difficulties fairly, we mud admit, that if a ton of water 

 were raifed to the top of a warehoufe, in order by its fall to 

 raife a ton of goods (even if it could do that) it would be Am- 

 pler for the warehoufeman to raife his goods without the in- 

 tervention of the fluid. But while we admit this general 

 truth, it muft alfo be obferved, that the petitions do not include 

 compared with the whole of the a&ual cafe. The raifing and lowering of 

 ployed to hoift g°°ds being a procefs of coniiderable fkill and intelligence, 

 aad lower goods, and being neceflarily carried on with many flops, interruptions, 

 and variations of force, is on thefe accounts performed by the 

 molt expenfive of all firft movers; namely, the flrength of 

 men, and even this power is for a large part of the time inac- 

 tive; namely, during all the intervals of operation. Here 

 then is a wide field for the faving of force, if it could be ftored 

 Men. up and u fed when wanted. Suppofe for example, that two 



men were employed in a crane, and that the paufes of inac- 

 tivity amounted to one third of their whole time, thefe men 

 would be more beneficially employed in raifing water, to be 

 afterwards directed by a boy, or by the foot of a clerk who 

 Hoifes. ftood by, to keep account of the delivery of packages. But 



as borfe work is reckoned at lead rive times as cheap as human 

 labour, the faving of labour by employing that animal, would 

 Steam. k e a bout fix fevenths of the whole ; and fleam engine work 



upon a very fmall fcale indeed, would be as cheap again as 

 laved bv°Mr. ^orfe work. Hence it appears, that after every allowance for 

 Harriott's engine the greater quantity of water required to produce velocity by 

 (fupplied by Jt fal] and for other circumftances the faving of labour muft 



fteam) would ' . ° 



exceed fix fe- be very great, by thus economizing and itonng up the force, 



venths of that exc i u fi ve f the conveniences detailed by Mr. Harriott in his 

 now expended. . 



letter. 



Froft would The freezing of the water is an impediment of fuch a na- 



Xa P iUn b mill ture ' that lt wiU P erha P s be found that the operations of na- 

 work as it does tural 



other engines 3 



