IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES. 8.9 



The S W. extreme, Lat. 2 52 N. Long. 131 07 E. 

 The N N. extreme, Lat. 3 06 N. Long. 131 23 E. 



These are all in the usual course to and from China, of ships 

 going round New Holland, and returning by the eastern pas- 

 sage. 



No. XIX. 



FIRST Report of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, to the American 

 Philosophical Society, held at Philadelphia; in answer to the en- 

 quiry of the Society of Rotterdam, "Whether any, and what 

 " improvements have been made in the construction of Steam- 

 " Engines in America ?" 



Philadelphia, 20th May, 1803. 

 Gentlemen, 



THE Report due from me to the Society, in consequence 

 of the enquiry made by the Society of Rotterdam, as to the 

 improvements made in America, in the construction of steam- 

 engines, would have been laid before you at a much earlier 

 period, had it not been my wish to submit several American 

 alterations in the construction of steam-engines, which pro- 

 mised to be very valuable improvements, to the test of expe- 

 rience: and this delay has not been without its use; for it has 

 been discovered that some of our innovations, the theory of 

 which appeared to be very perfect, have proved extremely 

 deficient in practical utility. 



In this first report 1 will therefore confine myself to such im- 

 provements as have had a fair trial, in engines actually at work. 



Steam-engines, on the old construction, were introduced in 

 America above 40 years ago. Two, I believe, were put up in 

 New-England before the revolutionary war; and one, (which 

 I have seen) at the copper-mine on the river Passaick, in 

 New-Jersey, known by the name of the Schuyler-mine. All 



o 



