124 THE WATT AND THE TREVITHICK ENGINES. 



twenty-seven strokes per minute. It is much admired 

 by everyone that has seen it, and saves a considerable 

 quantity of coa] when compared with a Boulton and 

 Watt. Mr. Williams, Mr. Eobert Fox, Mr. Gould, and 

 Captain William Davey were here, and much liked the 

 engine ; they gave me an order for one for Cornwall 

 as a specimen." This particular engine was for driving 

 machinery in a cannon manufactory. A high-pressure 

 pumping engine was at work at Greenwich, and some 

 were at work in Cornwall. 



" PENYDARRAN, near CARDIFF, 

 " ME. GIDDY, " October Irf, 1803. 



" Sir, In consequence of the engine bursting at Green- 

 wich, I have been on thej spot to inspect its effects. I found it 

 had burst in every direction. The bottom stood whole on its seat- 

 ing ; it parted at the level of the chimney. The boiler was cast 

 iron, about 1 inch thick, but some parts were nearly 1 J inch ; 

 it was a round boiler, 6 feet diameter ; the cylinder was 8 inches 

 diameter, working double ; the bucket was 18 inches diameter, 

 21 feet column, working single, from which you can judge the 

 pressure required to work this engine. The pressure, it appears, 

 when the engine burst, must have been very great, for there 

 was one piece of the boiler, about 1 inch thick and about 5 cwt., 

 thrown upwards of 125 yards ; and from the hole it cut in the 

 ground on its fall, it must have been nearly perpendicular and 

 from a very great height, for the hole it cut was from 12 to 

 18 inches deep. Some of the bricks were thrown 200 yards, 

 and not two bricks were left fast to each other, either in the 

 stack or round the boiler. It appears the boy that had care of 

 the engine was gone to catch eels in the foundation of the build- 

 ing, and had left the care of it to one of the labourers ; this man, 

 seeing the engine working much faster than usual, stopped it, 

 without taking off a spanner which fastened down the steam- 

 lever, and a short time after being idle it burst, killed three 

 on the spot and another died soon after of his injuries. The 

 boy returned that instant, and was then going to take off the 



