286 THE COMING OF MAN 



Although Watt and all his friends knew, at the 

 time, that his invention was very important, they 

 could never have dreamed what great changes would 

 come because of it. When he first invented the 

 steam engine it was used to do work in just one place, 

 that is, it was a stationary engine. After a time some 

 one thought to have the engine itself move as it does 

 now in the railway locomotive. Watt himself had 

 said it could be used for that purpose. He lived long 

 enough to take a trip on a steamboat, and to hear that 

 some one was trying to use his engine for a steam 

 carriage. Whenever you see a railroad train you will 

 think how well that attempt has succeeded. 



The stationary steam engine, with its appliances, 

 does the work that the hands of men, women and 

 even children used to do in mills and factories; the 

 steamboat makes travel upon water faster and safer ; 

 and the steam locomotive draws a load a thousand 

 times heavier than • strong horses oould draw, and 

 does it with much greater speed. 



Now what is this steam which people had known 

 about for so long but which the thoughtful young 

 Watt discovered could be harnessed to do most of 

 our work? 



You remember, do you not, that it is another form 

 of water? It is water heated so hot that it evaporates 

 rapidly and fills a much larger space than it did be- 

 fore. So that very same water, which does such a 

 work in making over the surface of the earth, and 

 changing about the minerals hidden in the ground, is, 

 when turned into steam, harnessed by man and used 

 to help him in his work. 



