CHAPTEE VIII. 



STEAM. 



THE expansive force of steam has long been known, 

 but its perfected use is of contemporary appli- 

 cation. In 1830, the French fleet which took part 

 in the Algerian expedition included 500 sailing 

 vessels of an average burden of 500 tons for a body 

 of 30,000 men, and one steamer, the Sphinx, of 

 160 tons. 



In 1880, the number of vessels which went through 

 the Suez Canal, carrying 100,000 soldiers and as 

 many civilians, was 2,025, and they were of 4,344,465 

 tons burden, or 2,145 tons each. 



After centuries of war and destruction, steam and 

 electricity seem likely to open an era of unlimited 

 progress, by multiplying the means of pacific com- 

 munications between the peoples of the earth. Let us 

 go back for a moment to the origin of the invention 

 of steam power and its various applications. 



i. 



England, as regards maritime navigation, and the 

 United States as regards fluvial navigation, having 



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