THE CONQUEST OF NATURE 



engine which is described in the Report of the De- 

 partment of Science and Arts of the South Kensington 

 Museum, as "the first real pumping engine ever made." 



The same report describes the engine as "a vertical 

 steam cylinder provided with a piston connected at one 

 end of the beam, having a pivot or bearing in the 

 middle of its length, and at the other end of the beam 

 pump rods for working the pump. The cylinder was 

 surrounded by a second cylinder or jacket, open at the 

 top, and cold water could be supplied to this outer 

 cylinder at pleasure. The single or working cylinder 

 could be supplied with steam when desired from a 

 boiler below it. There was a drain pipe from the bot- 

 tom of the working cylinder, and one from the outer 

 cylinder. For the working of the engine steam was 

 admitted to the working cylinder, so as to fill it and expel 

 all the air, the piston then being at the top, owing to the 

 weight of the pump rods being sufficient to lift it; then 

 the steam was shut off and the drain cocks closed and 

 cold water admitted to the outer cylinder, so that the 

 steam in the working cylinder condensed, and, leaving 

 a partial vacuum of pressure of the atmosphere, forced 

 the piston down and drew up the pump rods, thus mak- 

 ing a stroke of the pump. Then the water was drawn 

 off from the outer cylinder and steam admitted to the 

 working cylinder before allowing the piston to return 

 to the top of its stroke, ready for the next down stroke." 



It will be observed that this machine adopts the 

 principle, with only a change of mechanical details, 

 of the Papin engine just described. A later improve- 

 ment made by Newcomen did away with the outer 



[90] 



