28 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Due de Clioiseul, at the public expense, a large steam carriage, 

 whicli was tried in 1770. We are told by Stewart " that it 

 moved wath such force as to overtm-n a portion of the wall which 

 •was opposed to its progress" — a circumstance tliat induced the 

 idea, that for practicable pui-poses it was not sulficiently control- 

 able. This carriage is now deposited in the Conservatoire des 

 Arts et Metiers, 



Mr. Mui-dock, a Cornish engineer, it is generally admitted, con- 

 structed the first steam carriage in England, somewhere about the 

 year 1782. Of its method of construction and its performances 

 we have not been able to collect any definite information. It 

 certainly could not have answered the purposes intended, or some 

 trace of it would undoubtedly have been left. 



Mr. William Symington, in the year 1786, constructed a model 

 of a steam carriage. The entire machinery is placed in the back 

 of the carriage, and the motion of the piston-rod is communicated 

 to the axle by a rack and pinion, a ratchet being used to prevent 

 the wheels from tui-ning backwards with the return of the piston. 



Bad roads, difliculty of procming water and fuel, caused Sym- 

 ington to abandon his experiments. 



In the United States, Oliver Evans, in the year 1786, applied 

 to the Legislature of Pennsylvania for a patent, or exclusive right 

 to use steam wagons in that State. Eeing considered insane on 

 the subject, no notice was taken of his application. He however 

 was more favoral^ly regarded by the Legislature of Maryland, 

 who granted to him the desired privilege for the term of fourteen 

 years, " on the ground that it could injure no one, and might 

 lead to the production of something useful." (See Laws of Mary- 

 land, 1786.) Not being able to procure sufficient assistance and 

 encouragement to build his carriage, he turned his thoughts to 

 other channels. 



In 1801, however, Evans demonstrated the practicability of a 

 steam carriage in the city of Philadelphia. Being employed by 

 the corporation of that city to construct a " dredging machine," 

 he built both the vessel and the steam engine at his works, a mile 

 and a half from the water. The whole, weighing 42,000 pounds, 

 was mounted on temporary wheels, and moved by connecting them 

 with the endless chain driven by the steam engine, and used for 

 scooping mud and throwing it into lighters. With this imperfect 

 application he propelled his heavy machine a mile and a half to 

 the water. 



Thus it will be seen that to England belongs the credit of hav- 



