president's address. 163 



Institution of Oornwall, but, as it is extremely vahiahle and 

 interesting, I have thought it advisable to print it in extenso as 

 an appendix to this addresss. 



Smiles in his " Lives of the Engineers " tells us that iSavery 

 was born at Thilston, near Modbury (not far from Plymouth) and 

 suggests that it is probable that he was led to this most important 

 invention by the circumstance of his having been brought up in 

 the neighbourhood of the mining districts and of his being aware 

 of the great difhculty experienced by the miners in keeping their 

 pits clear of water. The early tin-mining of Cornwall was for 

 the most part what was called stream- work, being confined mainly 

 to washing and collecting the diluvial deposits of ore. Mines 

 usually grew out of these stream-works, the ground was laid 

 open at the back of the lodes and the ore was dug out as from a 

 quarry. Some of these old openings, called "Coffins," are still 

 to be met with in different parts of Cornwall. 



The miners did not venture miu-h below the surface for fear 

 of the water, but, as the upper strata became exhausted, they 

 were tempted to go deeper in search of the richer ores. Shafts 

 were sunk to the lodes, and these were followed underground. 

 Then it was that the difficulty of water had to be overcome ; for 

 unless it could be got rid of the deeper ores of Cornwall were so 

 much buried treasure. When the mines were of no great depth 

 it was possible to bale out the water by hand-buckets. But this 

 expedient was soon exhausted and the power of horses was then 

 employed to draw the buckets. Sometimes, also, a whin or gin, 

 moving on a perpendicular axis, was employed to draw the 

 water. But in one pit after another the miners were being 

 drowned out, and the operations of an important branch of 

 national industry were in danger of being brought to a sudden 

 conclusion. 



It was under these circuiustances that Cajitain Savery turned 

 his attention to the contrivance of a more powerful engine for the 

 raising of water ; and after various experiments he became 

 persuaded that the most effective agency for the purpose was the 

 power of steam. The uses to which Savery proposed to apply 

 his engine Avere various, but the most important in the inventor's 

 estimation was its employment in clearing tin mines and coalpits 

 of water. 



