pkesident's address. 169 



Wni. Hedley who took out a patent (No. 3666) in 1813. The 

 engine that he constructed at Wylam for Mr. Blackett has now 

 been placed in S. Kensington Museum where it can be seen. It 

 solved the problem of traction on iron rails and worked success- 

 fully for forty years. It was known as the " Puffing Billy " from 

 the name of its maker, and was frequently seen by George 

 Stephenson, and there can be no doubt that his knowledge of 

 Hedley's engine assisted Stephenson in producing his own engine 

 which was the parent of the modern locomotive as we know it 

 to-day. 



But I have no intention of giving a history of the develop- 

 ment of the steam engine, although that most fascinating stor}-- 

 has not even yet been fully told. My object is rather to refer to 

 the connexion of our county of Cornwall with that development. 

 William Morshead, junr., 17th Nov., 1863, at the Institute of 

 Civil Engineers (John Eobinson McLean, V.P. in the chair) said 

 " Cornwall may justly be considered as the birthplace and home 

 of the steam engine. It was for draining its mines that the 

 engines of Savery andNewcomen were designed ; and to the early 

 encouragement afforded by the Cornish miners may be attributed 

 no small share of the success which attended Watt." 



Last year in the October •23rd number of the journal called 

 "Engineering" is a report of a paper read 16th Oct, at the 

 Institute of Mechanical Engineers by Mr. Henry Davey a mem- 

 ber of the council, entitled " The Newcomen Engine " which Mr. 

 Davey writes me he is now about to republish in a pamphlet 

 form. But I will avail myself of a few of the interesting particu- 

 lars which he collected with so much trouble, and also of some of 

 the letters in reference to his lecture which were published in 

 "Engineering" at about the same date. Drawings and details 

 are given of the Newcomen winding engine at Farme Colliery, 

 Rutherglen, Glasgow, which Sir Wm. Arroll, M.P. told me a 

 few days ago he himself had seen quite recently still at work as 

 it had been working since its erection by John Mclntyre in 1818. 

 Mr. Alexander Henderson, the manager, wrote me on the 9tli 

 instant (May, 1904): — 



"The old Farme Colliery engine is still in active work although 

 only drawing coals from the two upper seams in the old pit, say 

 from 100 to 120 tons per day, mainly to relieve the other pit. 



