17 
» 
should be very regular, and as one means of obviating any 
danger on that score he recommended that two feed-pumps 
should be used instead of one. (Mr. Hart op referred to a 
diagram to explain the position of his proposed pumps.) 
In conclusion, Mr. H. observed that he believed eight out 
every ten accidents that occurred to steam-boat engines 
arose from the want of a regular supply of water ; and he 
remarked that it was a lamentable fact that the real 
cause of an accident of that sort could never be got at by a 
Coroner's inquest. He had read reports of a great many 
inquiries of that sort, but the results were always unsatis- 
factory ; indeed, when there were so many interested indi- 
viduals necessarily examined, they ought not to look there 
for the truth. Practical men generally knew how these 
things happened, and on two or three occasions, many 
months after such an accident had gone by, it had been 
whispered to him how the facts really occurred. 
The Rev. Theo. Barnes said that every improvement of 
the steam engine, whether in the boiler or the working 
part of it, was of utility, inasmuch as that it enabled man 
to get further into the bowels of the earth. They ought, 
therefore, to do justice to the gentleman who had introduced 
the improvement in the Cornish boilers which Mr, Hartop 
had des(iribed. For those improvements they were indebted 
to Mr. Hornblower. It was at first doubted that his inven- 
tion would effect the saving that he predicted, and many 
were reluctant to try it, upon which he made proposals 
to put up the boilers at his own cost, and to take ten 
per cent, annually upon the increased profits, the quantity 
of work done being registered by a counter. When 
he returned at the end of a year, it was found that the pro- 
fits had really been very great, for they had been enabled 
to work mines that they had previously abandoned ; and as 
the mining proprietors did not like to pay him such large 
sums as the original agreement would entitle him to, a fresh 
arrangement was made by which they were at liberty to 
use his invention on payment of a definite sum. An idea 
had been tlirown out that the supply of coal might possibly 
fail ; that, however, was not very likely to happen, if they 
were to go on improving their steam engines ; and he trusted 
that such an event was far distant, and that the pros- 
perity of the town of Leeds would go on advancing 
- satisfactorily. 
Mr. SiMES said he was apprehensive that the 80 yards 
chimneys which Mr. Hartop recommended would not carry 
away the smoke from the houses of the inhabitants so well 
as the 120 yards chimneys. 
B 
