1 13 
Annual Meeting, April 21, 1862. 
E. W. Binney, F.R.S., F.G.S., President, in the Chair. 
Mr. Leopold Hartley Grindon was elected an Ordinary 
Member of the Society. 
The following reply to Dr. Rankine’s Paper, read at the 
last meeting, was communicated by Mr. Dyer : — 
In Dr. Rankine’s Paper, entitled, “ Note on two Events in 
the History of Steam Navigation,” he calls attention to my 
Paper, Cf 0n the Introduction of Steam Navigation,” and 
expresses regret that “ the Author has noted either very 
slightly, or not at all, an event of paramount importance: — 
the first adaptation of the double acting cranked steam engine, 
to drive a paddle-wheel.” Now, I own to have taken no 
notice at all of this double cranked motion, simply because I 
did not consider it of much importance in attaining success 
in steam navigation. I had before me Mr. Woodcraft’s 
interesting treatise, and I fully appreciated his advocacy of 
the claims of Mr. Symington for having “ fitted up the 
‘ Charlotte Dundas,’ as the first practical steamboat, in 1801.” 
This is fairly stated in iny Paper. 
I aimed to place before the Society the several inventions 
and discoveries relating to the use of steam power to super- 
sede that of wind to navigate vessels, and to prove that the 
final success was due to the invention of Watt's steam engine. 
No great stress need be laid on the double cranked action, or 
on any of the other methods used for transmitting the power 
to the paddle wheels. The principles involved in overcom- 
ing the resisting forces by steam power in navigation, are 
Peoceedings— Lit. and Phil. Society— No. 13.— Session 18C2-3. 
