SMEATON. 
fij-st of December, in that year, lie was ap- 
pointed, at a full board of Greenwich Hos- 
pital, in a manner highly flattering to him- 
self, when two other persons strongly re- 
commended, and powerfully supported, 
were candidates for the employment. In this 
appointment he was very happy, by the as- 
sistance and abilities of his partner, Mr. 
Walton, one of the receivers, who taking 
upon himself the management and accounts, 
left Mr. Smeaton leisure and opportunity to 
exert his abilities on public works, as well 
as to make any improvements in the mills, 
and in the estates, of Greenwich Hospital. 
By the year 1775, he had so much busi- 
ness as a civil engineer, that he w’ished to 
resign this appointment ; and would have 
done it then, had not his friends, the late 
Mr. Stuart, the hospital surveyor, and Blr. 
Ibbetsoh, their secretary, prevailed upon 
him to continue in tire office about two 
years longer. 
Mr. Smeaton having now got into full 
business as a civil engineer, performed 
many works of general utility. He marie 
the river Calder navigable, a work that re- 
quired great skill and judgment, owing to 
the very impetuous floods in that river. He 
planned and attended the execution of the 
great canal in Scotland, for conveying the 
trade of the country either to the Atlantic 
or German Ocean j and having brought it 
to the place originally intended, he declined 
a handsome yearly salary, in order that he 
might attend to the multiplicity of his other 
business. 
On the opening of the great arch at Lon- 
don bridge, the excavation around and un- 
der the starlings was so considerable, that 
the bridge was thought to be in great dan- 
ger of falling. He was then in Yorkshire, 
and was sent for by express, and arrived 
with the utmost dispatch. “ I think” says 
Mr. Holmes, the author of his Life, “itw'as 
on a Saturday morning, when the appre- 
hension of the bridge was so general that 
few would pass over or under it. He ap- 
plied himself immediately to examine it, 
and to sound about the starlings as mi- 
nutely as he could ; and the committee be- 
ing called together, adopted his advice, 
which was to repurchase the stones that 
had baen taken from the middle pier, then 
lying in Moorfieids,,and to throw them into 
the river to guard the starlings.” Nothing 
shows the appreiiensions concerning the 
falling of the bridge more than the alacrity 
with wliicli this advice was pursued; the 
stones were repurchased that day, horses, 
carts, and barges were got ready, and they 
began tlie work on Sunday morning. Tims, 
Mr. Smeaton, in all limnan probability, 
saved London bridge from falling, and se- 
cured it till more effectual methods could 
be taken. 
The vast variety of mills which Mr. 
Smeaton constructed, so greatly to the sa- 
tisfaction and advantage of the owners, will 
show the great use which he made of his 
experiments in 1753 and 1753 ; for lie ne- 
ver trusted to theory in any ease where he 
could have an opportunity to investigate it 
by experiment. He built a steam engine 
at Austhorpe, and made experiments there- 
on, purposely to ascertain the power of 
Newcomen’s steam engine, wbich be im- 
proved and brought to a far greater degree 
of perfection, botii in its construction and 
powers, than it was before. 
BIr, Smeaton, during many years of bis 
life, was a frequent attendant on parlia- 
ment, his opinion being continually called 
for. And here his strength of judgment and 
perspicuity of expression had its full dis- 
play. It was his constant custom, when 
applied to plan or support any measure, 
to make himself fully acquainted witli it, 
to see its merits, before he would engage 
in it. By this caution, added to the clear- 
ness of his description and the integrity of 
his heart, he seldom failed to obtain for the 
biil which he supported an act of parlia- 
ment. No one was heard with more atten- 
tion, nor had any one ever more confidence 
placed in liis testimony. In the courts of 
law he had several compliments paid him 
from the beach by Lord Mansfield and 
others, for the new light which he threw oa 
difficult subjects. 
About the year 1785, BIr. Smeaton's 
health began to decline ; and he then took 
the resolution to endeavour to avoid all the 
business he could, so that he might have 
leisure to publish an account of his inven- 
tions and works, which was certainly the 
first wish of his heart; for he has often 
been beard to say, that “ he thought he 
could not render so much service to his 
country as by doing that.” He got only his 
account of the Eddystone light-house com- 
pleted, and some preparations to his in- 
tended Treatise on Mills ; for he could not 
resist the solicitations of his friends in va- 
rious works : and BIr. Aubert, whom he 
greatly loved and respected, being chosen 
chairman of Ramsgate harbour, prevailed 
upon him to accept the 'place of engineer ta 
tliat harbour ; and to Uieir joint efforts the 
