STEAM ENGINE. 5G1 
and it does not seem to have required any great stretch of 
imagination to direct such an efficient power to other pur¬ 
poses besides the raising of water. 
The first attempt, however, on record to apply steam to 
navigation, was made by a person of the name of Jonathan 
Hulls, who, on the 21st of December 1736, obtained a Pa¬ 
tent, to endure for 14 years, for what may, without any im¬ 
propriety, be called a Steain-Roat. The Letters Patent, and 
a description of this boat, illustrated with a plate, are con¬ 
tained in a very rare Tract, published by Hulls in 1737, 
under the following title: “ A Description and Draught of 
a new invented Machine for carrying Vessels or Ships out of 
or into any Harbour, Port, or River, against Wind and Tide, 
or in a Calm.” 
Thus, Jonathan Hulls appears to have been the first person 
who suggested the propulsion of vessels by paddle-wheels 
moved by steam. His mode of converting the rectilineal 
into a rotatory motion was ingenious, though not so simple 
as the crank. It is most probable, however, that he pos¬ 
sessed not the means, and did not receive at the time suffi¬ 
cient encouragement to carry his scheme into execution. 
A long interval elapsed before a similar project was at¬ 
tempted. About the year 1772, the celebrated Mr. Watt 
liad completely remodelled the steam engine; and before 
1779 it was, by various improvements, reduced to a com¬ 
modious form, and adapted to almost every purpose where 
great power was required. The idea of employing it to pro¬ 
pel vessels then naturally suggested itself. One of the first 
to whom it occurred, was the Marquis De Jouffroy, who, in 
1781, constructed a steam-boat on the Saone, at Lyons; it 
was 140 feet long, and he made several experiments with it. 
In the year 1785, two keen competitors for the invention 
of steam navigation, appeared in America; namely, James 
llumsey, of Virginia, and John Fitch, of Philadelphia. 
But Mr. Symington was the first person who had the merit 
of successfully applying the power of the steam engine to the 
propulsion of vessels. Thomas Lord Dundas, of Kerse, 
wished him to construct a steam-boat for dragging vessels on 
the Forth and Clyde Canal, in place of horses. Agreeably 
to his Lordship’s request, a series of experiments, -which cost 
nearly 3000/., were set on foot in the year 1801, and ended 
in 1802, upon a larger scale, and more improved plan, having 
a steam cylinder 22 inches diameter, and four feet stroke; and 
in March 1802, Lord Dundas, Archibald Speirs, Esq., of 
Elderslee, and several gentlemen of their acquaintance being 
on board, the steam-boat took in drag two loaded vessels. 
Active and Euphemia, of Grangemouth, Gow and Espline, 
masters, each upwards of 70 tons burthen, and with great 
ease carried them through the long reach of the Forth and 
Clyde Canal, to Port-Dundas, a distance of 19j miles, in 
six hours, although the whole time it blew a very strong 
breeze right a-heacl; so much so, that no other vessels could 
move to windward, in the canal, that day, but those the 
steamer had in tow; which put beyond the possibility of 
doubt the utility of the scheme in canals or rivers, and ulti¬ 
mately on open seas ; though in this state of forwardness it 
was opposed by some narrow-minded proprietors of the 
navigation, under a very mistaken idea, that the undulation 
of the water occasioned by the motion of the wheel, would 
wash and injure its banks: in consequence the boat was, 
with great reluctance, laid up in a creek of the canal, near 
Bainsford Drawbridge. In the year 1811, Henry Bell con¬ 
structed the first steam-boat. Comet, to ply on the river 
Clyde, which was soon followed there by many more. 
Considering the importance to America of navigating her 
mighty rivers, it is not surprising that the application of the 
power of steam to the propulsion of boats should, by perse¬ 
vering efforts, have been first carried into successful practice 
in that continent. This was achieved by the activity and 
zeal of Mr. Fulton, who appears evidently, however, to have 
derived all his primary knowledge of the subject from Mr. 
Symington’s. 
The first American steam-boat which completely suc¬ 
ceeded, was launched at New York on the 3d of October 
Vol. XXIII. No. 1591. 
1807 (five years before the construction of the Comet, at 
Port-Glasgow), and soon after plyed between that city and 
Albany, a distance of 160 miles. 
In Britain, steam vessels were brought into general use in 
1812, upon the Clyde. They were built at Port-Glasgow, 
Greenock, and Dumbarton, where the art of ship-building 
had for many years been conducted by carpenters eminent 
in their profession. 
Having thus endeavoured to give a sketch of the origin of 
steam navigation, we shall now proceed to describe the form 
and parts of a steam-boat (suppose of 100 tons), and to some 
other details, calculated to furnish a more particular view of 
the present state of steam navigation in Britain and other 
countries. 
Fig. 1. PI. IV., is an elevation; fig. 2, a longitudinal 
section; fig. 3, a ground plan; fig. 4, a transverse section. 
The same letters refer alike to the respective parts of each 
figure: A, the two boilers, with their two manhole doors, 
one to each; B, the chimney; C, the steam pipes; D D, the 
cylinders of the two engines; E E, the two air pumps; F, 
the side lever; one on each side of each engine; GG, the 
crank of the paddle-wheel shaft; H, the rod that works the 
steam valves or hand gear, moved backward and forward 
by an eccentric wheel on the shaft; I, the nozzles ; K, pil¬ 
lars of the framing; LL, the area where the firemen stands 
to put coals into the furnace; M M, place where the coals 
are stowed away ; N N, the paddle-wheels and covers ; O, 
ladies’ parlour; P, principal cabin; Q, second cabin ; having 
each a raised lantern or sky light, besides the lateral windows 
©f P and Q; R, steward’s room ; S, breakfasting room; T T, 
refreshment rooms for the second cabin passengers; U, small 
boat ready to be let down on an emergency; V, rudder • 
W W, seamen’s beds; XX, space for lumber or spare fuel. 
The fireman stands in the space L L; an iron trap-ladder 
leads down to it from the deck, flush with which are two 
horizontal gratings for the admission of fresh air to himself 
and the fire; his coals are built up behind him, and he 
brings down only a few lumps at a time, which he breaks 
into small pieces as required. The chimney B, is a series of 
sheet-iron cylinders rivetted at the joints, and slipt the one 
over the other. Each boiler has a flue within, making various 
convolutions under the surface of the water; through which 
the smoke and flame pass, until they enter the chimney. 
These wheels being ponderous, acquire sufficient momen¬ 
tum to turn the crank, and supersede the necessity of a fly. 
The air-pump, feed-pump, and occasional cold water-pump, 
are wrought by rods from F F, the side horizontal levers. 
To prevent the w'aste steam of the boilers from annoying the 
passengers, a pipe conveys it into the chimney. Besides this, 
a waste steam valve is within reach of the engine-man, who 
loads and unloads it as he finds necessary. It is a curious 
fact, that a great flow of steam into the chimney prevents 
black smoke from issuing from it, which otherwise would. 
The paddle-wheels are firmly wedged on their shaft, and 
whatever pressure they exert against the water causes an 
equal re-action on the vessel, which is thus impelled either 
forwards or backwards according to the direction of circum¬ 
volution. 
The principal cabin is painted, and otherwise tastefully 
fitted up, and furnished with a stove, the chimney of which 
rises up through the deck. The second cabin occupies the 
fore-end of the vessel, and is also completely furnished, 
though less elegantly. Sma’l steam-boats, from 30 tons 
upwards, are generally laid out much in the same way, 
only varying according to the nature of their employment. 
When intended for sea voyages, a great part of the interna! 
space is allotted for sleeping births. 
It is remarkable that, after the first successful trial, very 
little improvement has been made in the construction of 
steam vessels. Experience has only fixed the suitable pro¬ 
portions of the several parts. Much, however, still remains 
to be done. The great objects w'anted are to increase the 
power of the engine ; to avoid the waste of force in the play 
of the paddles; and to render their action more equable. 
7 D The 
