The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE STEAM PACKET. 5 pitches and performs its motions with far more ease than those vessels whose decks rise into a little mountain abaft. Ships, built upon the American plan, are much less liable to “‘ camber,” or break their backs, than those whose extremities yield considerably at the moment of launching, in consequence of their heaviness. The draught of an American schooner is double at the stern what it is forward, or at the bow: her greatest breadth is before the centre; and she can beara large surface of sail. | We have now briefly traced the history of ship-building, from its commencement up to the present time: let us conclude this, our intro- ductory chapter, with a few observations upon steam, and its application to navigation. This gigantic prime mover was employed in certain purposes, unconnected with vessels, two thousand years ago. But it was not until the year 1624 that an engine of any importance was constructed ; when De Cans, a learned Frenchman, invented a machine in which high-pressure steam was employed for the purpose of driving up a jet of hot water. In 1682 Sir Samuel Moreland made some experiments upon the elasticity of steam—‘a power,” he says, “‘ of so prodigious a nature that, if closely confined, it will burst like a cannon; but being governed upon statical principles, and by science reduced to measure, weight, and balance, it then bears itself quietly under the harness (like good horses), and becomes of great use to mankind, particularly for the raising of water.” Captain Savery first employed the steam-engine efficiently in draining the mines in Cornwall. Dr. Papin improved upon his plans; and in 1707 Prony, a celebrated French engineer and author, constructed a machine, upon an entirely original scheme, for the purpose of raising water. But amongst those who have chiefly contributed to the im- provement of the steam-engine, the name of James Watt stands pre- eminent, It was in 1698 that Savery first recommended the use of paddle-wheels to the attention of those skilled in naval architecture ; and forty years afterwards Jonathan Hulls obtained a patent fora scheme of paddle-wheels to be moved by an atmospheric engine of considerable power. In 1781, the Abbé Arnal, canon of Alais in Languedoc, proposed a crank for the purpose of turning paddle-wheels in the navigation of lighters. | The first steam-vessel was constructed in the year 1781, at Lyons. ‘The Marquis de Jouffroi was the enterprising individual who deter- mined to prove by experiments the practicability of applying steam to the navigation of vessels. The experiments. which were made upon the river Saone, were completely successful ; but the fury of the Revo- lution intervened, and he was compelled to leave France ere he could a Gomichbooks (E(0)