The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-26 00:00:00

The Marine Steam Engine•

The name of William Symington is known in
connection with the history of steam locomotion by
sea. He was born at Leadhills, in Scotland, in
1763. His father was a practical mechanic, who
superintended the engines and machinery of the
Mining Company at Wanlockhead, where one of
Boulton and Watt's pumping engines was at work.
Young Symington was of au ingenious turn from
his boyhood ; and at an early period he seems to
have conceived the idea of employing the steam
engine t o drive wheel carriages. His father and
he worked together, and by the year 1786, when
the son was only 23 years of age, they succeeded in
completing a working model of a road locomotive.
Mr. Meason, the manager of the mine, was so much
pleased with the model, the merit, of which princi-
pally belonged to young Symington, that he sent
him into Edinburgh for the purpose of exhibiting
it before the scientific gentlemen of that city,
in the hope that it might lead in some way to his
future advancement in life. Mr. Almon allowed
the model to be exhibited at his house and invited
many gentlemen of distinction to inspect it. But
Symington's engine was not destined to be applied
to road locomotion. He was completely diverted
from employing it for that purpose by his connec-
tion with Mr. Miller, of Dalswinton, then engaged
in experimenting on the application of mechanical
power to the driving of his double paddle-boat. The
power of men was first tried, but the labour was
found too severe ; and when Mr. Miller went to see
Symington's model, and informed the inventor of
his difficulty in obtaining a regular and effective
power for driving his boat, Symington—his mind
naturally full of his own invention—at once suggested
his steam engine for the purpose. This suggestion
was adopted, and Mr. Miller authorised him to
proceed with the construction of a steam engine to
be fitted into his double pleasure boat on Dalswinton
Loch, where it was tried in October, 1782. This
was followed by further experiments, which eventu-
ally led to the construction of the Charlotte Dundas,
in 1801, which may
be regarded as the first practical
steamboat ever built. Symington took out letters
patent in the same year, securing the invention,
or rather the novel combination of inventions, em-
bodied in his steamboat ; but he never succeeded in
getting it introduced into practical use. From the
date of completing his invention fortune seemed to
run steadily against him. The Duke of Bridge-
water, who had ordered a number of Symington's
steamboats for his canal, died, and his executors
countermanded the order. Symington failed in
tin-
ducing any canal company to make trial of his in-
vention. Lord Dundas also took the Charlotte
Dundas off the Forth and Clyde Canal, where she
had been at work, and from that time the vessel was
never more tried. Symington had no capital of his
own to work upon, and he seems to have been un-
able to make friends among capitalists. The rest
of his life was for the most part thrown away. To-
wards the close of it his principal haunt was Lon-
don, amidst whose vast population he was one of
many waifs and strays. He succeeded in obtaining
a grant of £lOO from the privy purse in 1824, and
afterwards an annuity of £5O, but he did not live
long to enjoy it, for he died in March, 1831, and
was buried in the churchyard of St. Botolpb, Ald-
gate, where there is not even a stone to mark the
grave of the inventor of the first practicable steam-
boat.—Samuel Smiles in the Engineer.

THE RUMOUR OF LORD ST. LEONARDS' DEATH.
The Dublin Evening Mail of Monday gives the following
explanations of the false report of Lord St. Loonards'
death :—" Tho manner in which we were led into a parti-
cipation in circulating the statement will ho understood
on a perusal of the following letter which wo have received
from a member of his lordship's family :—' Stapoloy House,
Nantwich, Doc. 22, 1866. —I led you into a mistake that I
fell into about Lord St. Loonards' death. On arriving here
just now I found that it was his eldest son, Henry Sugden,
who was dead. Tho telegram misled both my wife and
myself, as it was from Miss Sugden (no direction) :
' Papa died to-night.' We never thought of but ono Miss
Sugden.'"

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