The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-06
TWO FAMOUS ENGINEERS.
Valuable Inventions Produced by
Archimedes and His Successor.

Valuable Inventions Produced by
Archimedes and His Successor
From Casters Magazine
AS a mechanician Archimedes pro-
duced the correct theory of the lever
and invented no less than forty inter-
esting devices, including the endless
screw, the pump, the organ and the
burning glass; with which latter nov
ell weapon he is said to have set fire
to the ships Of an enemy's fleet from
a considerable distance. The story is
probably fabulous, but none the less
interesting. as exhibiting the faith of
the people In the man and as indicat-
ing the character of his pursuits.
AS an engineer Archimedes was look
ed upon as hardly less than a ma
gfcian. He produced catapults, which
threw enormous stones and heavy
pixies, at long range, into the ranks of
the enemy or into his ships. and great
derricks We're built by him with which
to lift the attacking craft out of the
water or to upset 1t, destroying all on
board. His proposed use of the lever
meant the production of then incon-
ceivable inventions in machinery ard
engineering construction, and his own
estimate of it's Importance was express
ed by the familiar quotation, Give me
earth" Archimedes was the first and
perhaps the most inventive and great
est of early engineers. His lever still
moves the world and his spirit is in
herited by generations of the men who
have made modern civilization posi-
BILE
Hero was the most famous success
of Archimedes. His "Pneumatica"
was published to the Alexandrian
world after the death of Euclid and of
Archimedes, and very likely includes
inventions of the latter and of Ctesi-
bus, for nothing is said to indicate
what part of the collection of inven-
tions there described is due to the au-
thor and what to earlier scientists and
engineers. In this little volume how
ever, are contained descriptions of the
germs of the fire engine" or steam
engine, of the Marquis of Worcester,
of the steam turbine, of the water
tube steam boiler, of numerous steam
and air fountains and of many other
curious and undoubtedly, to the an
clients, mysterious contrivances, but
emitting the magician's marvellous bot
tie, the source of many wonders. He
anticipates or supplies the germs of
numbers of modern engineering APP
paTatus and mechanisms.
In one of his propositions" he shows
how temple doors may be opened and
ClOSeQ ny SlSdIlf, III diiOtllef IiOW blIu
shall be made to appear to sing; in an
other he raises water in a fountain by
fire, and in still another he accom-
plishes the same thing by a solar
motor Hero was the great mechani-
cal engineer and scientific author of
his time. Perhaps the most remarka-
BILE event of the history Of the me-
chanic arts and of engineering is the
revival of the steam turbine in our
own time as the rival of the modern
steam engine, which, with its compli-
cation of parts, its extraordinary per-
lection of structure and workmanship,
and its summary of the inventions of
the great engineers and mechanics of
century or more, has been cons;d-
cred to be the browning effort of mod
ern inventive and constructive genius.
Two thousand years after Hero the
world now takes up his steam engine,
and it's modern reinVentorS and i'm
proverS promise that, with this instru-
ment of the old Greek times, they will
revolutionize steam engine construc-
ton, bringing about so complete turn
that the cycle shall take US back to
the Alexandrian and his toy.
Churef, IN RusinesS.