The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-06-03
The STEAM ENGINE
Nc History a Romance of PhiIoso'
ply and Mechanics.
UNCLE SANS FINE EXHIBIT.
-. National Museum at Washington
ehaws the First Crude Machines
M.de az We'll az Originals and Mod.
i. a the First Locomotives.

Made az wei a. OFsBtUaso anu WOO.
4. AZ tho First Locomotives.
probably no museum collection In the
vor,d better illustrates the develop
mont of the steam engine, particularly
,he locomotive, than the exhibit of the
limited States National museum at
washington. which includes two Of the
earliest original locomotives and nu-
MARQUIS models and accessories.
The history Of the steam engine Is a
,rsterialistic romance without parallel
i the record of human achievements.
Il covers the stupendous and persist
ant efforts of many early philosophers
and mechanics who found steam a
mvsterious uncomfortable force and
~ II a comprehensive controllable
fsctor Of public service.
No one knows how long after It was
observed that by holding down the lid
NJ a kettle of boiling liquid certain
force was created. due to the COM
uression Of the steam. before any use
was attempted with this newly discov-
cred force. 1t is certain, however. that
a sort Of steam engine was exhibited
IN Alexandria. Egypt, about 200 years
before our era began. and 1t was de-
scr1bed In a work on pneumatics by
Hero Of Alexandria. written between
fDo and 1870 B. @. This machine was
A rotary affair. more theoretical than
practical. as were many of the results
Of philosophy In those days. A recon
struction Of this engine In model form
Is In the museum exhibits
Nothing more is to be found concern
ing the steam engine for centuries, a
fact which is no doubt due to the lack
Of interest in anything which did not
have to do with war or warlike nipple
ments A book published In Rome in
1929 gives description of Giovanni
Brancas crude steam engine. showing
It to have been an elementary steam
turbine, with the sole defect that 1t
lacked any appliances for making the
steam follow the vanes. or buckets. of
the revolving wheel. so that more Of
Its energy might have been converted
into useful work. One author in a
treatise on locomotives claims that had
some genius improved upon this early
device the reciprocating engine would
probably never have been invented. but
that we would have had the advantage
Of our modern turbines much sooner.
The museum possesses a model of a
very early machine designed by Sir
Isaac Newton In 1880 which was pro
PEELED by jet of steam projected
backward against the air and a model
Of Denis Papin's invention of about
the same time. The Investigations of
Slavery and Papin and the successful
experimental engines of Thomas New.
comen In 1705 with his piston and
cylinder soon followed Newcomers
Ideas were improved by James Watt in
l769. who also introduced the high
pressure engines, the condenser and
later the double acting engine. The
Development of the engine was advanc-
60 by Cugnot. Evans. Hornblower and
Murdoch. A model of the latter's en-
gine Is on display in the museum.
As the result Of a wager made by a
resident Of Merthyr Tydfil. an impor-
mnt iron town Of South Wales. that
ne could convey load of iron nine
miles BY the power of steam alone
Richard Trevithick made the first en-
pne to run on rails in 1903 and won
the wager for his employer the next
year. Trevithick. 1t has been claimed
copied the stationary engine built in
i6W by Oliver Evans. an American,
VINO was later ingenious enough to at
ucn wheels to scow and propel 1t by
steam through the streets of Philadel'
pnia In 1904. This curious creation
called the Oruktor Amphibolis, was the
nrst motorcar to run on American soil.
A model Of Trevithick's engine is to
% seen in the National museum. as
y also the model Of the engine en-
pioyeo by John Stevens in 1926 and
us original tubular boiler. Other mod
sis Illustrate nearly all the types which
ossan to put in their appearance soon
aiter 1896. when the Stourbridge
Aon was built In England and ship
va 70 America. where ii was the first
engine to run on full sized rails The
museum possesses not only the model
tnis historic engine. but the orig
MM engine itself The other original
.uli sized locomotive to be seen in the
nlseum Is the John Bull. built by
ueofge Stephenson & Sons of England
auu shipped to America for use In 1881
tne Camden and Amboy railroad
n interesting to recall that this OLD
.euc OF early railroading in Americs
uaue round trip under its own steam
1888 from New York to Chicago
"lere 1t was exhibited at the Worlds
columbian exposition.
among the models OF early and his
VIZ ~'r locomotives are George Stephen
~ rocket which was built in 1929
~ 2. and 0, engine Tom Thumb, bull
y reter Cooper in 1929: the grasshop
1r~4.. n.