Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-28

the increase Of horse power employed
in driving boats at various increase OF
speeds. the ratio was "a the square
instead Of the cube. az Evans i'm
mediately pointed out 70 Fulton's dis
comfture---this is all set forth IN let
ter to his son-in-iaw written by Evans
from Washington in June 1918. which
is in the writer's possession. While on
this topic. ! wish to point out that the
seemingly limitless possibilities Of the
mind Of this genius are set forth in
strikinely effective plan. showing dia-
grams. laying down workable chart
to be used IN the construction and
shaping of hulls OF vessels. having in
mind the tonnage. length. beam. and
draft necessary to he employed 10
acquire certain speeds have sub
mitted this to marine architects who
approve of his plans as evincing
originality and correctness.
Evans in 1901 constructed three
engines OF 30 h. p. at the Mars works
for the KensingtOn district in Phila-
delphia. one Of these was in opera
ton until 1879, and was then removed
and presented by the william Cramp
Co. 10 the University Of Pennsylvania
John Buggy, formerly superintendent
of power station Of the Wilmington
and Philadelphia Traction Co.. told me
he learned his trade working along
side this sturdy grasshopper engine
Of Oliver Evans there. The old mill,
the ruins Of which are familiar TO the
patrons Of Shellpot Park, was built by
Evans at the request OF Gen. Wash
/ ington, and here was ground the meal
that fed Washington's army during
its bitter winter at Valley Forge in
Il776.
WilmingtOniaus are familiar with
Shaw's etching OF Evans mill at the
( Barley Dam site-Evans recites that
this mill was entirely automatic in
/ its operations; he would meet
strangers coming TO Wilmington by
stage, and would proudly usher them
| to this mill in full blast, without an
| attendant being in sight-in spite of
/ all this, these intelligent persons,
would at the time, doubt the evidence
Of their own senses. have alluded to
only few Of the valuable deliver
/ ances and invention Of Evans. as
drawn from the Johnson manuscript
What must have been the value OF
what he destroyed by fire, can only
be imagined-his mind literally SEEM
ed 10 have been a veritable Pandora s
Box. and should he have had men OF
courage 10 have backed him, rs Watt
had his Boulton, and Fulton his
Livingston, men to whom a dollar die
not appear as large as a cartwheel
one can readily understand the glory
that would have been Delaware's.
1t has been difficult with the mass oi
information at our command. TO re-
strict this article to reasonable bounds
and in bringing it 10 a close, our read.
ers will be gratified to know that Cap.
tain David Sellers. personal aide e
the Secretary OF the Navy DENLY, ha.
been appointed by the latter, the Gus.
todian of all material so far listeC
during the fourteen years past Will
the department-resolutions have beer
passed and engrossed by the Franklin
Institute OF Philadelphia, sponsored BY
Coleman Sellers, Jr., President of tbs
William Sellers Co, who has rendered
most invaluable aid. the L. C. 1. Co
of Philadelphia. William Cramp anc
Sons Co, the Pusey and Jones Co.
Harlan and Hollingsworth Co, tn,
National Association Of Boiler Manu-
facturers. in Convention at Pittsburg
and others, with the various Secre
taries at different times. II can b,
seen from this that something ha.
been done in the way OF keeping thii
issue before the public, and il is con
fidently hoped that the material il
hand will be published in approve,
form in the firm belief that it woul,
most certainly create widespread conf
ment in the engineering world l
would certainly be the part OF judg
ment and common sense, that respon