The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-03-16
SCHOOL
HELPS {


Everybody has heard the story of
James Watt and his boyhood expert
ment on the lifting power OF the
steam under the lid of his mothers
teakettle. 1t is o beautiful picture,
that of the home life of James Watt,
in the fishing town and customs
port of Greencock, Scotland. Ho
was a delicate, sensitive lad. His
father was a man of means and Inn
portance and his mother was known
to the fisherfolk as the beautiful
Teddy"
Unable to attend school regularly
because of i'll health, James Watt fol.
lowed his own inclinations in study
and amusements. He was interested
in his fathers shipbullding yards and
in the docks. Who could imagine
that this fragile. dreaming boy was
to transform his native town from a
struggling village Of matched cot.
tages into a big bustling seaport
with great shipbuilding yards, where
Cunard and other famous lines of
steamers are built and sent out to
sea?
In his fathers shop the boy be
came so skillful i'm the use of tools
that the workmen said TO him: "Wee
Jamie haze a fortune in his fingers,
an anither in his held" 1t was in
tended that the boy should go to
Glasgow University and be fitted for
a professorship in physics, but the
loss of a vessel at sea and other
family financial misfortunes forced
him to abandon this ambition. So
the lad went to London at 10, 20
learn the trade Of scientific instru-
ment making. 1t took twelve days
hard riding to make the Journey Of
400 miles.
When he had learned his trade he
was appointed MATHEMATICAL instru
ment-maker to the Glasgow Univer.
sity, with a shop in the college pre-.
cincts. One day, a small model Of a
steam pump from the University
laboratories was put into his hands
for repair. This led him to make a
thorough investigation of the whole
subject Of steam, including con
densation and latent heat, TO see
why this sort of pump, then used
in British coal mines, used so much
steam and gave so little power. lie
set about the task of improving and
developing this crude and wastefu'
type OF engine. 1t took a year 70
close study, but let the inventor tel
the story.
zone Sunday morning" he wrote
when I had gone for a walk in the
Green Of Glasgow, the idea occurred
TO me that. as steam is an elastic
vapor, it would take care OF the eX
haust, and the steam Jacket keeT
the cylinder hot. I rushed back tc
the University and broke I'm upon
DR.. Robson. lecturer on chemistry
and cried: You need ma fash your
sell about that anymore, mon; you
shall have steam boiling hot, I'm g
boiling hot cylinder, and not waste
a single particle"
The modern steam engine hat
been born in James Watts brain
a flash of genius, as It has beer
called. Such II was, but It was the
result of profound knowledge, In
tense application. and patience.
Watts first changes made the
steam engine quick-acting, powerful
and saving Of fuel, but It was still
useful for pumping only. It was
sixteen years G7SD before Il was
developed to the point where It
could turn a wheel and be used in
spinning factories and in running
other sorts of machinery. Watts
business partner, and the man who
by his financial aid, made the sue
cess of his inventions possible, was
Matthew Boulton of Birmingham,
a talented and far-sighted capitalist
At 46 James Watt, having, as he
said, "a sufficient fortune" retired
TO the country. lie there spent