Part 26

Named in honour of Lord Dundas's daughter, Lady Milton.

The 'Comet.'

John Clerk (Lord Eldin) pronounced the patent to be correctly drawn up, and that no doubt existed of Mr. Symington's right to recover damages from its invaders.

Smiles's 'Lives of the Engineers.' London, 1861.

Originally designed by Thomas Paine.

Sixth Dissertation, by Dr. J. D. Forbes, F.R.S.--Encyclopædia Britannica, Eighth Edition.

The specification of this patent gives likewise the first mention (we believe) on record of oscillating engines. Sir John Rennie, F.R.S., in his address to the Institution of Civil Engineers, in 1846, mentions the following passage:--"Even the objection of extra friction, however, if tenable, is obviated by the vibrating cylinder described in Trevithick and Vivian's patent, in 1802; patented by Whitty in 1813, and by Manby in 1821, by whom the first engines of the kind were constructed."

An eye-witness, who is still living, relates that on one of these trials he saw Trevithick's steam-carriage proceeding at the rate of twelve miles an hour.

Mrs. Humblestone (1861) is now eighty-one years of age, and is residing in the neighbourhood of Edgware Road.

Sixth Dissertation, Encyclopædia Britannica, Eighth Edition.

See Practical Treatise on Railroads, &c., by Luke Hebert, London, 1837. Pages 21-4.--Mr. Francis Trevithick, who has spent considerable time in ascertaining the facts regarding his father's first locomotive, states that he has no doubt the wheels of this engine were not in any way roughed: that he has often conversed with those who made and worked the engine; that he has their copies of the original drawings; and that in all these cases he never heard or saw anything which indicated that the wheels were roughed.

Phil. Mag. and Annals of Philosophy, August, 1831, in a letter to Richard Taylor, F.S.A., by W. Jory Henwood, F.G.S.

The late Michael Williams, M.P. for West Cornwall, was present during this transaction, and afterwards remonstrated with Trevithick on his folly.--The cheque offered to him has been stated by one gentleman to have been for a far larger sum.

During his residence at Glasgow, a Mason's Lodge were desirous of possessing an organ, and Watt was asked to build it. He was totally destitute of a musical ear, and could not distinguish one note from the other, but he nevertheless accepted the offer; for having studied the philosophical theory of music, he found that science would be a substitute for want of ear. He commenced by building a small one for Dr. Black, and then proceeded to the large one, in the building of which he devised a number of novel expedients, such as indicators and regulators of the strength of the blast, with various contrivances for improving the efficiency of the stops. The qualities of this organ when finished are said to have elicited the surprise and admiration of musicians. During this period of his life Watt used likewise to construct and repair guitars, flutes, and violins, and had the same success as with his organ.--Quarterly Review, October, 1858.

Preface to Elements of Experimental Chemistry, Eleventh Edition.

Life of Thomas Young, M.D., &c., by George Peacock, page 143.

Lord Brougham gives the date of Dr. Black's birth as 1721.--Lives of Philosophers. Third Edition, 1855.

Mechanics' Magazine, vol. v. (new series), page 276.

After many appeals, a pension of 50l. a-year was granted by the Crown to Richard Cort, the sole surviving son of Henry Cort.

Discovered at the same time by Dr. Rutherford of Edinburgh.

The Phlogistic Theory explained the phenomena of combustion by supposing the existence of a hypothetical substance termed Phlogiston, the union of which with bodies made them combustible, and the disengagement of which was the occasion of combustion.

Transcriber's Notes.

Footnotes have been moved to the end of the book. Italics are shown thus: sloping. Bold type is shown thus: =shout=. Small capitals have been capitalised. Inconsistent hyphenation retained. Obvious typos and printer errors have been corrected. Old spelling forms are retained. In the appendix 'RICHARD CORT' has been corrected to 'HENRY CORT'.