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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT’S JOURNAL, [March lo<i and female statues, in the attitude of prayer. One of the best pre served male figures is apparently clad in chain mail, with a low conical helmet; and wears either a jupon or cyclas, with a triangular or heater shaped shield, and a sword girt upon the thigh: this costume cor responds with the date to which I have assigned the erection of the steeple. There are also two canopied niches, containing good figures of saints, upon the western end. The general effect of the spire is very imposing, its lofty altitude gaining additional elevation from its beautiful proportions and fine outline ; which, together with the absence of all meretricious detail, and resulting simplicity of design, would, in my opinion, render it an admirable model for modern imitation. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, J. C. Robinson. Nottingham, February 20, 1844. MESSRS. BOULTON & WATT, ON THE STEAM ENGINE. Through the intervention of a Correspondent we are enabled to lay before our readers a document of some importance—being not less than a copy of the instructions furnished by Messrs. Boulton & Watt to five, we are informed, of their principal agents, and superinten dents, who were deputed by them to attend, in different parts of the kingdom, to the erection of the steam engines made by the firm, under the first conditions of the patent-rights granted to them. In the history of the invention of the steam-engine, some authors have shown much laborious research, and have deemed it right to ad duce as elementary discoverers, the names of Hero, Brancas, and other individuals; and have terminated this branch of their histories, with the inventions of Sir Samuel Morland, and the Marquis of Wor cester. But we, ourselves, are of opinion that, in the history of the invention of the steam-engine, there are only three important elemen tary periods; viz., those of Savery, Newcomen, and Watt; and all of them took place within a century. In taking a retrospect of the inventions of those eminently distin guished individuals, and of the times in which they respectively lived and brought them forward, we scarcely know to whom the greatest meed of praise is due—whether to Savery, for the invention of the steam-engine, and its first application to the arts of life ; or to New comen, for the introduction of the cylinder, piston, beam, and pump- work generally, which still remain, as essential features of the inven tion; or to Watt, first for effecting the condensation of the steam in a vessel separate from the cylinder; and secondly, for his admirable contrivance of the parallel motion. For it was by this last that he was enabled to work the steam on both sides of the piston, and to reduce the action of the engine to that extraordinary precision of time and power, for which it is now universally celebrated, and by which it is adapted to the performance of the most delicate and rapid processes, even to the weaving of lace. To James Watt, notwithstanding the profundity of his intellect and great inventive powers, much additional praise is due for his sound commercial talent; so ably aided and seconded, as it is well-known to have, been, by his princely-minded partner, Mr. Boulton. And, perhaps, it was owing to this last mentioned circumstance, that the names of Messrs. Boulton & Watt spread so rapidly over the surface of the civilized world, as pre-eminently skilful mechanicians. A document emanating from such a firm, even as a matter of history, is of some importance; but when the low state of the mechanical arts at that period is considered, and a knowledge of it is placed in juxta-position with the soundness of judgment, prudence, and fore sight, displayed in the document, we cannot withhold our admiration of that commercial sagacity, by which they ensured practical success. There cannot be a question, that much of that success, and its conse quence, the realization of great wealth, was produced by deep inves tigation of, and attention to, minute details, as thus exhibited; and it ought to convey to many of those who have embarked, or are about to embark, in the same arduous and honourable profession, a memorable lesson. In giving the document to our readers, we shall not presume to dis turb the meaning of the text, or attempt to enrich it by notes and an notations. But, at the conclusion, we shall take a retrospect of the whole, and bring the practical illustration of the steam-engine down to the present time. Table of Contents. Section. To dig the foundations of the engine house . • .1 The foundation of the lever wall and of the condenser cistern ... 2 Section. The walls, or butts; which silppOrt the cylinder beams and platform . 3 To build the lever wall . . . . . . 4 To leave proper holes for the upper cylinder beams, and to fix them . 5 Concerning the spring beams . . . . . 6 The wooden and stone platform that the cylinder stands upon . . 7 The construction of the great lever, or beam, and its parts . . 8 To fix the plug tree arch, the martingales, the king posts, and other arti cles about the beam . . . . . .9 The great chains, and martingales . . . . . 10 The cap, and cross bar, of the piston rod . . . .11 To hang the plug tree . . . . . . 12 The wheel and pinion windlass to lift the cylinder . . .13 The springs to save the shock of the great beam . . . 14 To pay strict attention to dimension in building the house, &c. . 15 The condenser cistern . . . . . . 10 The boiler . . . . . . .17 The boiler setting . . . . . . . 18 The gauge pipes . . . . . .19 A pool for the injection water . . . . . 20 The plummer blocks not to be fixed until the cylinder is fixed . . 21 To fix the outer bottom of the cylinder . . . . 22 To fix the inner bottom of the cylinder, and to make its joints . 23 To fix the cylinder to its bottoms . . . . . 25 The holding down screws, and setting the cylinder upright . . 26 To clean tile cylinder, to hang the piston, and to put a lead ring within the cylinder, to save the bottom when the piston falls . . 27 To make the piston rise and fall perpendicularly . . .28 To fix the under part of the lower nozzle . . . . 29 To fix the steam case to the cylinder, and to make its joints . 30 5c 31 To fix the upper part of the lower nozzle, the perpendicular steam pipe, and upper nozzle . , . . . . 32 The cross pipe . . . . . .33 To communicate the steam from the cross pipe to the steam case, and to the outer bottom . . . . . . 34 To fix the condenser pumps, and to make their joints . . 35 The valves of the condenser buckets and clacks, and their other mountings 36 The copper eduction pipe . . . . .37 The joinings, and fixing the injection and blowing pipes . . . 38 To fasten down the condenser pumps, the pump break, to pack the buckets of the condenser pumps . . . . . 39 The condenser stuffing box; the air pump lid, and clack door; and fixing the injection valve . . . . . .40 Guards to prevent the valves over opening . . . . 41 The guide posts, plug tree, and working gear . . .42 The regulators .... . . 43 The cylinder stuffing box . . . . .44 The lid or cover of the cylinder . . . . . 45 To pack the piston, and of its mounting . . . .46 To examine, by steam, if all the joints are tight . . . 47 To fix the steam gauge, and barometer . . . .48 To examine the tightness of the joints, and piston, by working the air pump by the pump break . . . . . 49 Proper length of the piston chain, and other matters relating to it .58 To fix guards to prevent the pump rods from dropping . . 51 To screw up tbe holding down screws from time to time . . 52 'Hie uses of the three regulators . . . . .53 Their operations in working the engine . . . . 54 The use of the eduction pipe . . . . .55 The use of the air and hot water pumps . . . . 56 I Tbe uses of the barometer, and steam gauge, and of the necessary strength of the steam . . . . .57 To pack the piston . . . . . , 58 To pack the buckets of the condenser pumps . . .59 To set the engine to work . . . , . . 60 I To regulate the engine; and marks of its being in good order . 61 To examine the tightness of the joints, and to search for air and water leaks . . . . . . .62 To examine the engine while it is working . . . . 63 To feed the boiler ; and to keep the steam regular . . .64 To make the fire properly, and to oil the wearing parts . . . 65 To examine the piston every week, and to give it the proper quantity of tallow . . . . . . .88 To examine the regulators frequently, and the stuffing boxes ; marks of tlie engine being in order ; heat of the hot water . . . 67 The use of tbe steam or boiler regulator . . . .68 To set the engine a-going, by working the air pump by the break . 69 To make putty for the joints, and cautions about grease . . 76