of propelling land carriages without animal power; but all the methods with which he was acquainted appearing too futile to deserve an experiment, he concluded such motion to be impossible for the want of a suitable original power. But one of his brothers informed him on a Christmas evening that he had that day been in company with a neighboring blacksmith's boy, who, for amusement, had stopped up the touch-hole of a gun barrel, then pouring in a gill of water, rammed down a tight wad; after which on putting the breech in the fire, it discharged itself with a report like gunpowder. The active mind of Evans, ever awake to the phenomena around him, instantly saw that here was the long desired power, if he could only apply it, and from this period endeavored to discover the means. He labored for some time without success; at length a book fell into his hands describing the old atmospheric steam engine; and he was greatly astonished to observe they had so far erred as to use the steam only in forming a vacuum to apply the mere pressure of the atmosphere, instead of using the elastic force of the steam for the original motion, the power of which he supposed irresistible. He thereupon renewed his studies with increased ardor, and soon declared that he could make steam car. riages, and endeavored to co'nmunicate his ideas to others, but was only listened to with ridicule. Persevering, his experiments confirm. ed his opinions; but want of means for a time compelled him to abandon its prosecution When twenty-three or twenty-four years of age he was engaged in making card teeth by hand, at that period the only method known. Finding this a tedious operation, he invented a machine that would manufacture three thousand a minute, but was defrauded of a great share of the benefits derived from it. Shortly after he projected a plan for pricking the leather in cards, and at the same time cutting, bending, and setting the teeth; but owing to the unfortunate result of the previous invention, never carried it into execution. At the age of twenty-five Mr. Evans married a daughter of Mr. John Tomlinson, a respectable farmer of Delaware. About this period he entered into business with his brothers, who were mil. lers, and wished to avail themselves of his talents and ingenuity. Here was an appropriate field for the display of a genius like his, and ere long was commenced those series of improvements in the construction of machinery and appurtenances of mills which effected a complete revolution in the manufacture of flour. These improve. ments consist of the invention and various application of the fol.owing machines, viz:The elevator, the conveyor, the hopperboy, the drill, and the descender, which five machines are var usiy applied in different mills according to their construction, so as to perform every necessary movement of the grain and meal from one part of the mill to the other, or from one machine to another, through all the various operations, from the time the grain is emptied from the wagoner's bag, or from the measure on board the ship, until it is completely manufactured into flour, separated, and ready for packing; all of which is performed by the force of the water, without the aid of manual labor, except to set the different machines in motion. The advantages derived from the se improvements are great in almost every respect, not only causing a saving of full one half in the labor of attendance, but manufacturing the flour better, and making about twenty-eight pounds of superfine flour more to each barrel than was made by the old method.* These improvements were completed in theory as early as 1783, but were not carried into operation until a year or two later; and then before they perfectly succeeded, many alterations were to be made, and great difficulties to surmount. Although the result exceeded expectation, yet the opposition which was experienced rendered their introduction into general use extremely laborious. To promote this object, Mr. Evans furnished his brother with the necessary funds, and despatched him through the country to establish them. He travelled through the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, offering the inventions gratis to the first in each county who would adopt them. After considerable expense he returned wholly unsuccessful, and without any favorable pros. pects for the future. The Brandywine millers in particular opposed their adoption with all their influence, until they were in use in several mills around them. At length they held a consultation, and deputed one of their number to Mr. Evans to make proposals as to the terms on which they would try the experiment, which were nearly in the words following, viz: "Oliver, we have had a meeting, and agreed that if thou would furnish all the materials, and thy own boarding, and come thyself to set up the machinery, in one of our mills, thee may come and try, and if it answers a valuable purpose, we will pay thy bill, but if it does not answer, thee must take it all out again, and leave the mill just as thee finds it, at thy own expense." The principles having already been tested, and these millers knowing Mr. Evans' reduced circumstances at the * When Mr. Evans' milling improvements came into popular use, it was estimated that at Ellicott's mills, near Baltimore, where three hundred and twentyfive barrels of flour were daily manufactured, that in expense of attendance alone, there was an annual saving of four thousand eight hundred and seventy-five dollars, and that the saving made by the increased amount manufactured, was at least fifty cents a barrel, amounting to a gain in this department of thirty-two thou sand five hundred dollars! time, he could but regard their propositions as a disposition to re tard and embarrass rather than to encourage or forward the improvement. The following anecdotes which were related by Mr. Evans, exhibit a strength of prejudice, on the part of these men, almost inconceivable. When he had his inventions in full operation, so that he could alone attend his mill with less fatigue than he could before, even with the assistance of two men and a boy, he invited the Brandywine millers to come and witness its operation. It so happened that some of them called on a day when he had alone, both to attend the mill and make hay in an adjoining clover lot. On seeing their approach, he turned from them, thinking it best to let them enter the mill, and finding it attending to itself, would be convincing and positive proof of the great utility of the improvements. Entering, they found all the operations of cleaning, grind. ing, and bolting going on without the intervention of a human hand, with perfect regularity and despatch. In about half an hour, they came to Mr. Evans, and requested him to explain the whole of the operations, which he did willingly, but took care to inform them that it was an "uncommon busy" day with him, for he had both to attend the mill and make hay. After they left, Mr. Evans returned to the lot, leaving the mill to attend itself, and rejoicing at the lucky circumstance, not doubting but they were now fully convinced. But `to his astonishment, he soon learned that on their return, they had reported to their neighboring millers, that the whole contrivance was a set of " rattle traps," not worthy the attention of men of common sense; which fixed more firmly the opposition of the rest to the adoption of the improvement. Some time later, he exhibited a model of his improved mill in the streets of Wilmington, Delaware, which was to be sent to England. Some of the crowd called to a Brandywine miller, as he happened to be passing, who was so struck with its simplicity and perfection, together with the obser vations of those present, that he contracted with the inventor to construct one for him. It was soon put into operation in presence of the neighboring millers; and though the elevators and conveyors, without the aid of human hands, brought the meal from the two pair of stones, and the tail-flour from the bolts to the hopper-boy, which spread it over the floor, stirring, fanning, and gathering it, and attending the bolting hoppers at the same time, yet one of them, in contradiction to the evidence of his own senses, exclaimed, "It will not do!-it cannot do !-it is impossible it should do!" The opposition of these millers cost him thousands of dollars in fruitless attempts to establish his inventions. Wherever his agents went, the inquiry was, "Have the Brandywine millers adopted them?" The answer was of course, "No!" which was generally followed by this pertinent reply: "If those who are so much more extensively engaged in the manufacture of flour do not think them worthy their attention, they cannot certainly demand ours." This treatment on the part of these men recoiled upon themselves, and their obstinacy was such in adopting the improvements, that the mills on the Brandywine for a time lost their pre-eminence. In the year 1786, Mr. Evans petitioned the legislature of Pennsylvania for the exclusive right to use his improvements in flour mills, and steam carriages, in that state, and in the year following presented a similar petition to the legislature of Maryland. In the former instance he was only successful so far as to obtain the privilege of the mill improvements; his representations concerning steam carriages were considered as savoring too much of insanity to deserve notice. He was more fortunate in Maryland, for, although the steam project was laughed at, yet one of his friends, a member, very judiciously observed that the grant could injure no one, for he did not think that any man in the world had thought of such a thing before, he therefore wished the encouragement might be afforded, as there was a prospect that it would produce something useful. This kind of argument had its effect, and Evans received all that he asked for, and from that period considered himself bound in honor to the state of Maryland to produce a steam carriage, as soon as his means would allow him. For several years succeeding the granting of his petition by the legislature of Maryland, Mr. Evans endeavored to obtain some person of pecuniary resources to join with him in his plans; and for this purpose explained his views by drafts, and otherwise, to some of the first mechanics in the country: although they appeared in several instances to understand them, yet declined any assistance from a fear of the expense and difficulty of their execution.* In the year 1800 or 1801, Mr. Evans, never having found any one willing to contribute to the expense, or even to encourage him in his efforts, determined to construct a steam carriage at his own expense. Previous to commencing he explained his views to Robert Patterson, professor of mathematics in the University of Pennsylvania, and to an eminent English engineer. They both de I certify that Oliver Evans did, about the year 1789, communicate a project to me of propelling land carriages by the power of steam, and did solicit me to join with him in the profits of the same. LEVI HOLLINGSWORTH. Baltimore, Nov. 16, 1812. I do certify that about 1781, (thirty-one years ago,) Oliver Evans, in conversa. tion with me, declared that by the power of steam he could drive any thing; wagons, mills, or vessels by the same power. ENOCH ANDERSON. November 15, 1812. |