It is not a little curious to note how, in many of these great undertakings, several minds seem to have been working to the same end at about the same time. It was so with George Stephenson and others with regard to the locomotive, with Miller and Symington, Bell and Fulton, with regard to the steamship, with Laird and Brunel as regards transatlantic steam navigation, with Robert Stephenson and William Fairbairn as regards the tubular bridge. This volume does not seek to be the special advocate of any, or to enter into any minute details, but simply endeavours to gather up the more salient features and weave them into a connected and popular narrative. F. M. HOLMES. [Illustration] CONTENTS. THE STORY OF THE LOCOMOTIVE. CHAPTER PAGE I. FIRST STEPS, 9 II. GLANCING BACKWARDS AND STRUGGLING FORWARDS, 19 III. FIFTEEN MILES AN HOUR, 28 IV. A MARVEL OF MECHANISM, 36 V. A MILE A MINUTE, 46 THE STORY OF THE STEAMSHIP. I. THE “COMET” APPEARS, 53 II. TO THE NARROW SEAS, 60 III. ON THE OPEN OCEAN, 68 IV. THE OCEAN RACE, 74 V. BEFORE THE FURNACE, 85 FAMOUS BRIDGES AND THEIR BUILDERS. I. “THE BRIDGE BY THE EARTHEN HOUSE,” 101 II. A NEW IDEA—THE BRITANNIA TUBULAR, 108 III. LATTICE AND SUSPENSION BRIDGES, 119 IV. THE GREATEST BRIDGE IN THE WORLD, 125 V. THE TOWER BRIDGE, 133 REMARKABLE TUNNELS AND THEIR CONSTRUCTION. I. HOW BRUNEL MADE A BORING-SHIELD, 137 II. UNDER THE RIVER, 141 III. THROUGH THE ALPS, 147 IV. UNDER WATER AGAIN, 153 [Illustration] List of Illustrations The Tower Bridge, London, showing the bascules raised. iii George Stephenson. 11 “Puffing Billy,” the oldest locomotive engine in existence. 13 James Watt. 21 Edward Pease. 27 The compound locomotive “Greater Britain.” 41 Back and front view of the locomotive “Greater Britain.” 44 The “Flying Dutchman.” 50 Bell’s “Comet.” 55 Robert Fulton. 59 The ice-bound “Britannia” at Boston. 77 Isambard Kingdom Brunel. 80 The “Great Eastern.” 83 High and low pressure cylinders of the “Campania’s” engines. 87 The “Campania.” 89 Stoke Hole. 93 Promenade deck of the “Paris.” 99 Pontypridd Bridge. 102 The Post Bridge, Dartmoor. 105 Robert Stephenson. 111 The Britannia Tubular Bridge. 115 Victoria Tubular Bridge, Montreal. 117 The Clifton Bridge. 122 The Brooklyn Bridge. 123 The Forth Bridge. 129 The Thames Tunnel. 143 Boring machine used for the Mont Cenis Tunnel. 149 The entrance to the air-lock. 155 The boring machine used in the preliminary construction of the English Channel Tunnel. 159 [Illustration] ENGINEERS AND THEIR TRIUMPHS. THE STORY OF THE LOCOMOTIVE. CHAPTER I. FIRST STEPS. “I think I could make a better engine than that.” “Do you? Well, some’ing’s wanted; hauling coal by horses is very expensive.” “Ay, it is, and I think an engine could do it better.” “Mr. Blackett’s second engine burst all to pieces; d’ye mind that?” “How came that about?”