But, discouraging as was the refusal of the engine builders of Europe to undertake to build the engine, and still more so their opinion that such an engine was an impossibility, inspection of the engines exhibited at the Paris Exposition had so strengthened the writer’s conviction of the possibility of the undertaking that, before parting with Mr. Langley on August 3 to return to America, he personally assumed the responsibility of building an engine which would meet the requirements. Upon returning from Europe on August 13, and finding that the engine builder in New York had made no progress whatever towards improving the engine during his absence, the writer condemned both the large engine and the small one. The engine builder had practically bankrupted himself in his attempts to construct these two engines, having spent something like $8000 or $10,000 in actual wages over and above the contract prices for the engines, to say nothing of remuneration for his own time or such expenses as shop rent and power. As all of the money for the large machine and practically all for the small one had been advanced to him at various times to assist him over financial stringencies--such advances, however, having been secured by suitable bonds--it was decided to take the various parts of the two engines in [p220] payment for the money which had been advanced, as it was hoped that some of the parts of the engines might prove of use in experimental work. Immediately after the writer’s return to Washington he began work on the development of an engine. Taking some of the parts of the engine which had been condemned and constructing others, he was able by September 18 to have an experimental engine at work which, while not water-jacketed, but provisionally cooled by wrapping wet cloths around the cylinders, developed 18-1/2 horse-power on the Prony brake at 715 R. P. M., the engine, including these wet cloths, weighing 108 pounds. Of course these wet cloths sufficed to keep the engine cool for only a short time--three to four minutes being the maximum. This was only a temporary expedient for enabling the engine to run for a sufficient time to make brake tests and determine the power it developed, but the results obtained were so very encouraging that it was decided to make water jackets for the cylinders of this engine and see what power it would then develop for more extended periods.