Pooly also saw the finishing stroke in 1811, when the boilers still
known as the Trevithick or Cornish boilers, gave steam to the three
engines; after a twelve years' fight between low and high pressure,
commencing with Trevithick's globular boiler and internal tube, in
Dolcoath, in the year 1799, from which time it gained step by step,
though in comparatively small engines, up to 1811, when the cylindrical
boilers took the place of the condemned hearse and globular boilers,
and gave really strong and expansive steam to the three Dolcoath
pumping engines that from time immemorial had been rivals, causing
all three of them to lift an increased quantity of water, and at the
same time to save one-half in the cost of coal; this continued for
four or five years, when in 1816 the 63-inch double and the 45-inch,
being the youngest and the oldest of the three, were removed, that a
new 76-inch cylinder, better adapted to Trevithick's expansive steam
might more cheaply perform their joint work. Prior to this change the
three engines were known by the names Shammal 45-inch, formerly Bullan
Garden,[79] but before that as Carloose, of the period and form of the
Pool engine;[80] Stray Park 63 single, formerly Wheal Gons,[81] dated
from 1770 to 1777; and the 63-inch double of Watt in 1780.
[Footnote 79: See vol. i., p. 25.]
[Footnote 80: See vol. i., p. 5.]
[Footnote 81: Query Bonze, spoken of by Smiles.]
"SIR,
"DOLCOATH MINE, _March 29th, 1858_.
"I have obtained the following information respecting the building
of the first cylindrical boilers, as ordered by your late father
for Dolcoath; and some information of the results as to the coals
consumed, compared with the consumption by the boilers previously in
use here.
"George Row, now about seventy-two years old, and working at Camborne
Vean Mine, says he assisted to build the two first cylindrical boilers
with internal tubes used in Cornwall. They were built in Dolcoath Mine
in the year 1811; they were 18 feet long, 5 feet diameter, having an
oval tube 3 feet 4 inches in the largest diameter at the fire end;
the other or chimney end of the tube was somewhat smaller. They were
found too small for the work to be done, and another boiler was built
immediately, 22 feet long, 6 feet 2 inches diameter, and he believed a
4-feet tube.
"John Bryant, now seventy-four years old, works a steam-engine at
West Wheal Francis. He worked at Dolcoath the 63-inch cylinder
double-acting engine, upon Boulton and Watt's plan. When he first
worked her she had the old bee-but boiler, 24 feet in diameter. They
were taken out for the Boulton and Watt waggon boiler, 22 feet long
and 8 feet wide, with two fire-doors opposite one another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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