"My first husband had to do with the foundry; his father, Mr.
Hazeldine, was a partner with Mr. Davies and Co. in 1816. In 1817 the
partnership was broken up, and the foundry carried on by Hazeldine. I
used to have two or three drawers full of drawings and account-books
that were brought from the works. I kept them for many years, but now
the greater part of them have gone to light the fire; all the drawings
are gone."[21]
[Footnote 21: Recollections of Mrs. Marm, Bridgenorth, 12th June, 1869.]
The engines described by Mr. Pape are of the type made by Trevithick,
in Wales, about 1804, having a fire-place in the boiler, and similar in
form to the Welsh locomotive.
The drawings which served to light the fires certainly included
Trevithick's plans for the steam-locomotive, ploughing engine, the
screw-propeller, and many others of equal interest.
"DEAR SIR, "STABLEFORD, _March 26th, 1870_.
"My grandfather's name was John Jasper, Esq., of Stableford; he must
have been one, if not the first, user of a steam-engine for thrashing,
winnowing, and shaking the straw all at one operation; it may have
been erected eighty years ago, for an old servant of the family
just now dead, aged ninety, worked when a boy in the steam-mill at
Bridgenorth erected by my grandfather about the same time.
"The thrashing engine was a side-lever engine, worked with a three
side-way cock and tappet, a cylinder about 8-1/4 inches in diameter,
and a 3 feet 4 inch stroke, cast-iron crank-shaft, cross-head, and
guides. The boiler was placed underneath the engine, the fire under
it, with brick flues. The boiler was about 9 feet long and 4 feet
diameter.
"The old side rods made of wood are still here, and so was the
engine until about twelve years ago. I sent the cylinder, &c., to
Coalbrookdale.
"I am, Sir,
"Yours truly,
"THOMAS SMITH."
The Stableford agricultural engine was probably made in 1804. The
cylinder, of 8-1/4 inches in diameter, is precisely the size of that
in the Welsh locomotive, but the stroke was reduced from 4 feet 6
inches to 3 feet 4 inches, being very nearly the same as the Newcastle
locomotive. The cross-head, side rods, and boiler were very similar to
the Welsh stationary engines of that date. This engine remained in use
more than fifty years.
The engines specially referred to in this chapter fully prove, from
their length of service, the practical character of Trevithick's
inventions, and of his having persevered with his high-pressure
portables until their usefulness as locomotives and as agricultural
helps had been established; but the ploughing, though fully designed,
and probably put into practice, was not followed up to the same
approach to perfection, or the record of its progress has been lost.
Since the foregoing was written, the following has been received:--
"DEAR SIR, "TREWITHEN, PROBUS, _May 17th, 1872_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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