Watt, Bramah, Trevethick, and
many more, had given descriptions of the screw. Trevethick
schemed a number of its forms and applications, which have been
the subject of many subsequent patents. It has been so with many
inventions. It is not the man who gives the first idea of a
machine who is entitled to the merit of its introduction, or the
man who repeats the idea, and re-repeats it, but the man who is
so deeply impressed with the importance of the discovery, that he
insists upon its adoption, will take no denial, and at the risk
of fame and fortune, pushes through all opposition, and is
determined that what he thinks he has discovered shall not perish
for want of a fair trial. And that this was the case with the
practical introducer of the screw propeller will be obvious from
the following statement.
Francis Pettit Smith was born at Hythe, in the county of Kent, in
1808. His father was postmaster of the town, and a person of
much zeal and integrity. The boy was sent to school at Ashford,
and there received a fair amount of education, under the Rev.
Alexander Power. Young Smith displayed no special characteristic
except a passion for constructing models of boats. When he
reached manhood, he adopted the business of a grazing farmer on
Romney Marsh. He afterwards removed to Hendon, north of London,
where he had plenty of water on which to try his model boats.
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