A trial of the vessel's performance was made there in
the presence of Mr. Wright, the banker, and Mr. Peake, the civil
engineer. From Dover the vessel went on to Folkestone and Hythe,
encountering severe weather. Nevertheless, the boat behaved
admirably, and attained a speed of over seven miles an hour.
Though the weather had become stormy and boisterous, the little
vessel nevertheless set out on her return voyage to London.
Crowds of people assembled to witness her departure, and many
nautical men watched her progress with solicitude as she steamed
through the waves under the steep cliffs of the South Foreland.
The courage of the undertaking, and the unexpected good
performance of the little vessel, rendered her an object of great
interest and excitement as she "screwed" her way along the coast.
The tiny vessel reached her destination in safety. Surely the
difficulty of a testing trial, although with a model screw, had
at length been overcome. But no! The paddle still possessed the
ascendency; and a thousand interests--invested capital, use and
wont, and conservative instincts--all stood in the way.
Some years before--indeed, about the time that Smith took out his
patent--Captain Ericsson, the Swede, invented a screw propeller.
Smith took out his patent in May, 1836; and Ericsson in the
following July. Ericsson was a born inventor.
Pages:
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97