The Locomotive - Lighthouse Survival Blog

1893.J IlIK LOCOMOTIVE. -^^^
directed to it in 1764 by the prize oflFered by tlie French Academy of Sciences. Aijout
1765 James Watt improved the steam engine by adding a separate condenser, and in
17G9 he formed a partnership witli Houlton, and his engines, furtlicr improved l>y being
made doiil)le-acting and utilizing tlie expansive force of steam, were placed on the mar-
ket. "Watt also invented the indicator. In ITOG Henry Cavendish discovered hydrogen.
In the same year Captain Cook sailed for the Pacific Ocean, to observe the transit of
Venus in 1769. About 1767 Sprengel observed that flowers are fertilized by insects, and
made many excellent observations and experiments on this point. In 1768 Linnaeus
completed his " Systema Naturae." In 1772 nitrogen was first properly described by
Dr. liutherford. Priestley discovered oxygen in 1774. In the same year Maskelyne
determined the density of the earth by the celebrated " Schehallion experiment."
About this time, too, Laplace published his theory of the " long inequality" of Jupiter and
Saturn; and in 1776 Lagrange proved the stability of the solar system. In 1775
Abraham Werner lectured on geology, in Freyberg. About 1778 Lavoisier, after eight
years of experimenting, proved the falsity of the doctrine of phlogiston, and laid the
foundation of the modern theory of chemistry. He also determined the com])ositioii of
carbonic acid gas. In 1781 Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus; and in
1783, after several years of observation, he proved the existence of binary stars — that is,
double stars revolving about one another. In 1784 Cavendish discovered the composi-
tion of water, and prepared it by uniting oxygen and hydrogen. About 1785 Chladni
made his celebrated experiments on the vibrations of plates of metal and glass. About
this time Sir James Hall prepared artificial basalt in his laboratory, by melting pieces of
rock. He did this to illustrate the igneo>is origin of the natural basalt. In 1786 Sir
William Herschel published his first catalogue of star-clusters and nebulije, containing an
account of a thousand of these objects. In 1788 llutton published his "Theory of the
Earth." In 1789 Lavoisier's famous "Elements of Chemistry" appeared. Galvani's
celebrated experiments with frogs' legs were performed in 1789; and in this same year
Klaproth discovered the element uranium. About this time, too, Jussieu gave us the
so-called "natural system" for the classification of plants. This is now universally
adopted, though Jussieu's original plan or scheme has been materially modified as our
knowledge of plants has increased. De Saussure studied the Alpine glaciers in 1790,
and called attention to their terminal moraines. Goethe's essay on the metamorphosis
of plants was published in this same year. Herschel proposed his theory of sun-spots in
1793. In 1795 Klaproth discovered the element titanium. Vauquelin discovered
chromium in 1707. In 1798 Klaproth discovered tellurium; and in the same year Rum-
ford boiled w ater by friction, thus proving that heat is not a substance, and laying
the foundation for the modern theory of heat. A few mouths later, in 1799, Davy
melted ice by friction, and thereby proved the same thing. Huinljoldt made his voyage
to America in 1799, and in this same year Laplace published his wonderful book on
theoretical astronomy, the "Mecanique Celeste."
We have reviewed the work of the eighteenth century very superficially, but
enough has been said, perhaps, to show that the scientists of that period were
not idle. They did a very respectable amount of work, and paved the way very
creditably for the advances that we were destined to make in the nineteenth century.
Let us give them full credit, for when the great men of the twentieth century look back
upon us, it is just possible that they will not esteem us quite so highly as we are perhaps
• disposed to esteem ourselves.