Category: History - Modern (1750+)

Great Facts A Popular History and Description of the Most Remarkable Inventions During the Present Century

The conveniences, the comforts, and luxuries conferred on Society by the many important Inventions of the present century, must naturally excite a desire to know the origin and progress of the application of scientific principles, by which such advantages have been gained.

Chapters

18. Part 18

The work of raising the tube to its position, 100 feet above high water mark, was a much slower operation, and was attended with serious difficulties. Hydraulic presses were use...

7. Part 7

In the first instruments that were constructed, the objects were fixed in the field of view, therefore scarcely any change of pattern was obtainable. It was not until some time...

17. Part 17

Colonel Colt, as already stated, took out his first patent in 1835, and in 1849 he patented the improved Revolver, which he has brought into general use. It has six chambers in...

13. Part 13

The cleanliness of gas, as compared with candles or oil, is a further recommendation; and for the purpose of lighting streets, shops, factories, public buildings, and halls, it...

16. Part 16

Though M. Senefelder had advanced thus far, he had not yet made application of the chemical properties of ink and water, which constitute the distinguishing characteristics of L...

3. Part 3

In steam-ships, where salt water is used for generating the steam, the incrustation on the sides of the boilers becomes a serious annoyance. It obstructs the communication of he...

15. Part 15

It consists of a cast-iron frame, about 14 feet long and 4 feet wide, on which the iron table, with the types upon it, slides backward and forward under two large cast-iron cyli...

5. Part 5

The object attempted to be gained is to make the same heating power do its work again and again. Atmospheric air, after being expanded by passing over an extensive hot surface,...

6. Part 6

Whilst M. Daguerre was thus successfully working out to perfection the plan of producing beautiful naturally-impressed pictures on iodised silver surfaces, Mr. Fox Talbot was at...

14. Part 14

The manufacture of Lucifer matches is conducted on a very large scale in this country and on the Continent. It requires several ship loads of wood to supply the requirements of...

12. Part 12

One of the successful applications of Electro-Metallurgy is founded on the original application of it by Mr. Spencer. As already stated, he covered metal plates with wax, and af...

4. Part 4

Three other engines competed with the "Rocket," two of which had attained great speed on previous trials. These were the "Novelty," constructed by Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericss...

11. Part 11

The conducting power of the earth is now employed by all electric telegraph companies for one-half of every circuit. Thus, whether a communication be sent from London to Liverpo...

9. Part 9

Mr. Ronalds so far perfected his invention, that it worked accurately, though slowly, through eight miles of wire insulated in glass tubes. Having thus succeeded in putting into...

10. Part 10

As electro-chemical action takes effect much more rapidly than the mechanical movement of an indenting point, Mr. Bain's telegraph could work much faster than Mr. Morse's. We ha...

8. Part 8

The object of using semi-lenses is to facilitate the union of the two pictures into one, by looking through the lens towards its edge, instead of through the centre, the image b...

2. Part 2

In 1801, Lord Dundas revived Mr. Miller's project, and availed himself of Mr. Symington's increased experience and the further improvements in the steam engine, to construct a m...

1. Part 1

The conveniences, the comforts, and luxuries conferred on Society by the many important Inventions of the present century, must naturally excite a desire to know the origin and...

19. Part 19

The record in the preceding pages of some of the most remarkable applications of science during the present century, exhibits an amount of intelligence, of skill, and of power t...