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Was Hero realy the first boiler maker?
Posted by: Caleb Ramsby (IP Logged)
Date: January 23, 2003 04:38PM
<HTML>I have just acquired a very special book. It is a 1886 copy of "The Steam Boiler; it's Care and Management", writen by Stephen Roper. I have gotten a great deal on it, only $15 and although the back is slightly scuffed it is otherwise in great condition.
In my research of steam engine history and I have always seen referance to Hero as the first to contain and utalize steam for a mechanical purpose, in his case a rather whimsicle one.
However as I have begun to read this new acquisition, I have for the first time, been given an opinion that states otherwise.
The folowing is a direct quote from the book.
"It has been generaly supposed that the steam boiler is of recent origin, and dates no further back than Hero of Alexandria, who is supposed to have lived 200 years B.C., and whose eolipile was the germ of the steam boiler; but this again is a mistake, as it is in evidence that the eolipile was used in Egypt for creating draught in chimneys, blowing fires, distributing incense and terrifying ignorant and superstitous people into idol worship centuries before Hero's time. Many of these vessels were of beutiful design and exquisite workmanship, and were as different from the device represented to be invented by Hero as the "Keely motor" is from a first class modern tubular boiler. In fact, when, where, or by whom the steam boiler was invented will probably never be known."
"Numerous passages in the Old Testament convey the impression that the steam boiler, as a source of power, and the steam engine, as a motor, were in use in very early times, and antedate the period which has been generally fixed for their origin. Take, for instance, the language employed in many passages in Deuteronomy and Ezekiel. Improvement of the steam boiler has not kept up with the progress of the age until quite recently; this arises probably from the fact that the steam engine was always more of an object of admiration for the mechanical engineers and inventors than the boiler;"
He continues on in the second paragraph about the catching up of the boiler to the expander, but for this dicussion it is not relevent.
I am very interisted if any of you have heard of this opinion before and what you think of it. I believe it to be a relevent one, but besides the Bible he states no references from which he acquired this information.
I shall also be posting this on the other site.
Caleb Ramsby</HTML>
In my research of steam engine history and I have always seen referance to Hero as the first to contain and utalize steam for a mechanical purpose, in his case a rather whimsicle one.
However as I have begun to read this new acquisition, I have for the first time, been given an opinion that states otherwise.
The folowing is a direct quote from the book.
"It has been generaly supposed that the steam boiler is of recent origin, and dates no further back than Hero of Alexandria, who is supposed to have lived 200 years B.C., and whose eolipile was the germ of the steam boiler; but this again is a mistake, as it is in evidence that the eolipile was used in Egypt for creating draught in chimneys, blowing fires, distributing incense and terrifying ignorant and superstitous people into idol worship centuries before Hero's time. Many of these vessels were of beutiful design and exquisite workmanship, and were as different from the device represented to be invented by Hero as the "Keely motor" is from a first class modern tubular boiler. In fact, when, where, or by whom the steam boiler was invented will probably never be known."
"Numerous passages in the Old Testament convey the impression that the steam boiler, as a source of power, and the steam engine, as a motor, were in use in very early times, and antedate the period which has been generally fixed for their origin. Take, for instance, the language employed in many passages in Deuteronomy and Ezekiel. Improvement of the steam boiler has not kept up with the progress of the age until quite recently; this arises probably from the fact that the steam engine was always more of an object of admiration for the mechanical engineers and inventors than the boiler;"
He continues on in the second paragraph about the catching up of the boiler to the expander, but for this dicussion it is not relevent.
I am very interisted if any of you have heard of this opinion before and what you think of it. I believe it to be a relevent one, but besides the Bible he states no references from which he acquired this information.
I shall also be posting this on the other site.
Caleb Ramsby</HTML>
Re: Was Hero realy the first boiler maker?
Posted by: G. B. Gilbert (IP Logged)
Date: January 24, 2003 02:21AM
<HTML>try this :
[www.history.rochester.edu];
[www.history.rochester.edu];
Re: Was Hero realy the first boiler maker?
Posted by: Caleb Ramsby (IP Logged)
Date: March 15, 2003 05:51PM
<HTML>G. B. Gilbert,
I just realized that I hadn't thanked you for you response. Sorry about that. Thanks!</HTML>
I just realized that I hadn't thanked you for you response. Sorry about that. Thanks!</HTML>
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