Engineering reminiscences contributed to "Power" and "American machinist"

by Charles T. Porter

I have forgotten how many competitors remained in the field, but the prize was awarded to a London firm, builders of hand fire-engines, who had only lately taken up this new branch of manufacture. This successful firm applied to the government for an order to supply steam fire-engines for the protection of the public buildings. This application was referred to Easton, Amos & Sons, the consulting engineers of the government. This firm concluded if possible to have this order given to themselves, and applied to Mr. Lee to recommend the changes in his engine necessary to put it in proper working order. Mr. Lee replied that it was only necessary to put the engine back in the precise condition in which he left it. They finally agreed to do this, and employed Mr. Lee to direct the work. When completed the engine was tried in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, in competition with the prize winner, before a large body of government officials. The Easton, Amos & Sons engine proved its superiority on every point so completely that the government immediately purchased it.

Some time before this, however, Mr. Lee had associated himself with a capitalist for the manufacture of steam fire-engines in England, and was then engaged on plans for them. His financial associate was Judge Winter, by which title only he was known to us. He was an American, and before the war was the proprietor of the Winter Iron Works in Georgia (the precise location I have forgotten), the most prominent engineering establishment in the Southern States, in which business he had become wealthy. He will be remembered by some gray heads as having been an exhibitor in the New York Crystal Palace in 1853. He sent to it a steam-engine bearing the name of “The Southern Belle.” This stood in the machinery department, close to a Corliss engine, the two being the only engines of any size which were exhibited there. This engine was beautifully finished, polished pretty much all over, but its working features were of the most ordinary character. Mechanically it was valueless.

Judge Winter was a determined opponent of secession, and on the adoption of that ordinance by the State of Georgia, was compelled to fly from the country. He then took up his residence in London, to which he had transferred such portion of his wealth as he was able to convert into money.

He took a deep interest in the new steam fire-engine, and spent part of nearly every day in the office where Mr. Lee and Mr. Taylor, an American engineer whom Mr. Lee had associated with himself, were engaged on their plans.

The point of interest to myself in this story lies here. The old judge had no sound mechanical education, but was very fertile minded. He came almost every morning with a new idea that he wanted embodied. It was always absurd. He generally protested vigorously against being overruled. When he was furnishing all the money he could not see why he should not be allowed to have something to say about it. I happened to be present in their office one morning when he got particularly excited over their opposition. He was a stout party, and on this occasion I had the fun of joining in the shout of laughter that greeted him, when, after pacing the floor in silence for a few minutes, he exclaimed, with his hand on the fabled seat of his sympathies, “I thank my God that if there is one thing I am free from, it is pride of opinion.”

My recollection of the above action of Easton, Amos & Sons and of Judge Winter contributed materially to form my imagination of the predicament in which I would certainly find myself, should I yield to Mr. Whitworth the power to make whatever changes might occur to him in my engine.

CHAPTER XV

Preparations for Returning to America. Bright Prospects.

Having but little practical work to occupy me that winter, I devoted myself to getting out for Elliott Bros. a second edition of my instruction book to accompany the Richards indicator, and my paper for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the illustrations and material for Mr. Colburn’s articles on the Allen engine published in Engineering.