Fig. 7.—Worcester’s Steam Fountain, a. d. 1650.
One of these inventions is an apparatus for raising water by steam. The description was not accompanied by a drawing, but the sketch here given ([Fig. 7]) is thought probably to resemble one of his earlier contrivances very closely.
Steam is generated in the boiler a, and thence is led into the vessel e, already nearly filled with water, and fitted up like the apparatus of De Caus. It drives the water in a jet out through the pipe f. The vessel e is then shut off from the boiler a, is again filled through the pipe h, and the operation is repeated. Stuart thinks it possible that the marquis may have even made an engine with a piston, and sketches it.[15] The instruments of Porta and of De Caus were “steam fountains,” and were probably applied, if used at all, merely to ornamental purposes. That of the [Marquis of Worcester] was actually used for the purpose of elevating water for practical purposes at Vauxhall, near London.
Edward Somerset, the Second Marquis of Worcester.
How early this invention was introduced at Raglan Castle by Worcester is not known, but it was probably not much later than 1628. In 1647 Dircks shows the marquis probably to have been engaged in getting out parts of the later engine which was erected at Vauxhall, obtaining his materials from William Lambert, a brass-founder. His patent was issued in June, 1663.