[ [362] The young partners regarded him with a degree of affection and veneration, which often shows itself in their correspondence. Towards the later years of his life Mr. Murdock’s faculties gradually decayed, and he wholly retired from the business of Soho, dying at his house at Sycamore Hill, Handsworth, on the 15th Nov., 1839, in his 85th year.
[ [363] The first piece of iron-toothed gearing ever cast is placed on the lawn in front of Murdock’s villa. The teeth are of somewhat unequal form, and the casting is rough—perhaps it has been exposed to rough usage. It bears the following inscription:—“This Pinton was cast at Carron Ironworks for John Murdock, of Bellow Mill, Ayrshire, A.D. 1760, being the first tooth-gearing ever used in millwork in Great Britain.”
[ [364] The Symingtons, father and son, began at an early period to design improvements on Watt’s pumping-engine, and took out a patent for a fire-engine on a new principle as early as the year 1785. Watt heard of its progress from time to time; but he had no great opinion of the Symingtons, and treated their alleged invention with indifference. On the 28th September, 1787, he wrote Boulton,—“Isaac Perrins [ [365] This interesting letter, so important as regards the early history of the invention of the steamboat, appeared for the first time in the supplementary volume to the ‘Official Description and Illustrated Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851,’ to which it was contributed by Mr. W. C. Aitkin of Birmingham. [ [366] ‘The Elevation, Section, Plans, and Views, of a Triple Vessel, and of Wheels, with Explanations of the Figures in the Engraving, and a short Account of the Properties and Advantages of the Invention.’ By Patrick Miller, Esq., of Dalswinton, Edinburgh, 1787. [ [367] Mr. Miller’s statement to the Royal Society, 20th December, 1787. [ [368] Boulton to Sir John Dalrymple, 26th March, 1788. The “one purpose” alluded to by Boulton is supposed to have been the Torpedo, then a favourite scheme with French inventors for blowing up English ships. [ [369] Taylor to Miller, 20th August, 1788. ‘Supplementary Vol. to Official Description and Illustrated Catalogue of the Exhibition of 1851,’ p. 1473. [ [370] Taylor to Miller, 20th August, 1788. ‘Supplementary Vol. to Official Description and Illustrated Catalogue of the Exhibition of 1851,’ p. 1473. [ [371] The following contemporary account of the trial appeared in the ‘Scots Magazine’ for November, 1788:—“On October 14th, a boat was put in motion by a steam-engine upon Mr. Miller of Dalswinton’s piece of water at that place. That gentleman’s improvements in naval affairs are well known to the public. For some time past his attention has been turned to the application of the steam-engine to the purposes of navigation. He has now accomplished, and evidently shown to the world, the practicability of this, by executing it upon a small scale. A vessel, 25 feet long and 7 broad, was, on the above date, driven with two wheels by a small engine. It answered Mr. Miller’s expectations fully, and afforded great pleasure to the spectators. The success of this experiment is no small accession to the public. Its utility in canals, and all inland navigation, points it out to be of the greatest advantage, not only to this island, but to many other nations of the world. The engine used is Mr. Symington’s new patent engine.”