Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1845 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIX. Among the officers of the American army deserving of notice, was Captain Thomas Machin, engineer; distinguished alike for his mathematical skill and patriotic bravery. He was born March 20th, 1744, 0. S., four miles from Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England. His father, John Machin, a distinguished mathematican, had two sons, John and Thomas. The former was killed at the scige of some town near the outlet of the Red Sea; and the latter was one of a corps of English cadets, which, with the British infantry became so distinguished for their bravery in the battle of Minden, Germany. The cadets, or fencibles, as called, were almost annihilated in that battle, which took place between the allied army under Ferdinand and the French, in August, 1759. The Duke of Bridgewater, who may justly be styled the father of the canal navigation of Great Britain, projected at his own expense a canal from the coal measures on his lands in the town of Worsley to Manchester, a distance of some ten miles; obtaining his first act for the same at the session of parliament for the winter of 1758 and 59. A few years after he obtained an act for carrying a branch of it to Liverpool, nearly thirty miles. The former canal was carried by a stone aqueduct over the river Irwell, forty feet above its surface, so that shipping might pass under it in the river; and the latter over the Mercer. Those great works which were looked upon at their commencement by the incredulous as wholly impracticable, were prosecuted to completion under the direction of the celebrated engineer and mechanical inventor, James Brindlcy. Soon after Brindley began those works, Thomas Machin entered his employ; and it is not surprising that under such a tutor, he, too, should have...
