We've all heard of the "born engineer." I think he's a fairly common product, and I have always wanted to know what he did with himself only a century-and-a-half ago when there was no engineering profession, says "L, H." i he "Field." The museums give a very partial light on the subject, Machines prior to the mid-eighteenth century were made almost entirely of wood, with certain exceptions such as clocks,: teelyards and other weighing devices. So, ur less special conditions favoured its preservation—as in the case of the Exeter fire-engine which bears the date 1626—wooden machinery got smashed up or burnt, and can never be rediscovered by archeologists.
A great many people must have seen the donkeywheel at Carisbrooke Castle, which pulls up a bucket of water weighing (est, from a well that is rather more than 150ft, deep. You yee the same kind of wheel in cages for mi and squirrels. The Carisbrooke wheel is 15ft. in. in diameter, which easily allows a donkey to get in. There are cross slats on the inner tread of the wheel, so that when the donkey steps out the drum revolves. But the wheel (which replaced another one in 1580) was not made for a donkey to work, but a man—a prisoner, so they will tell you with grim satisfaction. That as may be. But it is a man-power machine.
A has-relief in the Lateran Museum shows a man-power wheel exactly like ours at work, under the eye of a Roman contractor, lifting a large block of stone into position on a public building. These wheels were, in fact, used as cranes in the making of our cathedrals. I have seen two of them which are not only in working order still but actually in service. One is n the spire of Salisbury Cathedral and the ther (which is more accessible to the general sublime) is in the roof of Beverley Minster.
Ready for Action at Moments Notice The latter is situated above the vault of the crossing, ready for action at a moment's notice. By the wheel a stone casing rises from the floor like the top of a well. It is filled by a solitary round stone, perhaps 3ft. in diameter, with a ring in the middle. This is the obverse of the great central boss which fits into the intersection of the cross groins of nave, transepts and choir. It must weigh a ton, perhaps more.
If you are going to do repairs on or about he roof, and want balks of timber brought up rom the ground level, you hook your wheel-rope into the ring in the back of the boss and get into the wheel. A little gentle walking will bring the heavy boss swimming up out of its well. Your mate pulls it to one side, lowers it and unhooks. You can now fish anything from the floor of the nave that will go through the hoist-hole. I imagine that both this and the Salisbury wheel are of fourteenth century date.
One has to test this apparatus to be properly impressed with the ease with which the power can be applied. Evidently they did not adopt this principle for the prison tread-mill, because it was too comfortable. In the tread-mill the power was applied outside the wheel, so it meant that the operator, instead of appearing to walk on the level, had to walk uphill—up, up, up, with aching back and straining muscles and, In the heart, the certain knowledge that it was mechanically impossible ever to reach the summit. The curious may see a treadmill still in position in the old jail at Beaumaris—1 don't know whether there are any others still fixed in situ,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.