[Men of Invention and Industry by Samuel Smiles]@TWC D-Link book
Men of Invention and Industry

CHAPTER II
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Nevertheless, the boat behaved admirably, and attained a speed of over seven miles an hour.
Though the weather had become stormy and boisterous, the little vessel nevertheless set out on her return voyage to London.

Crowds of people assembled to witness her departure, and many nautical men watched her progress with solicitude as she steamed through the waves under the steep cliffs of the South Foreland.

The courage of the undertaking, and the unexpected good performance of the little vessel, rendered her an object of great interest and excitement as she "screwed" her way along the coast.
The tiny vessel reached her destination in safety.

Surely the difficulty of a testing trial, although with a model screw, had at length been overcome.

But no! The paddle still possessed the ascendency; and a thousand interests--invested capital, use and wont, and conservative instincts--all stood in the way.
Some years before--indeed, about the time that Smith took out his patent--Captain Ericsson, the Swede, invented a screw propeller.


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