The pressmen were in a state of great excitement, for they knew by rumour that the machine of which they had so long been apprehensive was fast approaching completion.

One night they were told to wait in the press-room, as important news was expected from abroad.
At six o'clock in the morning of the 29th November, 1814, Mr.Walter, who had been watching the working of the machine all through the night, suddenly appeared among the pressmen, and announced that "The Times is already printed by steam!" Knowing that the pressmen had vowed vengeance against the inventor and his invention, and that they had threatened "destruction to him and his traps," he informed them that if they attempted violence, there was a force ready to suppress it; but that if they were peaceable, their wages should be continued to every one of them until they could obtain similar employment.

This proved satisfactory so far, and he proceeded to distribute several copies of the newspaper amongst them--the first newspaper printed by steam! That paper contained the following memorable announcement:-- "Our Journal of this day presents to the Public the practical result of the greatest improvement connected with printing since the discovery of the art itself.

The reader of this paragraph now holds in his hand one of the many thousand impressions of The Times newspaper which were taken off last night by a mechanical apparatus.

A system of machinery almost organic has been devised and arranged, which, while it relieves the human frame of its most laborious' efforts in printing, far exceeds all human powers in rapidity and dispatch.