It was designed, as its name suggests, for service either in water or on shore.
It propelled itself across the city to the river front, puffing and throwing off clouds of steam and making quite a sensation on the streets.
Evans had never forgotten his dream of the "steam wagon." His Oruktor had no sooner begun puffing than he offered to make for the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Company steamdriven carriages to take the place of their six-horse Conestoga wagons, promising to treble their profits.
But the directors of the road were conservative men and his arguments fell on deaf ears.
In the same year Evans petitioned Congress for an extension of the patent on his flour-milling machinery, which was about to expire.

He had derived little profit from this important invention, as the new machinery made its way very slowly, but every year more and more millers were using it and Evans received royalties from them.

He felt sure that Congress would renew his patent, and, with great expectations for the future, he announced a new book in preparation by himself to be called "The Young Engineer's Guide".

It was to give the most thorough treatment to the subject of the steam engine, with a profusion of drawings to illustrate the text.

But Evans reckoned without the millers who were opposing his petition.