Dr. Robert Bowie, in his BRIEF NARRATIVE, referred to a submission which William Symington had made to the Lords of the Admiralty, which contained drawings "representing a mode of rendering ships of war more manageable and efficient by means of an apparatus which could be erected and taken down in a short space of time, and afford the choice of propelling them either by powers of steam, or in the common manner by their sails." He also submitted "a sketch of a gun and carriage, constructed upon a new principle, possessed of superior powers, and capable of being wrought by half the usual number of men," and also his "representation of an improved paddle wheel." ^[1]

Sequestered within the Admiralty Papers in the Public Record Office London I discovered William Symington's original submission under the unlikely category of "Admiralty Secretary In Letters Promiscuous (1828-9:s)." ^[2]

In March 1828, William Symington sent his submission to Admiralty which was accompanied by the following introductory letter:

“Sir,

From an ardent wish to be useful to my Country, and being of opinion, if the plans exhibited by the Drawings herewith sent were adopted, they would be in infinite service to his Majesty’s Navy.

May I therefore request that you will have the goodness to lay them before His Royal Highness, the Lord High Admiral, for His consideration.

Should any farther explanation be required, I shall be happy to attend to his Royal Highness’s commands. I have the honor to be Sir,

Your very Ob. Serv.

William Symington

the original Inventor of Steam Boats.

London 4^th March 1828

44 Burr Street

Lower East Smithfield

^[1] Bowie, Robert, A BRIEF NARRATIVE, PROVING THE RIGHT OF THE LATE WILLIAM SYMINGTON, Civil Engineer, TO BE CONSIDERED THE INVENTOR OF STEAM LAND CARRIAGE LOCOMOTION; AND ALSO THE INVENTOR AND INTRODUCER OF STEAM NAVIGATION. London. 1833 page 23

^[2] National Archive, ADM.1. Admiralty Secretary, In-Letters No. 503. (Promiscuous; 1828-9:s)

Within papers preserved by descendants of William Symington who took up residence in Bacchus Marsh were two drawings of a ship of war which had accompanied the following section of the submission to the Admiralty:

“Description of the effect of Valved Oars; by William Symington, Civil Engineer. 1827.

It being now established beyond a doubt, the great benefit arising from Propelling vessels, used for various purposes, by the power of Steam.

The annexed Drawing No. 3 will likewise show how far it can be employed with infinite advantage to Navigate ships of War. It is well known that when two opposing Fleets come in sight it frequently happens that a wished for engagement cannot be effected by either party not having it in their power to bring the ships into a situation fit for action when moved only by light baffling winds, or in a dead calm; such obstacles can be all removed, by applying the power of steam to work the Reciprocating Valved Oar as represented in Drawings No. 3 and No.4.

When the Oars marked AA are placed in the position represented in the Drawing. Their action when put in motion by the Steam Engine will be in opposition to each other, hence the vessel will be turned round, as upon a pivot.

When the Oars are made to front one way, the motion of the vessel will be in a straight line, either back or forward.

When the Oars are placed so that one of them presents its edge, and the other its front toward the Bow of the vessel, it will be turned round as in a Circus, either to the right or left.

These movements can all be so easily effected that not more than two minutes will be required to make any of the above mentioned changes.

N.B. All these different motions of the Vessel can be produced without the aid of a Rudder.

The "valved oars" which were to propel and manoeuvre the ship of war comprised hinged flaps which opened as the oar moved forward through the water, thus reducing resistance, closing with the propelling stroke.

Admiralty Submission. “No. 4. Longitudinal View of Steam Engine and Valved Oars calculated for Navigating Ships of War during an Engagement, by William Symington, Falkirk. 1828”

With the submission was a drawing of a breech-loading cannon labelled “No. 5” which is self-explanatory. This drawing is not mentioned in the text of the Admiralty documents: the cannon and gun-carriage can swivel, allowing the direction of aim to be varied in both the horizontal and vertical plane. The breech piece was secured by a cotter pin. In about 1810 to 1812, he had spoken about designing a breech-loading cannon with his friend Robert Wight as they walked on the shore of the Firth between Leith and Portobello. ^[1]

^[1] Reported by Wight's son in an article in the Falkirk Herald 15 March 1902 page 5 titled William Symington and the Beginnings of Steam Navigation.

It is noteworthy that in 1833 Symington’s youngest son Andrew submitted a description and drawing of an improved cannon to the Royal Scottish Society of Arts. ^[1] He seems to have borrowed from his father’s idea of loading by the breech but he proposed in addition a means of igniting the powder efficiently by introducing the flame through a perforated tin canister placed in the middle of the charge. The secretary of that learned Society replied that this method could be found in the musee d’artillarie in Paris and had been abandoned after trial.

^[1] R.S.S.A. Communications laid before the Society 1828-1850. Lecture Series of the R.S.S.A., Accession 4534 1834 No. 222 Description and drawing of an improved cannon. (Read 22 January, 1834)

William Symington may have compared notes with Captain Schank, designer of the first steam boat for Lord Dundas. Schank had experimented with Carronades and submitted designs for gun carriages to the Admiralty. ^[1]

^[1] Archives of the Duke of Northumberland's Estates SY:Y.I 54

The remaining section of the Admiralty submission related to improvements in steamboat engines and paddle wheels. Symington recommended a larger wheel to allow a more perpendicular entry of the floats into the water, as illustrated in the drawing marked “No. 1”; he also recommended a simplified single cylinder engine, with a compact mode of coupling employing a double crosshead which allowed proximity of the cylinder and crank (see picture above):

Improvements on Steam boats

By William Symington, Engineer, Falkirk

Exhibited in Drawing No. 1.

Primo, by enlarging the diameter of the wheels, the obliquity of the Acting Paddles will be proportionally lessened, and by their more rectangular position in the water, the propelling power greatly increased, & their pervasion also considerably diminished.

Secundo, By lengthening the Stroke of the Engine their number will be reduced & a proportionate saving of that Power, which is always lost, while the Crank is passing through the inert points of the Revolution will likewise be gained.

Tertio, By using only One Steam Cylinder, in place of Two, the Machinery will be greatly simplified, cost less in their construction, & much easier kept in repair.

Quarto, By coupling the Piston Rod to the Crank of the lying shaft, without the Intervention of horizontal Levers or working Beams, less space will be occupied by the Machinery, & the effect of the Engine will also be increased.

From the above causes the vessel will be propelled one Third quicker through the water upon same consumption of Fuel than any other of similar Burden, in present use.

July 1827.

The Admiralty were totally unimpressed by William Symington's submission. The drawings were promptly returned. The following comment dated 5^th March was inscribed on the submission document: “Return him the Drawings and inform him HRH will not give him any further trouble.” Some weeks later, Symington received a letter from the Admiralty stating that his wheel was under assessment. ^[1]

In September 1829, an account of his war ship appeared in the newspapers:

Edinburgh Evening Courant Monday 28 September 1829 page 3: ^[2] Mr Symington, civil engineer, Falkirk, the gentleman, who, we believe, had the merit of first inventing the method of adapting steam to propelling vessels in water, or carriages on land, is at present engaged in a scheme for employing it to maneuver vessels of war, by which they will be made to proceed against both wind and tide, and recede or turn about at pleasure, without the smallest possibility of the enemy’s shot harming the machinery. Stirling Journal.

^[1] Bowie, Robert, A Brief Narrative

^[2] Also in Inverness Courier Wednesday 30 September 1829 page 2

COMMENT

In contrast to the inspired and sublime mechanism exemplified in the steam tug Charlotte Dundas, the idea of propelling a ship of war by a set of flippers was a patently ludicrous anachronism.

As early as 1760, J. A. Genevois had advanced his concept for a folding oar to the Admiralty. ^[1][2][3]

The Admiralty Board had also discarded Earl Stanhope’s Kent (1793) which was propelled by a paddle like a duck’s foot.

The battle of Navarino of 1827 was the last naval battle to be fought entirely with sailing ships.

^[1] Stuart, Robert, Historical and Descriptive Anecdotes of Steam-Engines, and of Their Inventors and Improvers Volume I London 1829

^[2] NMM ADM354/165/316

^[3] Genevois, J. A., Some new enquiries tending to the improvement of navigation London 1760