The third lecture in connection with the Michell bequest,  was  given by Mr.  J. Blight, of Roskear, Camborne (engineer at South Crofty Mine), at the Redruth School of Mines on Friday evening, when he ad-dressed a packed audience on "Trevithick, and his Inventions." The chair was occu- pied by Mr. Henry Grylls, C.A. 

In the course of his lecture on "Trevithick and his inventions," Mr. Blight said Cornwall could hold its own against any other part of the world as being the birthplace of as many great and noble men who by their exceptional ability and genius had done so much, not only for their own county,  but the whole world, and the results of those labours could be seen to-day. There were Allen, the man. of business and philanthropist (1720-84); Bone, the enamelist (1755-1824); Borlase, the antiquarian (1695-1772);  Davy, the man of science (1778-1829); Foote, wit and dramatist (1720-1777) - Lander, the ex-plorer (1807-39); Opie, the painter (1761- 1807),  Trevithick, the engineer (1771-1833); and Vivian the warrior (1775-1842). None of these left more clearly marked their footprints on the sands of time than Trevithick. 

The  great  Engineer  was  born in Illogan parish on  April  13th, 1771, and was the son of Richard Trevithick, at that time manager and engineer of Dolcoath and several other mines, as well mineral agent to the Tehidy Estate.   His mother was formerly  Miss Teague,  whose family were mine managers in the Redruth district and distinguished for many years in the annals of Cornish mining.  Trevithick was born at the foot of the north-west slope of Carn Brea Hill, and from this infant grew the great high pressure engineer, making possible the almost impossible before. His first and only school was at Camborne, where the master reported him " a diso- bedient, slow, obstinate, spoilt boy, fre- quently absent and very inattentive." He preferred to wander around the mines and becoming acquainted with the engines and machinery than to sit on  a stool in his father's office.  The. earliest trace of steady occupation by Trevithick was on his father's mine at Stray Park, in 1790, when he received 30s. per month as engineer. His father as manager of the mine stood at the top with 40s. per month. Trevithick re-mained at  Stray  Park Mine until 1792 when he was engaged by Tincroft share-holders to examine and report on the relative duties or work done with a certain quantity of coal in the patent engine of Watt, and in that of the double-cylinder engine of Hornblower. At the early age of 21 he was therefore in public and profes- sional contact with Watt, and from about that period dated the competition of the great low-pressure engineer, and his youth-ful and vigorous high-pressure rival. 

The lecturer traced the life of the great  engineer up to 1796, from whence it might be said that the high-pressure engine dated, and how in the following year he was appointed leading engineer in the mines west of Redruth on the death of his father.   There was opposing,  or  Watt party in the  Gwennap or  eastern part of the district.   In  this  year Trevithick mar-ried  Miss  Jane  Harvey, of  Hayle, but after nine months' residence at Moreton House, Redruth—not far from Murdoch's house —he came to reside at Camborne. In 1798 Trevithick, by one of those moves common to master minds, converted the outline of the plunger pole pump, serving as the agent of the steam engine, into its rival as the prime move in, positions com-manding a stream of water through pipes from  elevated  ground.   In this new position it was called the "water pressure engine," and was first erected in  Prince William Henry Mine at Roskear for giving motion to the pump rods.  This first Cor-nish water pressure engine worked for seven-teen years. 

              In 1800 Trevithick erected at the Wheal Druid Mine a double acting water pressure engine, and three years later erected a double acting engine Derby- shire  mine which  lifted  water to a height of 58 feet. This engine worked for nearly fifty years. In 1798-9 Trevithick's high pressure steam engines grew rapidly into practical steam puflers. In 1800 two, at least, of his high-pressure whims were at work at  Cook's  Kitchen  Mine, one of which had  two cylinders with cranks at right angles.     In  1800  or  1806 Tre-vithick erected on the same mine a high- pressure condensing whim, which was at  work in 1869. Several high-pressure whims were  erected  in  other  mines  about this time.  In  1800 Trevithick invented the kibble and pincers which proved a great saving in hoisting costs  and remained in use until superseded by skips. In 1801 he erected a high-pressure steam puffer en- gine at Tredegar Puddling Mills. By Christmas Eve of 1801, Trevithick com-pleted' the first "Camborne Common Road Locomotive" to be driven by the force of high-pressure  steam.      The  first  run was from Weith to Camborne Beacon. In 1802 Richard Trevithick  and  Andrew Vivian were granted a patent for steam engines for propelling carriages. 

Mr. Blight dealt in detail with the erec-tion by Trevithick of the steam dredgers which first worked at Blackwall by one of the high-pressure engines, and how in 1804  Trevithick  put in a stone-crushing mill at Dolcoath Mine, the first ever to be used for such a purpose; and the patent of a ship's propeller in 1808, and Iron buoys and tanks, the latter yielding him no profit; iron, docks, etc. In 1810 he erected the high-pressure boilers and pole vacuum engine at Wheal Prosper, and in the follow-ing year at Dolcoath three cylindrical boilers, with internal fireplaces and tubes running through the whole length of the boiler. This was the birth of the Cornish boiler.  In 1812 came the construction of an  engine for revolving borers for boring lime-stone,and many years later similar bits for boring wood were patented as new, and were still being used. 

It was in 1815 that the Dolcoath direc-torsdecided to have a new pumping engine and replace the Watt 63'* diameter plant. Trevithick promised to erect a 76" diameter cylinder engine which would beat that of Watt's. The engine was erected in 1816, and the promise of Trevithick that it would do more than the Watts 63" was more than fulfilled by its doing 40,000,000 duty which was  practically   double   that  of  the Watt's engine.    In 1813 Trevithick sup-plied six pumping engines to Peruvian Mines, together with other things neces-sary for underground work.    During his visit to Peru, he opened up mines and made  the  natives  acquainted with the fit to him. On April 22nd, 1833, he tried English methods of mining.   But misfor-tune  overtook the great engineer and his at Dartford. He was penniless and without a relative  at  Dartford  in  his  last illness. The last offices of kindness were performed by those who were losers by his schemes. Thus passed away one of the greatest English inventors; with no monument to mark his greatness  but  the cold thanks of a benefited nation.      In his last letter to Mr. Davies Gilbert,  Trevithick   said: "I have  been branded with the folly and mad-ness for attempting what the world called impossible; even from the great engineer, Mr. Watt, who when talking to an eminent scientific character, thought I deserved hanging for bringing into use the high-pressure steam engine." 

Mr. Blight concluded : To Trevithick we owe much. He indicated the line of ad-vance that is being followed to-day, and most of his inventions which are at present in use were those which were developed with that view.  Take the Cornish and Lancashire boilers,  the internal furnace, the condensing engine, portable engine, the   locomotive  and   other   inventions and you can form some view of what Richard Trevithick has done for us."

The lecture was profusely illustrated with beautiful lantern slides.