It was a long time before I could discover even by seeing the Works how this could be effected, & the Man who shewed the Works could give me no satisfaction as to this till at length I found that by Means of a large Copper (which is kept boiling when it is requisite for the Works to be set in Motion) the Steem or Vapour of the Water is conveyed from thence into a strong Copper Tube of about 18 Inches Diamiter & about 10 Feet Long, which stands perpendicularly. The lower part or end of this Tube is tight; but the uper End hath in it a moveable Stopper which may move upwards or Downwards with as much ease as possible, and at the same time to keep any of the Air from without from entering into the Tube & to keep it as tight as possible another part of the Works constantly supply the Top of the Tube above the Stopper with a small stream of Water. The Steem of the Hot Water (as I take it) entering into the Tube rarifyeth the Body of the Air contained therein to a great degree, when the Stopper is let loose and flyeth upwards with great Rapidity to the upper End of the Tube, when the Pressure of the Air from without throweth [it] back to the Bottom of the Tube with as great Force as it came upwards. When it gets to the Bottom it is again drove upwards by the same cause, & repelled when it arrives at the Top: thus the Stopper is kept in constant Motion by the Means of Steam or Vapour, & to this Stopper is fastened a stout Wooden lever by a bar of Iron. The Lever is Fastened in the Middle upon an Axis; and as the Stopper of the Tube moves upwards and downwards, it moves the Lever, which worketh the Engine in the Well, which forceth (as I before described) the Water into the Pond at the Top of the Hill. The Engine hath been tried & generally throws... Gallons in a Minute into the Pond. Thus have I given as perticular discription of this curious Engine as I possibly could, having viewed it but about 15 Minutes. I hope soon to see it at Work, when I can give a more perticular discription of several small parts of it for which I could see no use.
SOURCE: Edward Bangs, Edited, Journal of Lieutenant Isaac Bangs, April 1 to July 29, 1776, pp. 26-7
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