File:SteamBike01.jpeg

Project of the Steam bike.

Description

"Unconquered Steam" Conquered

Soon shall thy arm, unconquered steam, afar
Drag the slow barge, or drive the rapid car
Or on wide–wining wings expanded bear
The flying chair on through fields of air

Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin's grandfather wrote these lines in 1791 just a few years after James Watt perfected the steam machine. He proved to be a remarkably accurate profet. Although steam failed to produce a pacifical flying carrot, from the 1800's on the power of steam was rapidly put on use on land and water…

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VELOCIPEDRAISIAVAPORIANNA

This improbable name, which freely translated from the French means "bicycle driven by vapour" was invented by the author of this 1818 French print to describe the equally improbable machine he had invented. Although someone somewhere may once have mounter a boiler on a bicycle, the artist was not picturing a real vehicle, but simply caricaturing steam power.

References

Henry Margenau, David Bergamini and the Editors of LIFE. (Consulting editors : Rene Dubos, Henry Margenau, C.P.Snow. Time inc., 1964, 1966.