AN ANCIENT SCIENTIST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 65, 17 March 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN ANCIENT SCIENTIST.

Hero was the most famous successor of Archimedes. His "Pneumatica" was published to the Alexandrian world after the death of Euclid and of Archimedes, and very likely includes inventions of the latter and of Ctesibins, for nothing is said to indicate what part of the collection of inventions there described is due to the author and what to earlier scientists and engineers. In this little volume, however, are contained descriptions of the germs of the "fire-engine," or steam-engine, of the iiarquis of Worcester, of the steam turbine, of the water-tube steam-boiler, of numerous steam and air fountains, and of many other curious and, undoubtedly fo the ancients, mysterious contrivances, not omitting- the magician's marvellous bottle, the source of many wonders. He anticipates or supplies the germ of numbers of modern engineeringapparatus and mechanisms. In one of his "propositions" he shows how temple doors may be opened and closed by •steam: in another, how birds shall be made to appear to sing; in another, he raises water in a fountain by fire; and in still another, he accomplishes the same thing by a "solar motor" Hero was the greatest mechanical engineer and scientific author of his time.