one nation often claim for their own vain and inefficient projectors
the honors due to the successful enterprise of a foreigner." Many of
these writers totally ignore the very existence of Oliver Evans, and
all of them attribute to Trevithick and Vivian the authorship of the
high pressure steam engine and the locomotive. Yet, when doing so, all
of them substantially acknowledge the American origin of both
inventions, because it is morally certain that Trevithick and Vivian
got possession of the plans and specifications of his engine. Oliver
Evans sent them to England in 1794-5 by Mr. Joseph Stacy Sampson, of
Boston, with the hope that some British engineer would approve and
conjointly with him take out patents for the inventions. Mr. Sampson
died in England, but not until after he had extensively exhibited Mr.
Evans' plans, apparently, however, without success. After Mr.
Sampson's death Trevithick and Vivian took out a patent for a high
pressure steam engine. This could happen and yet the invention be
original with them.

But they introduced into Cornwall a form of boiler hitherto unknown in
Great Britain, namely, the cylindrical flue boiler, which Oliver Evans
had invented and used in America years before the names of Trevithick
and Vivian were associated with the steam engine. Hence, they were
charged over fifty years ago with having stolen the invention of Mr.
Evans, and the charge has never been refuted. Hence when British
writers ignore the just claims of Oliver Evans and assert for
Trevithick and Vivian the authorship of the high pressure steam engine
and the locomotive, they thereby substantially acknowledge the
American origin of both inventions. They are not only of American
origin, but their author, although born in 1755, was nevertheless an
American of the second generation, seeing that he was descended from
the Rev. Dr. Evans Evans, who in the earlier days of the colony of