Lesson 2-5

Humans have always been explorers, so in this essay we are going to learn about the suspension bridge, fire hydrant, and locomotive.

Suspension Bridges (Lesson 2)

Bridges let us reach distant lands. The Romans were the great bridge builder of the ancient world. Different cultures invented their own bridge types. TibeTans used iron chains instead of vines. Irish immigrant James Finley was born in 1756. He became involved in numerous road-building projects. He reviewed the bridge proposals. After years of experimenting, he built suspension bridges in 1801. His bridge spanned 70 feet!

Fire Hydrant (Lesson 3)

The sewage system appeared during the middle ages. Paris had a sewer in 1370. Underground pipes were made out of trees. The fire of London destroyed most of the city in 1666. Frederick Graff invented the modern fire hydrant. He was born in 1775. He designed the iron “fire plug”. The fire hydrant provides convenient access to fire water. The wet barrel froze in the winter. The dry barrel design arrived by 1812. In 1874, towns began installing dedicated fire networks.

The gold fire hydrant that saved a whole neighborhood.

Locomotive (lesson 4)

Richard Trevithick was born in 1771 in England. Newcomen invented the steam engine in 1712 and Watt improved it. He spent time observing steam engines in mines. In 1801, he built the first high pressure steam locomotive. The locomotive powers the train. Rail transport is energy efficient. The locomotive used fire-tube boilers. The steam also provided passengers’ heat and braking power.