Salomon De Caus (1576-1626)
Category: Historical Books
Little is known about the life of Salomon de Caus (1576-1626), but some information can be gleaned from the historical record. De Caus was born in northern France and is the eldest of two siblings (his younger brother was Isaac de Caus). As a Huguenot, he lived most of his life as a refugee, traveling throughout Europe. Though involved with geometry, astronomy and music, De Caus was inspired by the water-works of the beautiful Italian gardens of Mannerist at Pratolino, which gave him the desire to become a hydraulic engineer. He spent several years as an architect and engineer for Louis XIII of France, but moved on to England in 1612 under the employ of the Prince of Wales. While his 1612 treatise, “La Perspective avec la raison des ombres et miroirs,” provides some information about his architectural and engineering techniques, it is his 1615 work, “Les Raisons des forces mouvantes,” which is most important to the history of mechanics.
In this text De Caus demonstrates his invention for raising water above the height of its source, which assisted him in the construction of ornamental fountains and falls. He took a metal globe and partly filled it with water, and then closed the globe off via a cock. He then inserted a vertical pipe through the top of the globe, the lower end of which came down nearly to the bottom of the globe, under the water. Fire was then applied to the globe. As the vessel was heated, water was converted to steam and increased the pressure within the globe. This pressure forced the water in the globe to move, and the only available direction was up through the pipe. The result was a fountain. While De Caus’ treatise goes on to describe solar-powered steam engines, it is unclear whether or not he ever attempted to build one. Even though the globe machine could hardly be considered an engine, since it was of no practical use, it does have obvious links to the chain of knowledge that led to the steam engine.
Sources for Further Information on Salomon De Caus:
- Farey, John. A Treatise on the Steam Engine. London: Paternoster-Row, 1827.
- Marshall, Y.H. James Watt (1726-1819). Publisher: London: Leonard Parsons, 1925.
- Thurston, Robert. A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1902.
- http://www.udayton.edu/~hume/Steam/steam.htm
