Steam-engines Stories

Author's note: An updated edition of this book has been republished in three books UNDERCOVER - DARK FIRE DATA, CURIOUSERS and STEAM POWER. It's Christmas and the school's time machine malfunctions, sending us to 1778 CE where we are press-ganged onto a 20 gun frigate. After it runs aground, we escape and meet the famous James Watt. However, we are still deserters from the Royal Navy and subject to the death penalty. Back in the present, I am suspected of hacking into CIA computers and Murga is still trying to kidnap me despite Triple Oh's efforts to arrest him. My uncle Dunc (Triple Oh's talking, moon-walking goose) is also on the case. Author's note: This is the second book in the series so you might like to read Under Cover Goose first. Ziff. Cover photo - This is the frigate Surprise a replica of the HMS Rose which was nearly identical to HMS Curious. Cover quotation attributed to Mathew Bolton, James Watt's business partner at the start of the Industrial revolution.

On a 10 weeks sea trial in 1761, J.Harrison's chronometer was in error by less than 5 seconds. In 1758, Dr E.Darwin replaced the ancient front axle design with two stub axles, pivoting near the wheel; now a feature of all vehicles. F.G. Koenig used his steam driven press, to print an edition of The Times newspaper, in 1814. The Rocket locomotive won the 1829 Rainhill Trials with a top speed of 30 miles per hour. A steamship, from New York City took 115 days to reach to San Francisco in 1848. In 1851, all telegraph stations in the USA were connected and by 1940 there were 40 telegraph lines across the Atlantic. Corrugated paper was invented in 1856, to stiffen tall hats and, in 1874, Oliver Long inventing corrugated board. In 1861, waterwheel powered air compressors and pneumatic drills, cut construction time by 16 years for a tunnel in Switzerland. Fritz Haber's discovered a process to make ammonia fertilizer in 1914. In 1887, Nicola Tesla invented the first AC motor. In 1903, an automatic machine was able to make 2,500 bottles an hour. WHO THE HELL ARE WE? is a series of short books and videos describing the evolution of civilization. Almost everyone on the planet is five times wealthier than their ancestors only 50 years ago. This astonishing phenomenon has also improved health, education, and longevity. The cause; an explosive growth in ideas and productivity. It began when we learned to control fire, evolved articulate speech and stumbled onto the way to create infinite wealth; free trade. The discovery of agriculture made us richer but we also learned how to destroy wealth. Great civilization grew up but then disappeared leaving only incredible ruins and ideas. Later books detail some of the ideas and developments that increased the average life span from about 40 years to more than 80 and the average world income from less than $3 to more than $33 per person per day (and to $140 per day in some countries).

Author's note. This work has been largely updated, expanded and superceded by a a series. You will find all the books at https://www.wattpad.com/user/duncmacphun You may read them in any order and by any part (chapter); what ever takes your interest. Duncan MacPhun We are a violent, territorial species and constant warfare arguably drove the evolution of our larger brains and greater intelligence This is the true story of how we got to be the longest lived, wealthiest, heathiest, least violent, best educated and the most ingenious generation in history. It is the story of the people, discoveries and inventions that created our civilization. From small sail boats to railways, diesel engines, refrigeration and jet aircraft. From the invention of vaccines and antibiotics to clean water and sewage systems. From the discovery of electricity and electromagnetic radiation to radio and radar. From copper and iron to oxygen, hydrogen, aluminum, uranium and nuclear energy. Three seminal events in human history separated us from other animals and defined what we became. Our phenomenal use of technology began with the control of fire, which literally changed the course of our evolution and made us physically what we are. The evolution of articulate speech and the development of trade, eventually gave us unimaginable wealth and modern civilization. Wealth is created by specialization, education, trade, competition and large populations. It is destroyed by criminals, war, incompetent governments and natural disasters (disease, floods, droughts, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and ice ages). Thank you for reading, voting and following I enjoy comments and suggestions from readers. Regards, Duncan MacPhun.

Mom and Dad have disappeared in China and my Uncle Dunc is a talking, break-dancing Canada goose. Time Agent Triple Oh has been assigned to protect me from Murga and I am stuck with my grumpy Grandma. What else could go wrong? Well, my new school has a quantum computer with really, real virtual reality and I am stuck on the Royal Mail Ship Titanic which is about to collide with an iceberg. Readers comments:- 'This book is full of humour and imagination, it is a good read - stick with it.' 'I laughed out loud! You really are a writer of funny material, good plot lines too. Loved the image of the green bubbles.' 'So, so good, the humour is great! The smoke trailing out of the bag, lovely detail - the story gets better and better.' 'Brilliant! You are a very good story teller, I love the breadth of the writing, smells, virtual reality plausibility and the detail - 'poured himself tea from a vacuum flask.' I was there with them'.

Denny, Licia, Miguel and I had been kidnapped by a press gang and forced aboard His Majesty's Ship Curious, a 20 gun sailing frigate. (Book 4 Undercover Curiousers). When the ship ran aground, we escaped, but, in 1778, the British Royal Navy hung deserters. The only way we could avoid this fate was to find work in the copper and tin mines at the far south west of England. These mines were essential to the war against the French navy and employees were exempt from military service. On the way west, we fought off some highway men and joined up with the famous British engineer James Watt. He was heading for one of the mines to repair a steam engines used to prevent the mine from flooding. Our carriage driver got lost along the way and we discovered that the locals were suspicious of all foreigners and not at all helpful. While Denny was helping Mr Watt to repair his steam engine at the Ting Tang mine, Licia, Miguel and I found out that the local mechanic had been sabotaging the engine. The local coal merchants feared the loss of sales (because Mr Watt's engine was more efficient) and were paying him to make the engine burn more coal. We tricked the saboteurs to prevent them damaging the engine and Mr Watt successfully demonstrated that the engine rapidly lowered the water level in the mine and, as a by-product, supplied more water to drive the waterwheel and trip hammers used to process the tin ore. Dr Zhang found us and we returned to Plymouth narrowly avoiding a troop of red-coats searching for highway men and . . . deserters. Back in Ottawa we discovered someone had destroyed Oppy's software and were trying to bomb the electric bookcase.

An updated edition of this book is available on UNDERCOVER on the TITANIC. It includes new material including several videos from the movie Titanic. Book 1, UNDERCOVER - ON THE TITANIC, is now available on Wattpad. https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/279994510-undercover-on-the-titanic-book-1 Later chapters of this book have been published in UNDERCOVER - WHITE OUT . Book 1. Murga is trying to kidnap me, Mom and Dad have disappeared in China and I am stuck with my grumpy Grandma. What else could go wrong? Well, my new school has a time machine. Luckily, I have help from Triple Oh and Duncan - a talking, moon-walking Canada goose. Cover photo - the Royal Mail Ship Titanic just before it sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912. Readers comments:- 'This book is full of humour and imagination, it is a good read - stick with it.' 'I laughed out loud! You really are a writer of funny material, good plot lines too. Loved the image of the green bubbles.' 'So, so good, the humour is great! Love the detail of the smoke trailing out of the bag, lovely detail - the story gets better and better.'