The newly revised edition of this material contains significant improvements and updates.  From the dawn of the Industrial Revolution the attention of many individuals focused on the advantages of powering ships by steam.  A study of the history of early marine boilers reveals that early designers and engineers did not lack novel and ingenious ideas for steam propulsion equipment. However, they did lack the materials and machine tools with which to implement these ideas.  Dependable boilers were sorely needed in the development of the steamboat