Among Swedish engineers of the first half of the eighteenth century one of the outstanding names is that of Mårten Triewald. It was he, together with Christofer Polhem--an inventor of even greater eminence--who imparted to the Swedish genius the predilection for technical activity which was so characteristic of that century and which has persisted until the present day. Mårten Triewald and Chr. Polhem share the honour of having impressed upon the work which they inspired the pronounced scientific character which numerous publications still continue to exemplify.It is one of the scientific distinctions of Triewald that he, conjointly with the great botanist, Linnaeus, was the founder of the Royal Academy of Science in Stockholm, in the year 1739. The preliminary deliberations of these two scholars took lace in the winter of 1738-39, and Triewald, who had been a member of the Royal Society of London since 1731, was able to turn to account his intimate knowledge of the organisation of that famous society, which doubtless served as an exemplar in the formation of the Swedish sister institution.
In Triewald we perceive one of the first Swedish engineers to establish connexions with the industrial life of Great Britain, and to draw from it inspiration wherever it might benefit his native country. He was thus, to take a single example, the first to familiarise Swedish miners with English coal-mining, in which he had himself been engaged for a number of years. We need only remember the varied applications of technical science to this industry in order to understand that so alert an observer as Mårten Triewald must, during his 10 years' stay in England, have accumulated a fund of experience of the utmost value for his subsequent activities in his native land.
Of all the attainments with which he returned home the foremost was his intimate knowledge of Newcomen's steam engine. When, therefore, the announcement is made that the Newcomen Society proposes to publish an English translation of Triewald's work, "Beskrifning om eld- och luftmachin vid Dannemora grufvor," Stockholm, 1734, a work which in this special field may be considered a classic of our technical literature, this proposal will certainly be received with the keenest satisfaction and gratitude by Triewald's fellow-countrymen, and in a very special sense by Swedish engineers. The decision constitutes also, of course, an act of homage to the proud memory of the English pioneer of the steam engine, Thomas Newcomen, and it cannot but be gratifying to every engineer, of whatever country, that such a tribute should be paid to his name.
CARL SAHLIN.
Djursholm, Stockholm.
8th February, 1928.