murphy's-law-ish text, 1877-8

[Stephen Goranson]

"It is found that anything that can go wrong at sea generally does go wrong
sooner or later, so it is not to be wondered that owners prefer the
safe to the scientific. It is also found that it is almost as bad to have too
many parts as too few; that arrangements which are for exceptional and
occasional use are rarely available when wanted, and have the disadvantage of
requiring additional care. Their very presence, too, seems in effect to
indispose the engineer to attend to essentials. Sufficient stress can hardly be
laid on the advantages of simplicity. The human factor cannot be safely
neglected in planning machinery. If attention is to be obtained, the engine
must be such that the engineer will be disposed to attend to it."

In the November 13, 1877 session, published 1878, Alfred Holt, "Review of the
Progress of Steam Shipping during the last Quarter of a Century," pp. 2-11,
here p. 8,  Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Vol.
LI, Session 1877-78--Part I. London: Published by the Institution, 1878.

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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