industrial biography-第24节

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REVERBERATORY　furnace。〃

　。。。＇

in　which　the　iron　should　not　mix　with　the　coal；　but　be　heated　solely

by　the　flame。　　Mr。　Reynolds　greatly　doubted　the　feasibility　of　the

operation；　but　he　authorized　the　Cranege；　to　make　an　experiment　of

their　process；　the　result　of　which　will　be　found　described　in　the

following　extract　of　a　letter　from　Mr。　Reynolds　to　Mr。　Thomas　Goldney

of　Bristol；　dated　〃Coalbrookdale；　25th　April；　1766　〃：　　



。。。。　　〃I　come　now　to　what　I　think　a　matter　of　very　great　consequence。

It　is　some　time　since　Thos。　Cranege；　who　works　at　Bridgenorth　Forge；

and　his　brother　George；　of　the　Dale；　spoke　to　me　about　a　notion　they

had　conceived　of　making　bar　iron　without　wood　charcoal。　　I　told　them；

consistent　with　the　notion　I　had　adopted　in　common　with　all　others　I

had　conversed　with；　that　I　thought　it　impossible；　because　the

vegetable　salts　in　the　charcoal　being　an　alkali　acted　as　an　absorbent

to　the　sulphur　of　the　iron；　which　occasions　the　red…short　quality　of

the　iron；　and　pit　coal　abounding　with　sulphur　would　increase　it。　　This

specious　answer；　which　would　probably　have　appeared　conclusive　to

most；　and　which　indeed　was　what　I　really　thought；　was　not　so　to　them。

They　replied　that　from　the　observations　they　had　made；　and　repeated

conversations　together；　they　were　both　firmly　of　opinion　that　the

alteration　from　the　quality　of　pig　iron　into　that　of　bar　iron　was

effected　merely　by　heat；　and　if　I　would　give　them　leave；　they　would

make　a　trial　some　day。　　I　consented；　but；　I　confess；　without　any　great

expectation　of　their　success；　and　so　the　matter　rested　some　weeks；

when　it　happening　that　some　repairs　had　to　be　done　at　Bridgenorth；

Thomas　came　up　to　the　Dale；　and；　with　his　brother；　made　a　trial　in

Thos。　Tilly's　air…furnace　with　such　success　as　I　thought　would

justify　the　erection　of　a　small　air…furnace　at　the　Forge　for　the　more

perfectly　ascertaining　the　merit　of　the　invention。　　This　was

accordingly　done；　and　a　trial　of　it　has　been　made　this　week；　and　the

success　has　surpassed　the　most　sanguine　expectations。　　The　iron　put

into　the　furnace　was　old　Bushes；　which　thou　knowest　are　always　made

of　hard　iron；　and　the　iron　drawn　out　is　the　toughest　I　ever　saw。　　A

bar　1　1/4　inch　square；　when　broke；　appears　to　have　very　little　cold

short　in　it。　　I　look　upon　it　as　one　of　the　most　important　discoveries

ever　made；　and　take　the　liberty　of　recommending　thee　and　earnestly

requesting　thou　wouldst　take　out　a　patent　for　it　immediately。。。。　　The

specification　of　the　invention　will　be　comprised　in　a　few　words；　as

it　will　only　set　forth　that　a　reverberatory　furnace　being　built　of　a

proper　construction；　the　pig　or　cast　iron　is　put　into　it；　and　without

the　addition　of　anything　else　than　common　raw　pit　coal；　is　converted

into　good　malleable　iron；　and；　being　taken　red…hot　from　the

reverberatory　furnace　to　the　forge　hammer；　is　drawn　out　into　bars　of

various　shapes　and　sizes；　according　to　the　will　of　the　workmen。〃



Mr。　Reynolds's　advice　was　implicitly　followed。　　A　patent　was　secured

in　the　name　of　the　brothers　Cranege；　dated　the　17th　June；　1766；　and

the　identical　words　in　the　above　letter　were　adopted　in　the

specification　as　descriptive　of　the　process。　　By　this　method　of

puddling；　as　it　is　termed；　the　manufacturer　was　thenceforward　enabled

to　produce　iron　in　increased　quantity　at　a　large　reduction　in　price；

and　though　the　invention　of　the　Craneges　was　greatly　improved　upon　by

Onions；　and　subsequently　by　Cort；　there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　the

originality　and　the　importance　of　their　invention。　　Mr。　Tylor　states

that　he　was　informed　by　the　son　of　Richard　Reynolds　that　the　wrought

iron　made　at　Coalbrookdale　by　the　Cranege　process　〃was　very　good；

quite　tough；　and　broke　with　a　long；　bright；　fibrous　fracture：　　that

made　by　Cort　afterwards　was　quite　different。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　TYLOR　on　Metal　WorkReports　on　the　Paris　Exhibition　of　1855。

Part　II。　182。　　We　are　informed　by　Mr。　Reynolds　of　Coed…du；　a　grandson

of　Richard　Reynolds；　that　〃on　further　trials　many　difficulties　arose。

The　bottoms　of　the　furnaces　were　destroyed　by　the　heat；　and　the

quality　of　the　iron　varied。　　Still；　by　a　letter　dated　May；　1767；　it

appears　there　had　been　sold　of　iron　made　in　the　new　way　to　the　value

of　247L。　14s。　6d。〃

　。。。＇

Though　Mr。　Reynolds's　generosity　to　the　Craneges　is　apparent；　in　the

course　which　he　adopted　in　securing　for　them　a　patent　for　the

invention　in　their　own　names；　it　does　not　appear　to　have　proved　of

much　advantage　to　them；　and　they　failed　to　rise　above　the　rank　which

they　occupied　when　their　valuable　discovery　was　patented。　　This；

however；　was　no　fault　of　Richard　Reynolds；　but　was　mainly

attributable　to　the　circumstance　of　other　inventions　in　a　great

measure　superseding　their　process；　and　depriving　them　of　the　benefits

of　their　ingenuity。



Among　the　important　improvements　introduced　by　Mr。　Reynolds　while

managing　the　Coalbrookdale　Works；　was　the　adoption　by　him　for　the

first　time　of　iron　instead　of　wooden　rails　in　the　tram…roads　along

which　coal　and　iron　were　conveyed　from　one　part　of　the　works　to

another；　as　well　as　to　the　loading…places　along　the　river　Severn。　　He

observed　that　the　wooden　rails　soon　became　decayed；　besides　being

liable　to　be　broken　by　the　heavy　loads　passing　over　them；　occasioning

much　loss　of　time；　interruption　to　business；　and　heavy　expenses　in

repairs。　　It　occurred　to　him　that　these　inconveniences　would　be

obviated　by　the　use　of　rails　of　cast…iron；　and；　having　tried　an

experiment　with　them；　it　answered　so　well；　that　in　1767　the　whole　of

the　wooden　rails　were　taken　up　and　replaced　by　rails　of　iron。　　Thus

was　the　era　of　iron　railroads　fairly　initiated　at　Coalbrookdale；　and

the　example　of　Mr。　Reynolds　was　shortly　after　followed　on　all　the

tramroads　throughout　the　Country。



It　is　also　worthy　of　note　that　the　first　iron　bridge　ever　erected　was

cast　and　made　at　the　Coalbrookdale　Worksits　projection　as　well　as

its　erection　being　mainly　due　to　the　skill　and　enterprise　of　Abraham

Darby　the　third。　　When　but　a　young　man；　he　showed　indications　of　that

sagacity　and　energy　in　business　which　seemed　to　be　hereditary　in　his

family。　　One　of　the　first　things　he　did　on　arriving　at　man's　estate

was　to　set　on　foot　a　scheme　for　throwing　a　bridge　across　the　Severn

at　Coalbrookdale；　at　a　point　where　the　banks　were　steep　and　slippery；

to　accommodate　the　large　population　which　had　sprung　up　along　both

banks　of　the　river。　　There　were　now　thriving　iron；　brick；　and　pottery

works　established　in　the　parishes　of　Madeley　and　Broseley；　and　the

old　ferry　on　the　Severn　was　found　altogether　inadequate　for　ready

communication　between　one　bank　and　the　other。　　The　want　of　a　bridge

had　long　been　felt；　and　a　plan　of　one　had　been　prepared　during　the

life　time　of　Abraham　Darby　the　second；　but　the　project　was　suspended

at　his　death。　　When　his　son　came　of　age；　he　resolved　to　take　up　his

father's　dropped　scheme；　and　prosecute　it　to　completion；　which　he

did。　　Young　Mr。　Darby　became　lord　of　the　manor　of　Madeley　in　1776；　and

was　the　owner　of　one…half　of　the　ferry　in　right　of　his　lordship。　　He

was　so　fortunate　as　to　find　the　owner　of　the　other　or　Broseley　half

of　the　ferry　equally　anxious　with　himself　to　connect　the　two　banks　of

the　river　by　means　of　a　bridge。　　The　necessary　powers　were　accordingly

obtained　from　Parliament；　and　a　bridge　was　authorized　to　be　built　〃of

cast…iron；　stone；　brick；　or　timber。〃　　A　company　was　formed　for　the

purpose　of　carrying　out　the　project；　and　the　shares　were　taken　by　the

adjoining　owners；　Abraham　Darby　being　the　principal　subscriber。*

　＇footnote。。。

Among　the　other　subscribers　were　the　Rev。　Mr。　Harris；　Mr。　Jennings；

and　Mr。　John　Wilkinson；　an　active　promoter　of　the　scheme；　who　gave

the　company　the　benefit　of　his　skill　and　experience　when　it　was

determined　to　construct　the　bridge　of　iron。　　For　an　account　of　John

Wilkinson　see　Lives　of　the　Engineers；　vol。　ii。　337；　356。　　In　the

description　of　the　first　iron　bridge　given　in　that　work　we　have；　it

appears；　attributed　rather　more　credit　to　Mr。　Wilkinson　than　he　is

entitled　to。　　Mr。　Darby　was　the　most　active　promoter　of　the　scheme；

and　had　the　principal　share　in　the　design。　　Wilkinson　nevertheless　was

a　man　of　great　energy　and　originality。　　Besides　being　the　builder　of

the　first　iron　ship；　he　was　the　first　to　invent；　for　James　Watt；　a

machine　that　would　bore　a　tolerably　true　cylinder。　　He　afterwards

established　iron　works　in　France；　and　Arthur　Young　says；　that　〃until

that　well…known　English　manufacturer　arrived；　the　French　knew　nothing

of　the　art　of　casting　cannon　solid　and　then　boring　them〃　（Travels　in

France；　4to。　ed。　London；　1792；　p。90）。　　Yet　England　had　borrowed　her

first　cannon…maker　from　France　in　the　person　of　Peter　Baude；　as

described　in　chap。　iii。　　Wilkinson　is　also　said　to　have　invented　a

kind　of　hot…blast；　in　respect　of　which　various　witnesses　gave

evidence　on　the　trial　of　Neilson's　patent　in　1839；　but　the　invention