industrial biography-第3节

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Invents　the　steam　pile…driving　machine

Designs　a　new　form　of　steam…engine

Other　inventions　How　he　〃Scotched〃　a　strike

Uses　of　strikes

Retirement　from　business

Skill　as　a　draughtsman

Curious　speculations　on　antiquarian　subjects

Mr。　Nasmyth's　wonderful　discoveries　in　Astronomy

　　described　by　Sir　John　Herschel





CHAPTER　XVI。



WILLIAM　FAIRBAIRN。



Summary　of　progress　in　machine…tools

William　Fairbairn's　early　years

His　education

Life　in　the　Highlands

Begins　work　at　Kelso　Bridge

An　apprentice　at　Percy　Main　Colliery；　North　Shields

Diligent　self…culture

Voyage　to　London

Adventures

Prevented　obtaining　work　by　the　Millwrights'　Union

Travels　into　the　country；　finds　work；　and　returns　to　London

His　first　order；　to　make　a　sausage…chopping　machine

Wanderschaft

Makes　nail…machinery　for　a　Dublin　employer

Proceeds　to　Manchester；　where　he　settles　and　marries

Begins　business

His　first　job

Partnership　with　Mr。　Lillie

Employed　by　Messrs。　Adam　Murray　and　Co。

Employed　by　Messrs。　MacConnel　and　Kennedy

Progress　of　the　Cotton　Trade

Memoir　of　John　Kennedy

Mr。　Fairbairn　introduces　great　improvements　in　the　gearing；　&c。

　　of　mill　machinery

Increasing　business　Improvements　in　water…wheels

Experiments　as　to　the　law　of　traction　of　boats

Begins　building　iron　ships

Experiments　on　the　strength　of　wrought　iron

Britannia　and　Conway　Tubular　Bridges

Reports　on　iron

On　boiler　explosions

Iron　construction

Extended　use　of　iron

Its　importance　in　civilization

Opinion　of　Mr。　Cobden

Importance　of　modern　machine…tools

Conclusion







INDUSTRIAL　BIOGRAPHY。





CHAPTER　I。



IRON　AND　CIVILIZATION。



〃Iron　is　not　only　the　soul　of　every　other　manufacture；　but　the　main

spring　perhaps　of　civilized　society。〃FRANCIS　HORNER。



〃Were　the　use　of　iron　lost　among　us；　we　should　in　a　few　ages　be

unavoidably　reduced　to　the　wants　and　ignorance　of　the　ancient　savage

Americans；　so　that　he　who　first　made　known　the　use　of　that

contemptible　mineral　may　be　truly　styled　the　father　of　Arts　and　the

author　of　Plenty。〃JOHN　LOCKE。





When　Captain　Cook　and　the　early　navigators　first　sailed　into　the

South　Seas　on　their　voyages　of　discovery；　one　of　the　things　that

struck　them　with　most　surprise　was　the　avidity　which　the　natives

displayed　for　iron。　　〃Nothing　would　go　down　with　our　visitors；〃　says

Cook；　〃but　metal；　and　iron　was　their　beloved　article。〃　　A　nail　would

buy　a　good…sized　pig；　and　on　one　occasion　the　navigator　bought　some

four　hundred　pounds　weight　of　fish　for　a　few　wretched　knives

improvised　out　of　an　old　hoop。



〃For　iron　tools；〃　says　Captain　Carteret；　〃we　might　have　purchased

everything　upon　the　Freewill　Islands　that　we　could　have　brought　away。

A　few　pieces　of　old　iron　hoop　presented　to　one　of　the　natives　threw

him　into　an　ecstasy　little　short　of　distraction。〃　　At　Otaheite　the

people　were　found　generally　well…behaved　and　honest；　but　they　were

not　proof　against　the　fascinations　of　iron。　　Captain　Cook　says　that

one　of　them；　after　resisting　all　other　temptations；　〃was　at　length

ensnared　by　the　charms　of　basket　of　nails。〃　　Another　lurked　about　for

several　days；　watching　the　opportunity　to　steal　a　coal…rake。



The　navigators　found　they　could　pay　their　way　from　island　to　island

merely　with　scraps　of　iron；　which　were　as　useful　for　the　purpose　as

gold　coins　would　have　been　in　Europe。　　The　drain；　however；　being

continuous；　Captain　Cook　became　alarmed　at　finding　his　currency

almost　exhausted；　and　he　relates　his　joy　on　recovering　an　old　anchor

which　the　French　Captain　Bougainville　had　lost　at　Bolabola；　on　which

he　felt　as　an　English　banker　would　do　after　a　severe　run　upon　him　for

gold；　when　suddenly　placed　in　possession　of　a　fresh　store　of　bullion。



The　avidity　for　iron　displayed　by　these　poor　islanders　will　not　be

wondered　at　when　we　consider　that　whoever　among　them　was　so　fortunate

as　to　obtain　possession　of　an　old　nail；　immediately　became　a　man　of

greater　power　than　his　fellows；　and　assumed　the　rank　of　a　capitalist。

〃An　Otaheitan　chief；〃　says　Cook；　〃who　had　got　two　nails　in　his

possession；　received　no　small　emolument　by　letting　out　the　use　of

them　to　his　neighbours　for　the　purpose　of　boring　holes　when　their　own

methods　failed；　or　were　thought　too　tedious。〃



The　native　methods　referred　to　by　Cook　were　of　a　very　clumsy　sort；

the　principal　tools　of　the　Otaheitans　being　of　wood；　stone；　and

flint。　　Their　adzes　and　axes　were　of　stone。　　The　gouge　most　commonly

used　by　them　was　made　out　of　the　bone　of　the　human　forearm。　　Their

substitute　for　a　knife　was　a　shell；　or　a　bit　of　flint　or　jasper。

A　shark's　tooth；　fixed　to　a　piece　of　wood；　served　for　an　auger；

a　piece　of　coral　for　a　file；　and　the　skin　of　a　sting…ray　for　a

polisher。　　Their　saw　was　made　of　jagged　fishes'　teeth　fixed　on　the

convex　edge　of　a　piece　of　hard　wood。　　Their　weapons　were　of　a

similarly　rude　description；　their　clubs　and　axes　were　headed　with

stone；　and　their　lances　and　arrows　were　tipped　with　flint。　　Fire　was

another　agency　employed　by　them；　usually　in　boat…building。　　Thus；　the

New　Zealanders；　whose　tools　were　also　of　stone；　wood；　or　bone；　made

their　boats　of　the　trunks　of　trees　hollowed　out　by　fire。



The　stone　implements　were　fashioned；　Captain　Cook　says；　by　rubbing

one　stone　upon　another　until　brought　to　the　required　shape；　but；

after　all；　they　were　found　very　inefficient　for　their　purpose。　　They

soon　became　blunted　and　useless；　and　the　laborious　process　of　making

new　tools　had　to　be　begun　again。　　The　delight　of　the　islanders　at

being　put　in　possession　of　a　material　which　was　capable　of　taking　a

comparatively　sharp　edge　and　keeping　it；　may　therefore　readily　be

imagined；　and　hence　the　remarkable　incidents　to　which　we　have

referred　in　the　experience　of　the　early　voyagers。　　In　the　minds　of　the

natives；　iron　became　the　representative　of　power；　efficiency；　and

wealth；　and　they　were　ready　almost　to　fall　down　and　worship　their　new

tools；　esteeming　the　axe　as　a　deity；　offering　sacrifices　to　the　saw；

and　holding　the　knife　in　especial　veneration。



In　the　infancy　of　all　nations　the　same　difficulties　must　have　been

experienced　for　want　of　tools；　before　the　arts　of　smelting　and

working　in　metals　had　become　known；　and　it　is　not　improbable　that　the

Phoenician　navigators　who　first　frequented　our　coasts　found　the　same

avidity　for　bronze　and　iron　existing　among　the　poor　woad…stained

Britons　who　flocked　down　to　the　shore　to　see　their　ships　and　exchange

food　and　skins　with　them；　that　Captain　Cook　discovered　more　than　two

thousand　years　later　among　the　natives　of　Otaheite　and　New　Zealand。

For；　the　tools　and　weapons　found　in　ancient　burying…places　in　all

parts　of　Britain　clearly　show　that　these　islands　also　have　passed

through　the　epoch　of　stone　and　flint。



There　was　recently　exhibited　at　the　Crystal　Palace　a　collection　of

ancient　European　weapons　and　implements　placed　alongside　a　similar

collection　of　articles　brought　from　the　South　Seas；　and　they　were　in

most　respects　so　much　alike　that　it　was　difficult　to　believe　that

they　did　not　belong　to　the　same　race　and　period；　instead　of　being　the

implements　of　races　sundered　by　half　the　globe；　and　living　at　periods

more　than　two　thousand　years　apart。　　Nearly　every　weapon　in　the　one

collection　had　its　counterpart　in　the　other；the　mauls　or　celts　of

stone；　the　spearheads　of　flint　or　jasper；　the　arrowheads　of　flint　or

bone；　and　the　saws　of　jagged　stone；　showing　how　human　ingenuity；

under　like　circumstances；　had　resorted　to　like　expedients。　　It　would

also　appear　that　the　ancient　tribes　in　these　islands；　like　the　New

Zealanders；　used　fire　to　hollow　out　their　larger　boats；　several

specimens　of　this　kind　of　vessel　having　recently　been　dug　up　in　the

valleys　of　the　Witham　and　the　Clyde；　some　of　the　latter　from　under

the　very　streets　of　modern　Glasgow。*

　＇footnote。。。

〃Mr。John　Buchanan；　a　zealous　antiquary；　writing　in　1855；　informs　us

that　in　the　course　of　the　eight　years　preceding　that　date；　no　less

than　seventeen　canoes　had　been　dug　out　of　this　estuarine　silt　＇of　the

valley　of　the　Clyde＇；　and　that　he　had　personally　inspected　a　large

number　of　them　before　they　were　exhumed。　　Five　of　them　lay　buried　in

silt　under　the　streets　of　Glasgow；　one　in　a　vertical　position　with

the　prow　uppermost；　as　if　it　had　sunk　in　a　storm。。。。　　Almost　every　one

of　these　ancient　boats　was　formed　out　of　a　single　oak…stem；　hollowed

out　by　blunt　tools；　probably　stone　axes；　aided　by　the　action　of　fire；

a　few　were　cut　beautifully　smooth；　evidently　with　metallic　tools。

Hence　a　gradation　could　be　traced　from　a　pattern　of　extreme　rudeness

to　one　showing　great　mechanical　ingenuity。。。。　　In　one　of　the　canoes　a

beautifully　polished　celt　or　axe　of　greenstone　was　found；　in　the

bottom　of　another　a　plug　of　cork；　which；　as　Mr。　Geikie　remarks；

'could　only　have　come　from　the　latitudes　of　Spain；　Southern　France；

or　Italy。'〃　Sir　C。　LYELL；　Antiquity　of　Man；　48…9。