industrial biography-第30节

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losing　its　carbon；　it　passes　from　hard　to　soft　steel；　thence　to

steely　iron；　and　last　of　all　to　very　soft　iron；　so　that　by

interrupting　the　process　at　any　stage；　or　continuing　it　to　the　end；

almost　any　quality　of　iron　and　steel　may　be　obtained。　　One　of　the　most

valuable　forms　of　the　metal　is　described　by　Mr。　Bessemer　as

〃semi…steel；〃　being　in　hardness　about　midway　between　ordinary

cast…steel　and　soft　malleable　iron。　　The　Bessemer　processes　are　now　in

full　operation　in　England　as　well　as　abroad；　both　for　converting

crude　into　malleable　iron；　and　for　producing　steel；　and　the　results

are　expected　to　prove　of　the　greatest　practical　utility　in　all　cases

where　iron　and　steel　are　extensively　employed。



Yet；　like　every　other　invention；　this　of　Mr。　Bessemer　had　long　been

dreamt　of；　if　not　really　made。　　We　are　informed　in　Warner's　Tour

through　the　Northern。　　Counties　of　England；　published　at　Bath　in　l80L；

that　a　Mr。　Reed　of　Whitehaven　had　succeeded　at　that　early　period　in

making　steel　direct　from　the　ore；　and　Mr。　Mushet　clearly　alludes　to

the　process　in　his　〃Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel。〃　　Nevertheless；　Mr。

Bessemer　is　entitled　to　the　merit　of　working　out　the　idea；　and

bringing　the　process　to　perfection；　by　his　great　skill　and

indomitable　perseverance。　　In　the　Heath　process；　carburet　of　manganese

is　employed　to　aid　the　conversion　of　iron　into　steel；　while　it　also

confers　on　the　metal　the　property　of　welding　and　working　more　soundly

under　the　hammera　fact　discovered　by　Mr。　Heath　while　residing　in

India。　　Mr。　Mushet's　process　is　of　a　similar　character。　　Another

inventor；　Major　Uchatius；　an　Austrian　engineer；　granulates　crude　iron

while　in　a　molten　state　by　pouring　it　into　water；　and　then　subjecting

it　to　the　process　of　conversion。　　Some　of　the　manufacturers　still

affect　secrecy　in　their　operations；　but　as　one　of　the　Sanderson

firmfamous　for　the　excellence　of　their　steelremarked　to　a　visitor

when　showing　him　over　their　works；　〃the　great　secret　is　to　have　the

courage　to　be　honesta　spirit　to　purchase　the　best　material；　and　the

means　and　disposition　to　do　justice　to　it　in　the　manufacture。〃



It　remains　to　be　added；　that　much　of　the　success　of　the　Sheffield

manufactures　is　attributable　to　the　practical　skill　of　the　workmen；

who　have　profited　by　the　accumulated　experience　treasured　up　by　their

class　through　many　generations。　　The　results　of　the　innumerable

experiments　conducted　before　their　eyes　have　issued　in　a　most

valuable　though　unwritten　code　of　practice；　the　details　of　which　are

known　only　to　themselves。　　They　are　also　a　most　laborious　class；　and

Le　Play　says　of　them；　when　alluding　to　the　fact　of　a　single　workman

superintending　the　operations　of　three　steel…casting　furnaces〃I

have　found　nowhere　in　Europe；　except　in　England；　workmen　able　for　an

entire　day；　without　any　interval　of　rest；　to　undergo　such　toilsome

and　exhausting　labour　as　that　performed　by　these　Sheffield　workmen。〃







CHAPTER　VII。



THE　INVENTIONS　OF　HENRY　CORT。



〃I　have　always　found　it　in　mine　own　experience　an　easier　matter　to

devise　manie　and　profitable　inventions；　than　to　dispose　of　one　of

them　to　the　good　of　the　author　himself。〃Sir　Hugh　Platt；　1589。





Henry　Cort　was　born　in　1740　at　Lancaster；　where　his　father　carried　on

the　trade　of　a　builder　and　brickmaker。　　Nothing　is　known　as　to　Henry's

early　history；　but　he　seems　to　have　raised　himself　by　his　own　efforts

to　a　respectable　position。　　In　1765　we　find　him　established　in　Surrey

Street；　Strand；　carrying　on　the　business　of　a　navy　agent；　in　which　he

is　said　to　have　realized　considerable　profits。　　It　was　while

conducting　this　business　that　he　became　aware　of　the　inferiority　of

British　iron　compared　with　that　obtained　from　foreign　countries。　　The

English　wrought　iron　was　considered　so　bad　that　it　was　prohibited

from　all　government　supplies；　while　the　cast　iron　was　considered　of

too　brittle　a　nature　to　be　suited　for　general　use。*

　＇footnote。。。

Life　of　Brunel；　p。　60。

　。。。＇

Indeed　the　Russian　government　became　so

persuaded　that　the　English　nation　could　not　carry　on　their

manufactures　without　Russian　iron；　that　in　1770　they　ordered　the

price　to　be　raised　from　70　and　80　copecs　per　pood　to　200　and　220

copecs　per　pood。*

　＇footnote。。。

SCRIVENOR；　History　of　the　Iron　Trade；　169。

　。。。＇



Such　being　the　case；　Cort's　attention　became　directed　to　the　subject

in　connection　with　the　supply　of　iron　to　the　Navy；　and　he　entered　on

a　series　of　experiments　with　the　object　of　improving　the　manufacture

of　English　iron。　　What　the　particular　experiments　were；　and　by　what

steps　he　arrived　at　results　of　so　much　importance　to　the　British　iron

trade；　no　one　can　now　tell。　　All　that　is　known　is；　that　about　the　year

1775　he　relinquished　his　business　as　a　navy　agent；　and　took　a　lease

of　certain　premises　at　Fontley；　near　Fareham；　at　the　north…western

corner　of　Portsmouth　Harbour；　where　he　erected　a　forge　and　an　iron

mill。　　He　was　afterwards　joined　in　partnership　by　Samuel　Jellicoe　（son

of　Adam　Jellicoe；　then　Deputy…Paymaster　of　Seamen's　Wages）；　which

turned　out；　as　will　shortly　appear；　a　most　unfortunate　connection　for

Cort。



As　in　the　case　of　other　inventions；　Cort　took　up　the　manufacture　of

iron　at　the　point　to　which　his　predecessors　had　brought　it；　carrying

it　still　further；　and　improving　upon　their　processes。　　We　may　here

briefly　recite　the　steps　by　which　the　manufacture　of　bar…iron　by

means　of　pit…coal　had　up　to　this　time　been　advanced。　　In　1747；　Mr。

Ford　succeeded　at　Coalbrookdale　in　smelting　iron　ore　with　pit…coal；

after　which　it　was　refined　in　the　usual　way　by　means　of　coke　and

charcoal。　　In　1762；　Dr。　Roebuck　（hereafter　to　be　referred　to）　took　out

a　patent　for　melting　the　cast　or　pig　iron　in　a　hearth　heated　with

pit…coal　by　the　blast　of　bellows；　and　then　working　the　iron　until　it

was　reduced　to　nature；　or　metallized；　as　it　was　termed；　after　which

it　was　exposed　to　the　action　of　a　hollow　pit…coal　fire　urged　by　a

blast；　until　it　was　reduced　to　a　loop　and　drawn　out　into　bar…iron

under　a　common　forge…hammer。　　Then　the　brothers　Cranege；　in　1766；

adopted　the　reverberatory　or　air　furnace；　in　which　they　placed　the

pig　or　cast　iron；　and　without　blast　or　the　addition　of　anything　more

than　common　raw　pit…coal；　converted　the　same　into　good　malleable

iron；　which　being　taken　red　hot　from　the　reverberatory　furnace　to　the

forge　hammer；　was　drawn　into　bars　according　to　the　will　of　the

workman。　　Peter　Onions　of　Merthyr　Tydvil；　in　1783；　carried　the

manufacture　a　stage　further；　as　described　by　him　in　his　patent　of

that　year。　　Having　charged　his　furnace　（〃bound　with　iron　work　and　well

annealed〃）　with　pig　or　fused　cast　iron　from　the　smelting　furnace；　it

was　closed　up　and　the　doors　were　luted　with　sand。　　The　fire　was　urged

by　a　blast　admitted　underneath；　apparently　for　the　purpose　of　keeping

up　the　combustion　of　the　fuel　on　the　grate。　　Thus　Onions'　furnace　was

of　the　nature　of　a　puddling　furnace；　the　fire　of　which　was　urged　by　a

blast。　　The　fire　was　to　be　kept　up　until　the　metal　became　less　fluid；

and　〃thickened　into　a　kind　of　froth；　which　the　workman；　by　opening

the　door；　must　turn　and　stir　with　a　bar　or　other　iron　instrument；　and

then　close　the　aperture　again；　applying　the　blast　and　fire　until

there　was　a　ferment　in　the　metal。〃　　The　patent　further　describes　that

〃as　the　workman　stirs　the　metal；〃　the　scoriae　will　separate；　〃and　the

particles　of　iron　will　adhere；　which　particles　the　workman　must

collect　or　gather　into　a　mass　or　lump。〃　　This　mass　or　lump　was　then　to

be　raised　to　a　white　heat；　and　forged　into　malleable　iron　at　the

forge…hammer。



Such　was　the　stage　of　advance　reached　in　the　manufacture　of　bar…iron；

when　Henry　Cort　published　his　patents　in　1783　and　1784。　　In　dispensing

with　a　blast；　he　had　been　anticipated　by　the　Craneges；　and　in　the

process　of　puddling　by　Onions；　but　he　introduced　so　many　improvements

of　an　original　character；　with　which　he　combined　the　inventions　of

his　predecessors；　as　to　establish　quite　a　new　era　in　the　history　of

the　iron　manufacture；　and；　in　the　course　of　a　few　years；　to　raise　it

to　the　highest　state　of　prosperity。　　As　early　as　1786；　Lord　Sheffield

recognised　the　great　national　importance　of　Cort's　improvements　in

the　following　words：　　…　If　Mr。　Cort's　very　ingenious　and　meritorious

improvements　in　the　art　of　making　and　working　iron；　the　steam…engine

of　Boulton　and　Watt；　and　Lord　Dundonald's　discovery　of　making　coke　at

half　the　present　price；　should　all　succeed；　it　is　not　asserting　too

much　to　say　that　the　result　will　be　more　advantageous　to　Great

Britain　than　the　possession　of　the　thirteen　colonies　（of　America）；

for　it　will　give　the　complete　command　of　the　iron　trade　to　this

country；　with　its　vast　advantages　to　navigation。〃　　It　is　scarcely

necessary　here　to　point　out　how　completely　the　anticipations　of　Lord

Sheffield　have　been　fulfilled；　sanguine　though　they　might　appear　to

be　when　uttered　some　seventy…six　yea