industrial biography-第36节

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and　was　eventually　carried　out　after　the　designs　of　Smeaton　and

Brindley。



While　the　Carron　foundry　was　pursuing　a　career　of　safe　prosperity；

Dr。　Roebuck's　enterprise　led　him　to　embark　in　coal…mining；　with　the

object　of　securing　an　improved　supply　of　fuel　for　the　iron　works。　　He

became　the　lessee　of　the　Duke　of　Hamilton's　extensive　coal…mines　at

Boroughstoness；　as　well　as　of　the　salt…pans　which　were　connected　with

them。　　The　mansion　of　Kinneil　went　with　the　lease；and　there　Dr。

Roebuck　and　his　family　took　up　their　abode。　　Kinneil　House　was

formerly　a　country　seat　of　the　Dukes　of　Hamilton；　and　is　to　this　day

a　stately　old　mansion；　reminding　one　of　a　French　chateau。　　Its

situation　is　of　remarkable　beauty；　its　windows　overlooking　the　broad

expanse　of　the　Firth　of　Forth；　and　commanding　an　extensive　view　of

the　country　along　its　northern　shores。　　The　place　has　become　in　a

measure　classical；　Kinneil　House　having　been　inhabited；　since　Dr。

Roebuck's　time；　by　Dugald　Stewart；　who　there　wrote　his　Philosophical

Essays。*

　＇footnote。。。

Wilkie　the　painter　once　paid　him　a　visit　there　while　in　Scotland

studying　the　subject　of　his　〃Penny　Wedding；〃　and　Dugald　Stewart　found

for　him　the　old　farm…house　with　the　cradle…chimney；　which　he

introduced　in　that　picture。　　But　Kinneil　House　has　had　its　imaginary

inhabitants　as　well　as　its　real　ones；　the　ghost　of　a　Lady　Lilburn；

once　an　occupant　of　the　place；　still　〃haunting〃　some　of　the

unoccupied　chambers。　　Dugald　Stewart　told　Wilkie　one　night；　as　he　was

going　to　bed；　of　the　unearthly　wailings　which　he　himself　had　heard

proceeding　from　the　ancient　apartments；　but　to　him　at　least　they　had

been　explained　by　the　door　opening　out　upon　the　roof　being　blown　in

on　gusty　nights；　when　a　jarring　and　creaking　noise　was　heard　all　over

the　house。　　One　advantage　derived　from　the　house　being　〃haunted〃　was；

that　the　garden　was　never　broken　into；　and　the　winter　apples　and

stores　were　at　all　times　kept　safe　from　depredation　in　the　apartments

of　the　Lady　Lilburn。

　。。。＇

When　Dr。　Roebuck　began　to　sink　for　coal　at　the　new　mines；　he　found　it

necessary　to　erect　pumping…machinery　of　the　most　powerful　kind　that

could　be　contrived；　in　order　to　keep　the　mines　clear　of　water。　　For

this　purpose　the　Newcomen　engine；　in　its　then　state；　was　found

insufficient；　and　when　Dr。　Roebuck's　friend；　Professor　Black；　of

Edinburgh；　informed　him　of　a　young　man　of　his　acquaintance；　a

mathematical　instrument　maker　at　Glasgow；　having　invented　a

steam…engine　calculated　to　work　with　increased　power；　speed；　and

economy；　compared　with　Newcomen's；　Dr。　Roebuck　was　much　interested；

and　shortly　after　entered　into　a　correspondence　with　James　Watt；　the

mathematical　instrument　maker　aforesaid　on　the　subject。　　The　Doctor

urged　that　Watt；　who；　up　to　that　time；　had　confined　himself　to

models；　should　come　over　to　Kinneil　House；　and　proceed　to　erect　a

working；　engine　in　one　of　the　outbuildings。　　The　English　workmen　whom

he　had　brought；　to　the　Carron　works　would；　he　justly　thought；　give

Watt　a　better　chance　of　success　with　his　engine　than　if　made　by　the

clumsy　whitesmiths　and　blacksmiths　of　Glasgow；　quite　unaccustomed　as

they　were　to　first…class　work；　and　he　proposed　himself　to　cast　the

cylinders　at　Carron　previous　to　Watt's　intended　visit　to　him　at

Kinneil。



Watt　paid　his　promised　visit　in　May；　1768；　and　Roebuck　was　by　this

time　so　much　interested　in　the　invention；　that　the　subject　of　his

becoming　a　partner　with　Watt；　with　the　object　of　introducing　the

engine　into　general　use；　was　seriously　discussed。　　Watt　had　been

labouring　at　his　invention　for　several　years；　contending　with　many

difficulties；　but　especially　with　the　main　difficulty　of　limited

means。　　He　had　borrowed　considerable　sums　of　money　from　Dr。　Black　to

enable　him　to　prosecute　his　experiments；　and　he　felt　the　debt　to　hang

like　a　millstone　round　his　neck。　　Watt　was　a　sickly；　fragile　man；　and

a　constant　sufferer　from　violent　headaches；　besides　he　was　by　nature

timid；　desponding；　painfully　anxious；　and　easily　cast　down　by

failure。　　Indeed；　he　was　more　than　once　on　the　point　of　abandoning　his

invention　in　despair。　　On　the　other　hand；　Dr。　Roebuck　was　accustomed

to　great　enterprises；　a　bold　and　undaunted　man；　and　disregardful　of

expense　where　he　saw　before　him　a　reasonable　prospect　of　success。　　His

reputation　as　a　practical　chemist　and　philosopher；　and　his　success　as

the　founder　of　the　Prestonpans　Chemical　Works　and　of　the　Carron　Iron

Works；　justified　the　friends　of　Watt　in　thinking　that　he　was　of　all

men　the　best　calculated　to　help　him　at　this　juncture；　and　hence　they

sought　to　bring　about　a　more　intimate　connection　between　the　two。　　The

result　was　that　Dr。　Roebuck　eventually　became　a　partner　to　the　extent

of　two…thirds　of　the　invention；　took　upon　him　the　debt　owing　by　Watt

to　Dr。　Black　amounting　to　about　1200L。；　and　undertook　to　find　the

requisite　money　to　protect　the　invention　by　means　of　a　patent。　　The

necessary　steps　were　taken　accordingly　and　the　patent　right　was

secured　by　the　beginning　of　1769；　though　the　perfecting　of　his　model

cost　Watt　much　further　anxiety　and　study。



It　was　necessary　for　Watt　occasionally　to　reside　with　Dr。　Roebuck　at

Kinneil　House　while　erecting　his　first　engine　there。　　It　had　been

originally　intended　to　erect　it　in　the　neighbouring　town　of

Boroughstoness；　but　as　there　might　be　prying　eyes　there；　and　Watt

wished　to　do　his　work　in　privacy；　determined　〃not　to　puff；〃　he　at

length　fixed　upon　an　outhouse　still　standing；　close　behind　the

mansion；　by　the　burnside　in　the　glen；　where　there　was　abundance　of

water　and　secure　privacy。　　Watt's　extreme　diffidence　was　often　the

subject　of　remark　at　Dr。　Roebuck's　fireside。　　To　the　Doctor　his

anxiety　seemed　quite　painful；　and　he　was　very　much　disposed　to

despond　under　apparently　trivial　difficulties。　　Roebuck's　hopeful

nature　was　his　mainstay　throughout。　　Watt　himself　was　ready　enough　to

admit　this；　for；　writing　to　his　friend　Dr。Small；　he　once　said；　〃I

have　met　with　many　disappointments；　and　I　must　have　sunk　under　the

burthen　of　them　if　I　had　not　been　supported　by　the　friendship　of　Dr。

Roebuck。〃



But　more　serious　troubles　were　rapidly　accumulating　upon　Dr。　Roebuck

himself；　and　it　was　he；　and　not　Watt；　that　sank　under　the　burthen。

The　progress　of　Watt's　engine　was　but　slow；　and　long　before　it　could

be　applied　to　the　pumping　of　Roebuck's　mines；　the　difficulties　of　the

undertaking　on　which　he　had　entered　overwhelmed　him。　　The　opening　out

of　the　principal　coal　involved　a　very　heavy　outlay；　extending　over

many　years；　during　which　he　sank　not　only　his　own　but　his　wife's

fortune；　andwhat　distressed　him　most　of　alllarge　sums　borrowed

from　his　relatives　and　friends；　which　he　was　unable　to　repay。　　The

consequence　was；　that　he　was　eventually　under　the　necessity　of

withdrawing　his　capital　from　the　refining　works　at　Birmingham；　and

the　vitriol　works　at　Prestonpans。　　At　the　same　time；　he　transferred　to

Mr。　Boulton　of　Soho　his　entire　interest　in　Watt's　steam…engine；　the

value　of　which；　by　the　way；　was　thought　so　small　that　it　was　not　even

included　among　the　assets；　Roebuck's　creditors　not　estimating　it　as

worth　one　farthing。　　Watt　sincerely　deplored　his　partner's

misfortunes；　but　could　not　help　him。　　〃He　has　been　a　most　sincere　and

generous　friend；〃　said　Watt；　〃and　is　a　truly　worthy　man。〃　　And　again；

〃My　heart　bleeds　for　him；　but　I　can　do　nothing　to　help　him：　　I　have

stuck　by　him　till　I　have　much　hurt　myself；　I　can　do　so　no　longer；　my

family　calls　for　my　care　to　provide　for　them。〃　　The　later　years　of　Dr。

Roebuck's　life　were　spent　in　comparative　obscurity；　and　he　died　in

1794；　in　his　76th　year。



He　lived　to　witness　the　success　of　the　steam…engine；　the　opening　up

of　the　Boroughstoness　coal；*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　Roebuck　had　been　on　the　brink　of　great　good　fortune；　but　he　did

not　know　it。　　Mr。　Ralph　Moore；　in　his　〃Papers　on　the　Blackband

Ironstones〃　（Glasgow；　1861）；　observes：　　　〃Strange　to　say；　he　was

leaving　behind　him；　almost　as　the　roof　of　one　of　the　seams　of　coal

which　he　worked；　a　valuable　blackband　ironstone；　upon　which　Kinneil

Iron　Works　are　now　founded。　　The　coal…field　continued　to　be　worked

until　the　accidental　discovery　of　the　blackband　about　1845。　　The　old

coal…pits　are　now　used　for　working　the　ironstone。〃

　。。。＇

and　the　rapid　extension　of　the　Scotch　iron　trade；　though　he　shared　in

the　prosperity　of　neither　of　those　branches　of　industry。　　He　had　been

working　ahead　of　his　age；　and　he　suffered　for　it。　　He　fell　in　the

breach　at　the　critical　moment；　and　more　fortunate　men　marched　over

his　body　into　the　fortress　which　his　enterprise　and　valour　had　mainly

contributed　to　win。　　Before　his　great　undertaking　of　the　Carron　Works；

Scotland　was　entirely　dependent　upon　other　countries　for　its　supply

of　iron。　　In　1760；　the　first　year　of　its　operations；　the　whole　produce

was　1500　tons。　　In　course　of　time　other　iron　works　were　erected；　at

Clyde　Cleugh；　Muirkirk