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第36节

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

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