industrial biography-第70节

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week；　or　4s。　at　the　outside。　　I　had　three　meat　dinners　a　week；　and

generally　four　rice　and　milk　dinners；　all　of　which　were　cooked　by　my

little　apparatus；　which　I　set　in　action　after　breakfast。　　The　oil　cost

not　quite　a　halfpenny　per　day。　　The　meat　dinners　consisted　of　a　stew

of　from　a　half　to　three　quarters　of　a　lb。　　of　leg　of　beef；　the　meat

costing　3　1/2d。　per　lb。；　which；　with　sliced　potatoes　and　a　little

onion；　and　as　much　water　as　just　covered　all；　with　a　sprinkle　of　salt

and　black　pepper；　by　the　time　I　returned　to　dinner　at　half…past　six

furnished　a　repast　in　every　respect　as　good　as　my　appetite。　　For

breakfast　I　had　coffee　and　a　due　proportion　of　quartern　loaf。　　After

the　first　year　of　my　employment　under　Mr。　Maudslay；　my　wages　were

raised　to　15s。　a　week；　and　I　then；　but　not　till　then；　indulged　in　the

luxury　of　butter　to　my　bread。　　I　am　the　more　particular　in　all　this；

to　show　you　that　I　was　a　thrifty　housekeeper；　although　only　a　lodger

in　a　3s。　room。　　I　have　the　old　apparatus　by　me　yet；　and　I　shall　have

another　dinner　out　of　it　ere　I　am　a　year　older；　out　of　regard　to　days

that　were　full　of　the　real　romance　of　life。



〃On　the　death　of　Henry　Maudslay　in　1831；　I　passed　over　to　the　service

of　his　worthy　partner；　Mr。　Joshua　Field；　and　acted　as　his

draughtsman；　much　to　my　advantage；　until　the　end　of　that　year；　when　I

returned　to　Edinburgh；　to　construct　a　small　stock　of　engineering

tools　for　the　purpose　of　enabling　me　to　start　in　business　on　my　own

account。　　This　occupied　me　until　the　spring　of　l833；　and　during　the

interval　I　was　accustomed　to　take　in　jobs　to　execute　in　my　little

workshop　in　Edinburgh；　so　as　to　obtain　the　means　of　completing　my

stock　of　tools。*

　＇footnote。。。

Most　of　the　tools　with　which　he　began　business　in　Manchester　were

made　by　his　own　hands　in　his　father's　little　workshop　at　Edinburgh；

He　was　on　one　occasion　〃　hard　up〃　for　brass　with　which　to　make　a

wheel　for　his　planing　machine。　　There　was　a　row　of　old…fashioned　brass

candlesticks　standing　in　bright　array　on　the　kitchen　mantelpiece

which　he　greatly　coveted　for　the　purpose。　　His　father　was　reluctant　to

give　them　up；　〃for；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　had　many　a　crack　with　Burns

when　these　candlesticks　were　on　the　table。　　But　his　mother　at　length

yielded；　when　the　candlesticks　were　at　once　recast；　and　made　into　the

wheel　of　the　planing　machine；　which　is　still　at　work　in　Manchester。

　。。。＇

In　June；　1834；　I　went　to　Manchester；　and　took　a　flat　of　an　old　mill

in　Dale　Street；　where　I　began　business。　　In　two　years　my　stock　had　so

increased　as　to　overload　the　floor　of　the　old　building　to　such　an

extent　that　the　land　lord；　Mr。　Wrenn；　became　alarmed；　especially　as

the　tenant　below　mea　glass…cutterhad　a　visit　from　the　end　of

a　20…horse　engine　beam　one　morning　among　his　cut　tumblers。　　To　set

their　anxiety　at　rest；　I　went　out　that　evening　to　Patricroft　and　took

a　look　at　a　rather　choice　bit　of　land　bounded　on　one　side　by　the

canal；　and　on　the　other　by　the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway。　　By

the　end　of　the　week　I　had　secured　a　lease　of　the　site　for　999　years；

by　the　end　of　the　month　my　wood　sheds　were　erected；　the　ring　of　the

hammer　on　the　smith's　anvil　was　soon　heard　all　over　the　place；　and

the　Bridgewater　Foundry　was　fairly　under　way。　　There　I　toiled　right

heartily　until　December　31st；　1856；　when　I　retired　to　enjoy　in　active

leisure　the　reward　of　a　laborious　life；　during　which；　with　the

blessing　of　God；　I　enjoyed　much　true　happiness　through　the　hearty

love　which　I　always　had　for　my　profession；　and　I　trust　I　may　be

allowed　to　say；　without　undue　vanity；　that　I　have　left　behind　me　some

useful　results　of　my　labours　in　those　inventions　with　which　my　name

is　identified；　which　have　had　no　small　share　in　the　accomplishment　of

some　of　the　greatest　mechanical　works　of　our　age。〃　　If　Mr。　Nasmyth　had

accomplished　nothing　more　than　the　invention　of　his　steam…hammer；　it

would　have　been　enough　to　found　a　reputation。　　Professor　Tomlinson

describes　it　as　〃one　of　the　most　perfect　of　artificial　machines　and

noblest　triumphs　of　mind　over　matter　that　modern　English　engineers

have　yet　developed。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Cyclopaedia　of　Useful　Arts；　ii。　739。

　。。。＇

The　hand…hammer　has　always　been　an　important　tool；　and；　in　the　form

of　the　stone　celt；　it　was　perhaps　the　first　invented。　　When　the　hammer

of　iron　superseded　that　of　stone；　it　was　found　practicable　in　the

hands　of　a　〃cunning〃　workman　to　execute　by　its　means　metal　work　of

great　beauty　and　even　delicacy。　　But　since　the　invention　of　cast…iron；

and　the　manufacture　of　wrought…iron　in　large　masses；　the　art　of

hammer…working　has　almost　become　lost；　and　great　artists；　such　as

Matsys　of　Antwerp　and　Rukers　of　Nuremberg　were；*

　＇footnote。。。

Matsys'　beautiful　wrought…iron　well　cover；　still　standing　in　front　of

the　cathedral　at　Antwerp；　and　Rukers's　steel　or　iron　chair　exhibited

at　South　Kensington　in　1862；　are　examples　of　the　beautiful　hammer

work　turned　out　by　the　artisans　of　the　middle　ages。　　The　railings　of

the　tombs　of　Henry　VII。　and　Queen　Eleanor　in　Westminster　Abbey；　the

hinges　and　iron　work　of　Lincoln　Cathedral；　of　St。　　George's　Chapel　at

Windsor；　and　of　some　of　the　Oxford　colleges；　afford　equally　striking

illustrations　of　the　skill　of　our　English　blacksmiths　several

centuries　ago。

　。。。＇

no　longer　think　it　worth　their　while　to　expend　time　and　skill　in

working　on　so　humble　a　material　as　wrought…iron。　　It　is　evident　from

the　marks　of　care　and　elaborate　design　which　many　of　these　early

works　exhibit；　that　the　workman's　heart　was　in　his　work；　and　that　his

object　was　not　merely　to　get　it　out　of　hand；　but　to　execute　it　in

first…rate　artistic　style。



When　the　use　of　iron　extended　and　larger　ironwork　came　to　be　forged；

for　cannon；　tools；　and　machinery；　the　ordinary　hand…hammer　was　found

insufficient；　and　the　helve　or　forge…hammer　was　invented。　　This　was

usually　driven　by　a　water…wheel；　or　by　oxen　or　horses。　　The

tilt…hammer　was　another　form　in　which　it　was　used；　the　smaller　kinds

being　worked　by　the　foot。　　Among　Watt's　various　inventions；　was　a

tilt…hammer　of　considerable　power；　which　he　at　first　worked　by　means

of　a　water…wheel；　and　afterwards　by　a　steam　engine　regulated　by　a

fly…wheel。　　His　first　hammer　of　this　kind　was　120　lbs。　in　weight；　it

was　raised　eight　inches　before　making　each　blow。　　Watt　afterwards　made

a　tilt…hammer　for　Mr。　Wilkinson　of　Bradley　Forge；　of　7　1/2　cwt。；　and

it　made　300　blows　a　minute　。　　Other　improvements　were　made　in　the

hammer　from　time　to　time；　but　no　material　alteration　was　made　in　the

power　by　which　it　was　worked　until　Mr。　Nasmyth　took　it　in　hand；　and

applying　to　it　the　force　of　steam；　at　once　provided　the　worker　in

iron　with　the　most　formidable　of　machine…tools。　　This　important

invention　originated　as　follows：　　



In　the　early　part　of　1837；　the　directors　of　the　Great　Western

Steam…Ship　Company　sent　Mr。　Francis　Humphries；　their　engineer；　to

consult　Mr。　Nasmyth　as　to　some　engineering　tools　of　unusual　size　and

power；　which　were　required　for　the　construction　of　the　engines　of　the

〃Great　Britain〃　steamship。　　They　had　determined　to　construct　those

engines　on　the　vertical　trunk…engine　principle；　in　accordance　with

Mr。　Humphries'　designs；　and　very　complete　works　were　erected　by　them

at　their　Bristol　dockyard　for　the　execution　of　the　requisite

machinery；　the　most　important　of　the　tools　being　supplied　by　Nasmyth

and　Gaskell。　　The　engines　were　in　hand；　when　a　difficulty　arose　with

respect　to　the　enormous　paddle…shaft　of　the　vessel；　which　was　of　such

a　size　of　forging　as　had　never　before　been　executed。　　Mr。　Humphries

applied　to　the　largest　engineering　firms　throughout　the　country　for

tenders　of　the　price　at　which　they　would　execute　this　part　of　the

work；　but　to　his　surprise　and　dismay　he　found　that　not　one　of　the

firms　he　applied　to　would　undertake　so　large　a　forging。　　In　this

dilemma　he　wrote　to　Mr。　Nasmyth　on　the　24th　November；1838；　informing

him　of　this　unlooked…for　difficulty。　　〃I　find；〃　said　he；　〃there　is　not

a　forge…hammer　in　England　or　Scotland　powerful　enough　to　forge　the

paddle…shaft　of　the　engines　for　the　'Great　Britain！'　What　am　I　to　do？

Do　you　think　I　might　dare　to　use　cast…iron？〃



This　letter　immediately　set　Mr。　Nasmyth　a…thinking。　　How　was　it　that

existing　hammers　were　incapable　of　forging　a　wrought…iron　shaft　of

thirty　inches　diameter？　Simply　because　of　their　want　of　compass；　or

range　and　fall；　as　well　as　power　of　blow。　　A　few　moments'　rapid

thought　satisfied　him　that　it　was　by　rigidly　adhering　to　the　old

traditional　form　of　hand…hammerof　which　the　tilt；　though　driven

by　steam；　was　but　a　modificationthat　the　difficulty　had　arisen。

When　even　the　largest　hammer　was　tilted　up　to　its　full　height；　its

range　was　so　small；　that　when　a　piece　of　work　of　considerable　size

was　placed　on　the　anvil；　the　hammer　became　〃gagged；〃　and；　on　such　an

occasion；　where　the　forging　required　the　most　powerful　blow；　it

received　next　to　no　blow