industrial biography-第24章

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for　the　purpose　of　their　being　garrisoned　by　the　French　king。　　His

'Full　Discovery　of　the　First　Presbyterian　Sham　Plot'　was　published　in

the　same　year；　and　from　that　time　nothing　further　is　known　of　Andrew

Yarranton。　　His　name　and　his　writings　have　been　alike　nearly

forgotten；　and；　though　Bishop　Watson　declared　of　him　that　he　deserved

to　have　a　statue　erected　to　his　memory　as　a　great　public　benefactor；

we　do　not　know　that　he　was　so　much　as　honoured　with　a　tombstone；　for

we　have　been　unable；　after　careful　inquiry；　to　discover　when　and

where　he　died。



Yarranton　was　a　man　whose　views　were　far　in　advance　of　his　age。　　The

generation　for　whom　he　laboured　and　wrote　were　not　ripe　for　their

reception　and　realization；　and　his　voice　sounded　among　the　people

like　that　of　one　crying　in　the　wilderness。　　But　though　his

exhortations　to　industry　and　his　large　plans　of　national　improvement

failed　to　work　themselves　into　realities　in　his　own　time；　he　broke

the　ground；　he　sowed　the　seed；　and　it　may　be　that　even　at　this　day　we

are　in　some　degree　reaping　the　results　of　his　labours。　　At　all　events；

his　books　still　live　to　show　how　wise　and　sagacious　Andrew　Yarranton

was　beyond　his　contemporaries　as　to　the　true　methods　of　establishing

upon　solid　foundations　the　industrial　prosperity　of　England。







CHAPTER　V。



COALBROOKDALE　IRON　WORKSTHE　DARBYS　AND　REYNOLDSES。



〃The　triumph　of　the　industrial　arts　will　advance　the　cause　of

civilization　more　rapidly　than　its　warmest　advocates　could　have

hoped；　and　contribute　to　the　permanent　prosperity　and　strength　of　the

country　far　move　than　the　most　splendid　victories　of　successful

war。C。　　BABBAGE；　The　Exposition　of　1851。





Dud　Dudley's　invention　of　smelting　iron　with　coke　made　of　pit…coal

was；　like　many　others；　born　before　its　time。　　It　was　neither

appreciated　by　the　iron…masters　nor　by　the　workmen。　　All　schemes　for

smelting　ore　with　any　other　fuel　than　charcoal　made　from　wood　were

regarded　with　incredulity。　　As　for　Dudley's　Metallum　Martis；　as　it

contained　no　specification；　it　revealed　no　secret；　and　when　its

author　died；　his　secret；　whatever　it　might　be；　died　with　him。　　Other

improvements　were　doubtless　necessary　before　the　invention　could　be

turned　to　useful　account。　　Thus；　until　a　more　powerful　blowing…furace

had　been　contrived；　the　production　of　pit…coal　iron　must　necessarily

have　been　limited。　　Dudley　himself　does　not　seem　to　have　been　able　to

make　more　on　an　average　than　five　tons　a…week；　and　seven　tons　at　the

outside。　　Nor　was　the　iron　so　good　as　that　made　by　charcoal；　for　it　is

admitted　to　have　been　especially　liable　to　deterioration　by　the

sulphureous　fumes　of　the　coal　in　the　process　of　manufacture。



Dr。　Plot；　in　his　'History　of　Staffordshire；'　speaks　of　an　experiment

made　by　one　Dr。　Blewstone；　a　High　German；　as　〃the　last　effort〃　made

in　that　county　to　smelt　iron…ore　with　pit…coal。　　He　is　said　to　have

〃built　his　furnace　at　Wednesbury；　so　ingeniously　contrived　（that　only

the　flame　of　the　coal　should　come　to　the　ore；　with　several　other

conveniences）；　that　many　were　of　opinion　he　would　succeed　in　it。　　But

experience；　that　great　baffler　of　speculation；　showed　it　would　not

be；　the　sulphureous　vitriolic　steams　that　issue　from　the　pyrites；

which　frequently；　if　not　always；　accompanies　pit…coal；　ascending　with

the　flame；　and　poisoning　the　ore　sufficiently　to　make　it　render　much

worse　iron　than　that　made　with　charcoal；　though　not　perhaps　so　much

worse　as　the　body　of　the　coal　itself　would　possibly　do。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　PLOT；　Natural　History　of　Staffordshire；　2nd　ed。　1686；　p。　128。

　。。。＇

Dr。　Plot　does　not　give　the　year　in　which　this　〃last　effort〃　was　made；

but　as　we　find　that　one　Dr。　Frederic　de　Blewston　obtained　a　patent

from　Charles　II。　on　the　25th　October；　1677；　for　〃a　new　and　effectual

way　of　melting　down；　forging；　extracting；　and　reducing　of　iron　and

all　metals　and　minerals　with　pit…coal　and　sea…coal；　as　well　and

effectually　as　ever　hath　yet　been　done　by　charcoal；　and　with　much

less　charge；〃　and　as　Dr。　Plot's　　History；　in　which　he　makes　mention

of　the　experiment　and　its　failure；　was　published　in　1686；　it　is

obvious　that　the　trial　must　have　been　made　between　those　years。



As　the　demand　for　iron　steadily　increased　with　the　increasing

population　of　the　country；　and　as　the　supply　of　timber　for　smelting

purposes　was　diminishing　from　year　to　year；　England　was　compelled　to

rely　more　and　more　upon　foreign　countries　for　its　supply　of

manufactured　iron。　　The　number　of　English　forges　rapidly　dwindled；　and

the　amount　of　the　home　production　became　insignificant　in　comparison

with　what　was　imported　from　abroad。　　Yarranton；　writing　in　1676；

speaks　of　〃the　many　iron…works　laid　down　in　Kent；　Sussex；　Surrey；　and

in　the　north　of　England；　because　the　iron　of　Sweadland；　Flanders；　and

Spain；　coming　in　so　cheap；　it　cannot　be　made　to　profit　here。〃　　There

were　many　persons；　indeed；　who　held　that　it　was　better　we　should　be

supplied　with　iron　from　Spain　than　make　it　at　home；　in　consequence　of

the　great　waste　of　wood　involved　by　the　manufacture；　but　against　this

view　Yarranton　strongly　contended；　and　held；　what　is　as　true　now　as

it　was　then；　that　the　manufacture　of　iron　was　the　keystone　of

England's　industrial　prosperity。　　He　also　apprehended　great　danger　to

the　country　from　want　of　iron　in　event　of　the　contingency　of　a

foreign　war。　　〃When　the　greatest　part　of　the　iron…works　are　asleep；〃

said　he；　〃if　there　should　be　occasion　for　great　quantities　of　guns

and　bullets；　and　other　sorts　of　iron　commodities；　for　a　present

unexpected　war；　and　the　Sound　happen　to　be　locked　up；　and　so　prevent

iron　coming　to　us；　truly　we　should　then　be　in　a　fine　case！〃



Notwithstanding　these　apprehended　national　perils　arising　from　the

want　of　iron；　no　steps　seem　to　have　been　taken　to　supply　the

deficiency；　either　by　planting　woods　on　a　large　scale；　as　recommended

by　Yarranton；　or　by　other　methods；　and　the　produce　of　English　iron

continued　steadily　to　decline。　　In　1720…30　there　were　found　only　ten

furnaces　remaining　in　blast　in　the　whole　Forest　of　Dean；　where　the

iron…smelters　were　satisfied　with　working　up　merely　the　cinders　left

by　the　Romans。　　A　writer　of　the　time　states　that　we　then　bought

between　two　and　three　hundred　thousand　pounds'　worth　of　foreign　iron

yearly；　and　that　England　was　the　best　customer　in　Europe　for　Swedish

and　Russian　iron。*

　＇footnote。。。

JOSHUA　GEE；　The　Trade　and　Navigation　of　Great　Britain　considered；

1731。

　。。。＇

By　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　home　manufacture　had　so

much　fallen　off；　that　the　total　production　of　Great　Britain　is

supposed　to　have　amounted　to　not　more　than　18；000　tons　a　year；

four…fifths　of　the　iron　used　in　the　country　being　imported　from

Sweden。*

　＇footnote。。。

When　a　bill　was　introduced　into　Parliament　in　1750　with　the　object　of

encouraging　the　importation　of　iron　from　our　American　colonies；　the

Sheffield　tanners　petitioned　against　it；　on　the　ground　that；　if　it

passed；　English　iron　would　be　undersold；　many　forges　would

consequently　be　discontinued；　in　which　case　the　timber　used　for　fuel

would　remain　uncut；　and　the　tanners　would　thereby　be　deprived　of　bark

for　the　purposes　of　their　trade！

　。。。＇



The　more　that　the　remaining　ironmasters　became　straitened　for　want　of

wood；　the　more　they　were　compelled　to　resort　to　cinders　and　coke　made

from　coal　as　a　substitute。　　And　it　was　found　that　under　certain

circumstances　this　fuel　answered　the　purpose　almost　as　well　as

charcoal　of　wood。　　The　coke　was　made　by　burning　the　coal　in　heaps　in

the　open　air；　and　it　was　usually　mixed　with　coal　and　peat　in　the

process　of　smelting　the　ore。　　Coal　by　itself　was　used　by　the　country

smiths　for　forging　whenever　they　could　procure　it　for　their　smithy

fires；　and　in　the　midland　counties　they　had　it　brought　to　them；

sometimes　from　great　distances；　slung　in　bags　across　horses'

backs；for　the　state　of　the　roads　was　then　so　execrable　as　not　to