industrial biography-第3章

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His　skill　as　a　mechanical　draughtsman

Invents　his　drawing　instrument

His　drawing…table

His　improvements　in　the　self…acting　lathe

His　double…driving　centre…chuck　and　two…armed　driver

His　fluted　taps　and　dies

Invention　of　his　Planing　Machine

Employed　to　make　Babbage's　Calculating　Machine

Resume　of　the　history　of　apparatus　for　making　calculations

Babbage's　engine　proceeded　with

Its　great　cost

Interruption　of　the　work

Clement's　steam…whistles

Makes　an　organ

Character　and　death





CHAPTER　XIV。



FOX　OF　DERBYMURRAY　OF　LEEDSROBERTS　AND　WHITWORTH　OF　MANCHESTER。



The　first　Fox　of　Derby　originally　a　butler

His　genius　for　mechanics

Begins　business　as　a　machinist

Invents　a　Planing　Machine

Matthew　Murray's　Planing　Machine

Murray's　early　career

Employed　as　a　blacksmith　by　Marshall　of　Leeds

His　improvements　of　flax…machinery

Improvements　in　steam…engines

Makes　the　first　working　locomotive　for　Mr。　Blenkinsop

Invents　the　Heckling　Machine

His　improvements　in　tools

Richard　Roberts　of　Manchester

First　a　quarryman；　next　a　pattern…maker

Drawn　for　the　militia；　and　flies

His　travels

His　first　employment　at　Manchester

Goes　to　London；　and　works　at　Maudslay's

Roberts's　numerous　inventions

Invents　a　planing　machine

The　self…acting　mule

Iron　billiard…tables

Improvements　in　the　locomotive

Invents　the　Jacquard　punching　machine

Makes　turret…clocks　and　electro…magnets

Improvement　in　screw…steamships

Mr。　Whitworth's　improvement　of　the　planing　machine

His　method　of　securing　true　surfaces

His　great　mechanical　skill





CHAPTER　XV。



JAMES　NASMYTH。



Traditional　origin　of　the　Naesmyths

Alexander　Nasmyth　the　painter；　and　his　family

Early　years　of　James　Nasmyth

The　story　of　his　life　told　by　himself

Becomes　a　pupil　of　Henry　Maudslay

How　he　lived　and　worked　in　London

Begins　business　at　Manchester

Story　of　the　invention　of　the　Steam　Hammer

The　important　uses　of　the　Hammer　in　modem　engineering

Invents　the　steam　pile…driving　machine

Designs　a　new　form　of　steam…engine

Other　inventions　How　he　〃Scotched〃　a　strike

Uses　of　strikes

Retirement　from　business

Skill　as　a　draughtsman

Curious　speculations　on　antiquarian　subjects

Mr。　Nasmyth's　wonderful　discoveries　in　Astronomy

　　described　by　Sir　John　Herschel





CHAPTER　XVI。



WILLIAM　FAIRBAIRN。



Summary　of　progress　in　machine…tools

William　Fairbairn's　early　years

His　education

Life　in　the　Highlands

Begins　work　at　Kelso　Bridge

An　apprentice　at　Percy　Main　Colliery；　North　Shields

Diligent　self…culture

Voyage　to　London

Adventures

Prevented　obtaining　work　by　the　Millwrights'　Union

Travels　into　the　country；　finds　work；　and　returns　to　London

His　first　order；　to　make　a　sausage…chopping　machine

Wanderschaft

Makes　nail…machinery　for　a　Dublin　employer

Proceeds　to　Manchester；　where　he　settles　and　marries

Begins　business

His　first　job

Partnership　with　Mr。　Lillie

Employed　by　Messrs。　Adam　Murray　and　Co。

Employed　by　Messrs。　MacConnel　and　Kennedy

Progress　of　the　Cotton　Trade

Memoir　of　John　Kennedy

Mr。　Fairbairn　introduces　great　improvements　in　the　gearing；　&c。

　　of　mill　machinery

Increasing　business　Improvements　in　water…wheels

Experiments　as　to　the　law　of　traction　of　boats

Begins　building　iron　ships

Experiments　on　the　strength　of　wrought　iron

Britannia　and　Conway　Tubular　Bridges

Reports　on　iron

On　boiler　explosions

Iron　construction

Extended　use　of　iron

Its　importance　in　civilization

Opinion　of　Mr。　Cobden

Importance　of　modern　machine…tools

Conclusion







INDUSTRIAL　BIOGRAPHY。





CHAPTER　I。



IRON　AND　CIVILIZATION。



〃Iron　is　not　only　the　soul　of　every　other　manufacture；　but　the　main

spring　perhaps　of　civilized　society。〃FRANCIS　HORNER。



〃Were　the　use　of　iron　lost　among　us；　we　should　in　a　few　ages　be

unavoidably　reduced　to　the　wants　and　ignorance　of　the　ancient　savage

Americans；　so　that　he　who　first　made　known　the　use　of　that

contemptible　mineral　may　be　truly　styled　the　father　of　Arts　and　the

author　of　Plenty。〃JOHN　LOCKE。





When　Captain　Cook　and　the　early　navigators　first　sailed　into　the

South　Seas　on　their　voyages　of　discovery；　one　of　the　things　that

struck　them　with　most　surprise　was　the　avidity　which　the　natives

displayed　for　iron。　　〃Nothing　would　go　down　with　our　visitors；〃　says

Cook；　〃but　metal；　and　iron　was　their　beloved　article。〃　　A　nail　would

buy　a　good…sized　pig；　and　on　one　occasion　the　navigator　bought　some

four　hundred　pounds　weight　of　fish　for　a　few　wretched　knives

improvised　out　of　an　old　hoop。



〃For　iron　tools；〃　says　Captain　Carteret；　〃we　might　have　purchased

everything　upon　the　Freewill　Islands　that　we　could　have　brought　away。

A　few　pieces　of　old　iron　hoop　presented　to　one　of　the　natives　threw

him　into　an　ecstasy　little　short　of　distraction。〃　　At　Otaheite　the

people　were　found　generally　well…behaved　and　honest；　but　they　were

not　proof　against　the　fascinations　of　iron。　　Captain　Cook　says　that

one　of　them；　after　resisting　all　other　temptations；　〃was　at　length

ensnared　by　the　charms　of　basket　of　nails。〃　　Another　lurked　about　for

several　days；　watching　the　opportunity　to　steal　a　coal…rake。



The　navigators　found　they　could　pay　their　way　from　island　to　island

merely　with　scraps　of　iron；　which　were　as　useful　for　the　purpose　as

gold　coins　would　have　been　in　Europe。　　The　drain；　however；　being

continuous；　Captain　Cook　became　alarmed　at　finding　his　currency

almost　exhausted；　and　he　relates　his　joy　on　recovering　an　old　anchor

which　the　French　Captain　Bougainville　had　lost　at　Bolabola；　on　which

he　felt　as　an　English　banker　would　do　after　a　severe　run　upon　him　for

gold；　when　suddenly　placed　in　possession　of　a　fresh　store　of　bullion。



The　avidity　for　iron　displayed　by　these　poor　islanders　will　not　be

wondered　at　when　we　consider　that　whoever　among　them　was　so　fortunate

as　to　obtain　possession　of　an　old　nail；　immediately　became　a　man　of

greater　power　than　his　fellows；　and　assumed　the　rank　of　a　capitalist。

〃An　Otaheitan　chief；〃　says　Cook；　〃who　had　got　two　nails　in　his

possession；　received　no　small　emolument　by　letting　out　the　use　of

them　to　his　neighbours　for　the　purpose　of　boring　holes　when　their　own

methods　failed；　or　were　thought　too　tedious。〃



The　native　methods　referred　to　by　Cook　were　of　a　very　clumsy　sort；

the　principal　tools　of　the　Otaheitans　being　of　wood；　stone；　and

flint。　　Their　adzes　and　axes　were　of　stone。　　The　gouge　most　commonly

used　by　them　was　made　out　of　the　bone　of　the　human　forearm。　　Their

substitute　for　a　knife　was　a　shell；　or　a　bit　of　flint　or　jasper。

A　shark's　tooth；　fixed　to　a　piece　of　wood；　served　for　an　auger；

a　piece　of　coral　for　a　file；　and　the　skin　of　a　sting…ray　for　a

polisher。　　Their　saw　was　made　of　jagged　fishes'　teeth　fixed　on　the

convex　edge　of　a　piece　of　hard　wood。　　Their　weapons　were　of　a

similarly　rude　description；　their　clubs　and　axes　were　headed　with

stone；　and　their　lances　and　arrows　were　tipped　with　flint。　　Fire　was

another　agency　employed　by　them；　usually　in　boat…building。　　Thus；　the

New　Zealanders；　whose　tools　were　also　of　stone；　wood；　or　bone；　made

their　boats　of　the　trunks　of　trees　hollowed　out　by　fire。



The　stone　implements　were　fashioned；　Captain　Cook　says；　by　rubbing

one　stone　upon　another　until　brought　to　the　required　shape；　but；

after　all；　they　were　found　very　inefficient　for　their　purpose。　　They

soon　became　blunted　and　useless；　and　the　laborious　process　of　making

new　tools　had　to　be　begun　again。　　The　delight　of　the　islanders　at

being　put　in　possession　of　a　material　which　was　capable　of　taking　a

comparatively　sharp　edge　and　keeping　it；　may　therefore　readily　be

imagined；　and　hence　the　remarkable　incidents　to　which　we　have

referred　in　the　experience　of　the　early　voyagers。　　In　the　minds　of　the

natives；　iron　became　the　representative　of　power；　efficiency；　and

wealth；　and　they　were　ready　almost　to　fall　down　and　worship　their　new

tools；