industrial biography-第30章

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old　enough；　I　will　teach　him　to　thank　his　benefactor。〃　　〃Thou　must

teach　him　to　look　higher；〃　interrupted　Reynolds：　　〃Do　we　thank　the

clouds　for　rain？　When　the　child　grows　up；　teach　him　to　thank　Him　who

sendeth　both　the　clouds　and　the　rain。〃　　Reynolds　himself　deplored　his

infirmity　of　temper；　which　was　by　nature　hasty；　and；　as　his

benevolence　was　known；　and　appeals　were　made　to　him　at　all　times；

seasonable　and　unseasonable；　he　sometimes　met　them　with　a　sharp　word；

which；　however；　he　had　scarcely　uttered　before　he　repented　of　it：　　and

he　is　known　to　have　followed　a　poor　woman　to　her　home　and　ask

forgiveness　for　having　spoken　hastily　in　answer　to　her　application

for　help。



This　〃great　good　man〃　died　on　the　l0th　of　September；　1816；　in　the

81st　year　of　his　age。　　At　his　funeral　the　poor　of　Bristol　were　the

chief　mourners。　　The　children　of　the　benevolent　societies　which　he　had

munificently　supported　during　his　lifetime；　and　some　of　which　he　had

founded；　followed　his　body　to　the　grave。　　The　procession　was　joined　by

the　clergy　and　ministers　of　all　denominations；　and　by　men　of　all

classes　and　persuasions。　　And　thus　was　Richard　Reynolds　laid　to　his

rest；　leaving　behind　him　a　name　full　of　good　odour；　which　will　long

be　held　in　grateful　remembrance　by　the　inhabitants　of　Bristol。





CHAPTER　VI。



INVENTION　OF　CAST　STEELBENJAMIN　HUNTSMAN。



〃It　may　be　averred　that　as　certainly　as　the　age　of　iron　superseded

that　of　bronze；　so　will　the　age　of　steel　reign　triumphant　over

iron。〃　HENRY　BESSEMER。



〃Aujourd'hui　la　revolution　que　devait　amener　en　Grande…Bretagne　la

memorable　decouverte　de　Benjamin　Huntsman　est　tout　a　fait

accomplie；　et　chaque　jour　les　consequetces　sen　feront　plus　vivement

sentir　sur　le　confinent。〃LE　PLAY；　Sur　la　Fabricatio　n　de　l'　Acier

en　Yorkshire。





Iron；　besides　being　used　in　various　forms　as　bar　and　cast　iron；　is

also　used　in　various　forms　as　bar　and　cast　steel；　and　it　is

principally　because　of　its　many　admirable　qualities　in　these　latter

forms　that　iron　maintains　its　supremacy　over　all　the　other　metals。



The　process　of　converting　iron　into　steel　had　long　been　known　among

the　Eastern　nations　before　it　was　introduced　into　Europe。　　The　Hindoos

were　especially　skilled　in　the　art　of　making　steel；　as　indeed　they

are　to　this　day；　and　it　is　supposed　that　the　tools　with　which　the

Egyptians　covered　their　obelisks　and　temples　of　porphyry　and　syenite

with　hieroglyphics　were　made　of　Indian　steel；　as　probably　no　other

metal　was　capable　of　executing　such　work。　　The　art　seems　to　have　been

well　known　in　Germany　in　the　Middle　Ages；　and　the　process　is　on　the

whole　very　faithfully　described　by　Agricola　in　his　great　work　on

Metallurgy。*

　＇footnote。。。

AGRICOLA；　De　Re　Metallica。　　Basle；　1621。

　。。。＇

England　then　produced　very　little　steel；　and　was　mainly　dependent　for

its　supply　of　the　article　upon　the　continental　makers。



From　an　early　period　Sheffield　became　distinguished　for　its

manufacture　of　iron　and　steel　into　various　useful　articles。　　We　find

it　mentioned　in　the　thirteenth　century　as　a　place　where　the　best

arrowheads　were　made；the　Earl　of　Richmond　owing　his　success　at　the

battle　of　Bosworth　partly　to　their　superior　length；　sharpness；　and

finish。　　The　manufactures　of　the　town　became　of　a　more　pacific

character　in　the　following　centuries；　during　which　knives；　tools；　and

implements　of　husbandry　became　the　leading　articles。



Chaucer's　reference　to　the　'Sheffield　thwytel'　（or　case…knife）　in　his

Canterbury　Tales；　written　about　the　end　of　the　fourteenth　century；

shows　that　the　place　had　then　become　known　for　its　manufacture　of

knives。　　In　1575　we　find　the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury　presenting　to　his

friend　Lord　Burleigh　〃a　case　of　Hallamshire　whittells；　being　such

fruites　as　his　pore　cuntrey　affordeth　with　fame　throughout　the

realme。〃　　Fuller　afterwards　speaks　of　the　Sheffield　knives　as　〃for

common　use　of　the　country　people；〃　and　he　cites　an　instance　of　a

knave　who　cozened　him　out　of　fourpence　for　one　when　it　was　only　worth

a　penny。



In　1600　Sheffield　became　celebrated　for　its　tobacco…boxes　and

Jew's…harps。　　The　town　was　as　yet　of　small　size　and　population；　for

when　a　survey　of　it　was　made　in　1615　it　was　found　to　contain　not　more

than　2207　householders；　of　whom　one…third；　or　725；　were　〃not　able　to

live　without　the　charity　of　their　neighbours：　　these　are　all　Begging

poor。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Rev。　JOSEPH　HUNTER；　History　of　Hallamshire。

　。。。＇

It　must；　however；　have　continued　its　manufacture　of　knives；　for　we

find　that　the　knife　with　which　Felton　stabbed　the　Duke　of　Buckingham

at　Portsmouth　in　1628　was　traced　to　Sheffield。　　The　knife　was　left

sticking　in　the　duke's　body；　and　when　examined　was　found　to　bear　the

Sheffield　corporation　mark。　　It　was　ultimately　ascertained　to　have

been　made　by　one　Wild；　a　cutler；　who　had　sold　the　knife　for　tenpence

to　Felton　when　recruiting　in　the　town。　　At　a　still　later　period；　the

manufacture　of　clasp　or　spring　knives　was　introduced　into　Sheffield

by　Flemish　workmen。　　Harrison　says　this　trade　was　begun　in　1650。　　The

clasp…knife　was　commonly　known　in　the　North　as　a　jocteleg。　　Hence

Burns；　describing　the　famous　article　treasured　by　Captain　Grose　the

antiquarian；　says　that



　　　　　〃It　was　a　faulding　jocteleq；

　　　　　　Or　lang…kail　gully；〃



the　word　being　merely　a　corruption　of　Jacques　de　Liege；　a　famous

foreign　cutler；　whose　knives　were　as　well　known　throughout　Europe　as

those　of　Rogers　or　Mappin　are　now。　　Scythes　and　sickles　formed　other

branches　of　manufacture　introduced　by　the　Flemish　artisans；　the

makers　of　the　former　principally　living　in　the　parish　of　Norton；

those　of　the　latter　in　Eckington。



Many　improvements　were　introduced　from　time　to　time　in　the　material

of　which　these　articles　were　made。　　Instead　of　importing　the　German

steel；　as　it　was　called；　the　Sheffield　manufacturers　began　to　make　it

themselves；　principally　from　Dannemora　iron　imported　from　Sweden。　　The

first　English　manufacturer　of　the　article　was　one　Crowley；　a

Newcastle　man；　and　the　Sheffield　makers　shortly　followed　his　example。

We　may　here　briefly　state　that　the　ordinary　method　of　preparing　this

valuable　material　of　manufactures　is　by　exposing　iron　bars；　placed　in

contact　with　roughly…granulated　charcoal；　to　an　intense　heat；the

process　lasting　for　about　a　week；　more　or　less；　according　to　the

degree　of　carbonization　required。　　By　this　means；　what　is　called

BLISTERED　STEEL　is　produced；　and　it　furnishes　the　material　out　of

which　razors；　files；　knives；　swords；　and　various　articles　of　hardware

are　manufactured。　　A　further　process　is　the　manufacture　of　the　metal

thus　treated　into　SHEAR　STEEL；　by　exposing　a　fasciculus　of　the

blistered　steel　rods；　with　sand　scattered　over　them　for　the　purposes

of　a　flux；　to　the　heat　of　a　wind…furnace　until　the　whole　mass　becomes

of　a　welding　heat；　when　it　is　taken　from　the　fire　and　drawn　out　under

a　forge…hammer；the　process　of　welding　being　repeated；　after　which

the　steel　is　reduced　to　the　required　sizes。　　The　article　called　FAGGOT

steel　is　made　after　a　somewhat　similar　process。



But　the　most　valuable　form　in　which　steel　is　now　used　in　the

manufactures　of　Sheffield　is　that　of　cast…steel；　in　which　iron　is

presented　in　perhaps　its　very　highest　state　of　perfection。　　Cast…steel

consists　of　iron　united　to　carbon　in　an　elastic　state　together　with　a

small　portion　of　oxygen；　whereas　crude　or　pig　iron　consists　of　iron

combined　with　carbon　in　a　material　state。*

　＇footnote。。。

MUSHET；　Papers　On　Iron　and　Steel。

　。。。＇

chief　merits　of　cast…steel　consist　in　its　possessing　great　cohesion

and　closeness　of　grain；　with　an　astonishing　degree　of　tenacity　and

flexibility；　qualities　which　render　it　of　the　highest　value　in　all

kinds　of　tools　and　instruments　where　durability；　polish；　and　fineness

of　edge　are　essential　requisites。　　It　is　to　this　material　that　we　are

mainly　indebted　for　the　exquisite　cutting　instrument　of　the　surgeon；

the　chi