industrial biography-第31章

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mainly　indebted　for　the　exquisite　cutting　instrument　of　the　surgeon；

the　chisel　of　the　sculptor；　the　steel　plate　on　which　the　engraver

practises　his　art；　the　cutting　tools　employed　in　the　various

processes　of　skilled　handicraft；　down　to　the　common　saw　or　the　axe

used　by　the　backwoodsman　in　levelling　the　primeval　forest。



The　invention　of　cast…steel　is　due　to　Benjamin　Huntsman；　of

Attercliffe；　near　Sheffield。　　M。　Le　Play；　Professor　of　Metallurgy　in

the　Royal　School　of　Mines　of　France；　after　making　careful　inquiry　and

weighing　all　the　evidence　on　the　subject；　arrived　at　the　conclusion

that　the　invention　fairly　belongs　to　Huntsman。　　The　French　professor

speaks　of　it　as　a　〃memorable　discovery；〃　made　and　applied　with

admirable　perseverance；　and　he　claims　for　its　inventor　the

distinguished　merit　of　advancing　the　steel　manufactures　of　Yorkshire

to　the　first　rank；　and　powerfully　contributing　to　the　establishment

on　a　firm　foundation　of　the　industrial　and　commercial　supremacy　of

Great　Britain。　　It　is　remarkable　that　a　French　writer　should　have　been

among　the　first　to　direct　public　attention　to　the　merits　of　this

inventor；　and　to　have　first　published　the　few　facts　known　as　to　his

history　in　a　French　Government　Report；showing　the　neglect　which　men

of　this　class　have　heretofore　received　at　home；　and　the　much　greater

esteem　in　which　they　are　held　by　scientific　foreigners。*

　＇footnote。。。

M。　Le　Play's　two　elaborate　and　admirable　reports　on　the　manufacture

of　steel；　published　in　the　Annales　des　Mines；　vols。　iii。　and　ix。；　4th

series；　are　unique　of　their　kind；　and　have　as　yet　no　counterpart　in

English　literature。　　They　are　respectively　entitled　'Memoire　sur　la

Fabrication　de　l'Acier　en　Yorkshire；'　and　'Memoire　sur　le

Fabrication　et　le　Commerce　des　Fers　a　Acier　dans　le　Nord　de

l'Europe。'

　。。。＇

Le　Play；　in　his　enthusiastic　admiration　of　the　discoverer　of　so

potent　a　metal　as　cast…steel；　paid　a　visit　to　Huntsman's　grave　in

Atterclifle　Churchyard；　near　Sheffield；　and　from　the　inscription　on

his　tombstone　recites　the　facts　of　his　birth；　his　death；　and　his

brief　history。　　With　the　assistance　of　his　descendants；　we　are　now

enabled　to　add　the　following　record　of　the　life　and　labours　of　this

remarkable　but　almost　forgotten　man。



Benjamin　Huntsman　was　born　in　Lincolnshire　in　the　year　1704。　　His

parents　were　of　German　extraction；　and　had　settled　in　this　country

only　a　few　years　previous　to　his　birth。　　The　boy　being　of　an　ingenious

turn；　was　bred　to　a　mechanical　calling；　and　becoming　celebrated　for

his　expertness　in　repairing　clocks；　he　eventually　set　up　in　business

as　a　clock　maker　and　mender　in　the　town　of　Doncaster。　　He　also

undertook　various　other　kinds　of　metal　work；　such　as　the　making　and

repairing　of　locks；　smoke…jacks；　roasting…jacks；　and　other　articles

requiring　mechanical　skill。　　He　was　remarkably　shrewd；　observant；

thoughtful；　and　practical；　so　much　so　that　he　came　to　be　regarded　as

the　〃wise　man〃　of　his　neighbourhood；　and　was　not　only　consulted　as　to

the　repairs　of　machinery；　but　also　of　the　human　frame。　　He　practised

surgery　with　dexterity；　though　after　an　empirical　fashion；　and　was

held　in　especial　esteem　as　an　oculist。　　His　success　was　such　that　his

advice　was　sought　in　many　surgical　diseases；　and　he　was　always　ready

to　give　it；　but　declined　receiving　any　payment　in　return。



In　the　exercise　of　his　mechanical　calling；　he　introduced　several

improved　tools；　but　was　much　hindered　by　the　inferior　quality　of　the

metal　supplied　to　him；　which　was　common　German　steel。　　He　also

experienced　considerable　difficulty　in　finding　a　material　suitable

for　the　springs　and　pendulums　of　his　clocks。　　These　circumstances

induced　him　to　turn　his　attention　to　the　making　of　a　better　kind　of

steel　than　was　then　procurable；　for　the　purposes　of　his　trade。　　His

first　experiments　were　conducted　at　Doncaster；*

　＇footnote。。。

There　are　several　clocks　still　in　existence　in　the　neighbourhood　of

Doncaster　made　by　Benjamin　Huntsman；　and　there　is　one　in　the

possession　of　his　grandson；　with　a　pendulum　made　of　cast…steel。　　The

manufacture　of　a　pendulum　of　such　a　material　at　that　early　date　is

certainly　curious；　its　still　perfect　spring　and　elasticity　showing

the　scrupulous　care　with　which　it　had　been　made。

　。。。＇

but　as　fuel　was　difficult　to　be　had　at　that　place；　he　determined；　for

greater　convenience；　to　remove　to　the　neighbourhood　of　Sheffield；

which　he　did　in　1740。　　He　first　settled　at　Handsworth；　a　few　miles　to

the　south　of　that　town；　and　there　pursued　his　investigations　in

secret。　　Unfortunately；　no　records　have　been　preserved　of　the　methods

which　he　adopted　in　overcoming　the　difficulties　he　had　necessarily　to

encounter。　　That　they　must　have　been　great　is　certain；　for　the　process

of　manufacturing　cast…steel　of　a　first…rate　quality　even　at　this　day

is　of　a　most　elaborate　and　delicate　character；　requiring　to　be

carefully　watched　in　its　various　stages。　　He　had　not　only　to　discover

the　fuel　and　flux　suitable　for　his　purpose；　but　to　build　such　a

furnace　and　make　such　a　crucible　as　should　sustain　a　heat　more

intense　than　any　then　known　in　metallurgy。　　Ingot…moulds　had　not　yet

been　cast；　nor　were　there　hoops　and　wedges　made　that　would　hold　them

together；　nor；　in　short；　were　any　of　those　materials　at　his　disposal

which　are　now　so　familiar　at　every　melting…furnace。



Huntsman's　experiments　extended　over　many　years　before　the　desired

result　was　achieved。　　Long　after　his　death；　the　memorials　of　the

numerous　failures　through　which　he　toilsomely　worked　his　way　to

success；　were　brought　to　light　in　the　shape　of　many　hundredweights　of

steel；　found　buried　in　the　earth　in　different　places　about　his

manufactory。　　From　the　number　of　these　wrecks　of　early　experiments；　it

is　clear　that　he　had　worked　continuously　upon　his　grand　idea　of

purifying　the　raw　steel　then　in　use；　by　melting　it　with　fluxes　at　an

intense　heat　in　closed　earthen　crucibles。　　The　buried　masses　were

found　in　various　stages　of　failure；　arising　from　imperfect　melting；

breaking　of　crucibles；　and　bad　fluxes；　and　had　been　hid　away　as　so

much　spoiled　steel　of　which　nothing　could　be　made。　　At　last　his

perseverance　was　rewarded；　and　his　invention　perfected；　and　though　a

hundred　years　have　passed　since　Huntsman's　discovery；　the　description

of　fuel　（coke）　which　he　first　applied　for　the　purpose　of　melting　the

steel；　and　the　crucibles　and　furnaces　which　he　used；　are　for　the　most

part　similar　to　those　in　use　at　the　present　day。　　Although　the　making

of　cast…steel　is　conducted　with　greater　economy　and　dexterity；　owing

to　increased　experience；　it　is　questionable　whether　any　maker　has

since　been　able　to　surpass　the　quality　of　Huntsman's　manufacture。



The　process　of　making　cast…steel；　as　invented　by　Benjamin　Huntsman；

may　be　thus　summarily　described。　　The　melting　is　conducted　in　clay

pots　or　crucibles　manufactured　for　the　purpose；　capable　of　holding

about　34　lbs。　each。　　Ten　or　twelve　of　such　crucibles　are　placed　in　a

melting…furnace　similar　to　that　used　by　brass　founders；　and　when　the

furnace　and　pots　are　at　a　white　heat；　to　which　they　are　raised　by　a

coke　fire；　they　are　charged　with　bar　steel　reduced　to　a　certain

degree　of　hardness；　and　broken　into　pieces　of　about　a　pound　each。

When　the　pots　are　all　thus　charged　with　steel；　lids　are　placed　over

them；　the　furnace　is　filled　with　coke；　and　the　cover　put　down。　　Under

the　intense　heat　to　which　the　metal　is　exposed；　it　undergoes　an

apparent　ebullition。　　When　the　furnace　requires　feeding；　the　workmen

take　the　opportunity　of　lifting　the　lid　of　each　crucible　and　judging

how　far　the　process　has　advanced。　　After　about　three　hours'　exposure

to　the　heat；　the　metal　is　ready　for　〃teeming。〃　　The　completion　of　the

melting　process　is　known　by　the　subsidence　of　all　ebullition；　and　by

the　clear　surface　of　the　melted　metal；　which　is　of　a　dazzling

brilliancy　like　the　sun　when　looked　at　with　the　naked　eye　on　a　clear

day。　　The　pots　are　then　lifted　out