industrial biography-第32章

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

day。　　The　pots　are　then　lifted　out　of　their　place；　and　the　liquid

steel　is　poured　into　ingots　of　the　shape　and　size　required。　　The　pots

are　replaced；　filled　again；　and　the　process　is　repeated；　the　red…hot

pots　thus　serving　for　three　successive　charges；　after　which　they　are

rejected　as　useless。



When　Huntsman　had　perfected　his　invention；　it　would　naturally　occur

to　him　that　the　new　metal　might　be　employed　for　other　purposes

besides　clock…springs　and　pendulums。　　The　business　of　clock…making　was

then　of　a　very　limited　character；　and　it　could　scarcely　have　been

worth　his　while　to　pursue　so　extensive　and　costly　a　series　of

experiments　merely　to　supply　the　requirements　of　that　trade。　　It　is

more　probable　that　at　an　early　stage　of　his　investigations　he

shrewdly　foresaw　the　extensive　uses　to　which　cast…steel　might　be

applied　in　the　manufacture　of　tools　and　cutlery　of　a　superior　kind；

and　we　accordingly　find　him　early　endeavouring　to　persuade　the

manufacturers　of　Sheffield　to　employ　it　in　the　manufacture　of　knives

and　razors。　　But　the　cutlers　obstinately　refused　to　work　a　material　so

much　harder　than　that　which　they　had　been　accustomed　to　use；　and　for

a　time　he　gave　up　all　hopes　of　creating　a　demand　in　that　quarter。

Foiled　in　his　endeavours　to　sell　his　steel　at　home；　Huntsman　turned

his　attention　to　foreign　markets；　and　he　soon　found　he　could　readily

sell　abroad　all　that　he　could　make。　　The　merit　of　employing　cast…steel

for　general　purposes　belongs　to　the　French；　always　so　quick　to

appreciate　the　advantages　of　any　new　discovery；　and　for　a　time　the

whole　of　the　cast…steel　that　Huntsman　could　manufacture　was　exported

to　France。　　When　he　had　fairly　established　his　business　with　that

country；　the　Sheffield　cutlers　became　alarmed　at　the　reputation　which

cast…steel　was　acquiring　abroad；　and　when　they　heard　of　the

preference　displayed　by　English　as　well　as　French　consumers　for　the

cutlery　manufactured　of　that　metal；　they　readily　apprehended　the

serious　consequences　that　must　necessarily　result　to　their　own　trade

if　cast…steel　came　into　general　use。　　They　then　appointed　a　deputation

to　wait　upon　Sir　George　Savile；　one　of　the　members　for　the　county　of

York；　and　requested　him　to　use　his　influence　with　the　government　to

obtain　an　order　to　prohibit　the　exportation　of　cast…steel。　　But　on

learning　from　the　deputation　that　the　Sheffield　manufacturers

themselves　would　not　make　use　of　the　new　steel；　he　positively

declined　to　comply　with　their　request。　　It　was　indeed　fortunate　for

the　interests　of　the　town　that　the　object　of　the　deputation　was

defeated；　for　at　that　time　Mr。　Huntsman　had　very　pressing　and

favourable　offers　from　some　spirited　manufacturers　in　Birmingham　to

remove　his　furnaces　to　that　place；　and　it　is　extremely　probable　that

had　the　business　of　cast…steel　making　become　established　there；　one

of　the　most　important　and　lucrative　branches　of　its　trade　would　have

been　lost　to　the　town　of　Sheffield。



The　Sheffield　makers　were　therefore　under　the　necessity　of　using　the

cast…steel；　if　they　would　retain　their　trade　in　cutlery　against

France；　and　Huntsman's　home　trade　rapidly　increased。　　And　then　began

the　efforts　of　the　Sheffield　men　to　wrest　his　secret　from　him。　　For

Huntsman　had　not　taken　out　any　patent　for　his　invention；　his　only

protection　being　in　preserving　his　process　as　much　a　mystery　as

possible。　　All　the　workmen　employed　by　him　were　pledged　to　inviolable

secrecy；　strangers　were　carefully　excluded　from　the　works；　and　the

whole　of　the　steel　made　was　melted　during　the　night。　　There　were　many

speculations　abroad　as　to　Huntsman's　process。　　It　was　generally

believed　that　his　secret　consisted　in　the　flux　which　he　employed　to

make　the　metal　melt　more　readily；　and　it　leaked　out　amongst　the

workmen　that　he　used　broken　bottles　for　the　purpose。　　Some　of　the

manufacturers；　who　by　prying　and　bribing　got　an　inkling　of　the

process；　followed　Huntsman　implicitly　in　this　respect；　and　they　would

not　allow　their　own　workmen　to　flux　the　pots　lest　they　also　should

obtain　possession　of　the　secret。　　But　it　turned　out　eventually　that　no

such　flux　was　necessary；　and　the　practice　has　long　since　been

discontinued。　　A　Frenchman　named　Jars；　frequently　quoted　by　Le　Play　in

his　account　of　the　manufacture　of　steel　in　Yorkshire；*

　＇footnote。。。

Annales　des　Mines；　vols。　iii。　and　ix。；　4th　Series。

　。。。＇

paid　a　visit　to　Sheffield　towards　the　end　of　last　century；　and

described　the　process　so　far　as　he　was　permitted　to　examine　it。

According　to　his　statement　all　kinds　of　fragments　of　broken　steel

were　used；　but　this　is　corrected　by　Le　Play；　who　states　that　only　the

best　bar　steel　manufactured　of　Dannemora　iron　was　employed。　　Jars　adds

that　〃the　steel　is　put　into　the　crucible　with　A　FLUX；　the　composition

of　which　is　kept　secret；〃　and　he　states　that　the　time　then　occupied

in　the　conversion　was　five　hours。



It　is　said　that　the　person　who　first　succeeded　in　copying　Huntsman's

process　was　an　ironfounder　named　Walker；　who　carried　on　his　business

at　Greenside　near　Sheffield；　and　it　was　certainly　there　that　the

making　of　cast…steel　was　next　begun。　　Walker　adopted　the　〃ruse〃　of

disguising　himself　as　a　tramp；　and；　feigning　great　distress　and

abject　poverty；　he　appeared　shivering　at　the　door　of　Huntsman's

foundry　late　one　night　when　the　workmen　were　about　to　begin　their

labours　at　steel…casting；　and　asked　for　admission　to　warm　himself　by

the　furnace　fire。　　The　workmen's　hearts　were　moved；　and　they　permitted

him　to　enter。　　We　have　the　above　facts　from　the　descendants　of　the

Huntsman　family；　but　we　add　the　traditional　story　preserved　in　the

neighbourhood；　as　given　in　a　well…known　book　on　metallurgy　：　　



〃One　cold　winter's　night；　while　the　snow　was　falling　in　heavy　flakes；

and　the　manufactory　threw　its　red　glared　light　over　the

neighbourhood；　a　person　of　the　most　abject　appearance　presented

himself　at　the　entrance；　praying　for　permission　to　share　the　warmth

and　shelter　which　it　afforded。　　The　humane　workmen　found　the　appeal

irresistible；　and　the　apparent　beggar　was　permitted　to　take　up　his

quarters　in　a　warm　corner　of　the　building。　　A　careful　scrutiny　would

have　discovered　little　real　sleep　in　the　drowsiness　which　seemed　to

overtake　the　stranger；　for　he　eagerly　watched　every　movement　of　the

workmen　while　they　went　through　the　operations　of　the　newly

discovered　process。　　He　observed；　first　of　all；　that　bars　of　blistered

steel　were　broken　into　small　pieces；　two　or　three　inches　in　length；

and　placed　in　crucibles　of　fire　clay。　　When　nearly　full；　a　little

green　glass　broken　into　small　fragments　was　spread　over　the　top；　and

the　whole　covered　over　with　a　closely…fitting　cover。　　The　crucibles

were　then　placed　in　a　furnace　previously　prepared　for　them；　and　after

a　lapse　of　from　three　to　four　hours；　during　which　the　crucibles　were

examined　from　time　to　time　to　see　that　the　metal　was　thoroughly

melted　and　incorporated；　the　workmen　proceeded　to　lift　the　crucible

from　its　place　on　the　furnace　by　means　of　tongs；　and　its　molten

contents；　blazing；　sparkling；　and　spurting；　were　poured　into　a　mould

of　cast…iron　previously　prepared：　　here　it　was　suffered　to　cool；　while

the　crucibles　were　again　filled；　and　the　process　repeated。　　When　cool；

the　mould　was　unscrewed；　and　a　bar　of　cast…steel　presented　itself；

which　only　required　the　aid　of　the　hammerman　to　form　a　finished　bar

of　cast…steel。　　How　the　unauthorized　spectator　of　these　operations

effected　his　escape　without　detection　tradition　does　not　say；　but　it

tells　us　that；　before　many　months　had　passed；　the　Huntsman

manufactory　was　not　the　only　one　where　cast…steel　was　produced。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Useful　Metals　and　their　Alloys　（p。　348）；　an　excellent　little

work；　in　which　the　process　of　cast…steel　making　will　be　found　fully

described。

　。。。＇



However　the　facts　may　be；　the　discovery　of　the　elder　Huntsman　proved

of　the　greates