industrial biography-第35章

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everywhere　overlay　each　other。　　The　faggots　so　prepared；　to　the　amount

of　half　a　ton　more　or　less；　were　then　to　be　put　into　a　common　air　or

balling　furnace；　and　brought　to　a　welding　heat；　which　was

accomplished　by　his　method　in　a　much　shorter　time　than　in　any　hollow

fire；　and　when　the　heat　was　perfect；　the　faggots　were　then　brought

under　a　forge…hammer　of　great　size　and　weight；　and　welded　into　a

solid　mass。　　Mr。　Cort　alleges　in　the　specification　that　iron　for

〃larger　uses〃　thus　finished；　is　in　all　respect's　possessed　of　the

highest　degree　of　perfection；　and　that　the　fire　in　the　balling

furnace　is　better　suited；　from　its　regularity　and　penetrating

quality；　to　give　the　iron　a　perfect　welding　heat　throughout　its　whole

mass；　without　fusing　in　any　part；　than　any　fire　blown　by　a　blast。

Another　process　employed　by　Mr。　Cort　for　the　purpose　of　cleansing　the

iron　and　producing　a　metal　of　purer　grain；　was　that　of　working　the

faggots　by　passing　them　through　rollers。　　〃By　this　simple　process；〃

said　he；　〃all　the　earthy　particles　are　pressed　out　and　the　iron

becomes　at　once　free　from　dross；　and　what　is　usually　called　cinder；

and　is　compressed　into　a　fibrous　and　tough　state。〃　　The　objection　has

indeed　been　taken　to　the　process　of　passing　the　iron　through　rollers；

that　the　cinder　is　not　so　effectually　got　rid　of　as　by　passing　it

under　a　tilt　hammer；　and　that　much　of　it　is　squeezed　into　the　bar　and

remains　there；　interrupting　its　fibre　and　impairing　its　strength。



It　does　not　appear　that　there　was　any　novelty　in　the　use　of　rollers

by　Cort；　for　in　his　first　specification　he　speaks　of　them　as　already

well　known。*

　＇footnote。。。

〃It　is　material　to　observe〃；　says　Mr。　Webster；　〃that　Cort；　in　this

specification；　speaks　of　the　rollers；　furnaces；　and　separate

processes；　as　well　known。　　There　is　no　claim　to　any　of　them

separately；　the　claim　is　to　the　reducing　of　the　faggots　of　piled　iron

into　bars；　and　the　welding　of　such　bars　by　rollers　instead　of　by

forge…hammers。〃Memoir　of　Henry　Cort；　in　Mechanic's　Magazine；　15

July；　1859；　by　Thomas　Webster；　M。A。；　F。R。S。

　。。。＇

His　great　merit　consisted　in　apprehending　the　value　of　certain

processes；　as　tested　by　his　own　and　others'　experience；　and　combining

and　applying　them　in　a　more　effective　practical　form　than　had　ever

been　done　before。　　This　power　of　apprehending　the　best　methods；　and

embodying　the　details　in　one　complete　whole；　marks　the　practical；

clear…sighted　man；　and　in　certain　cases　amounts　almost　to　a　genius。

The　merit　of　combining　the　inventions　of　others　in　such　forms　as　that

they　shall　work　to　advantage；　is　as　great　in　its　way　as　that　of　the

man　who　strikes　out　the　inventions　themselves；　but　who；　for　want　of

tact　and　experience；　cannot　carry　them　into　practical　effect。



It　was　the　same　with　Cort's　second　patent；　in　which　he　described　his

method　of　manufacturing　bar…iron　from　the　ore　or　from　cast…iron。　　All

the　several　processes　therein　described　had　been　practised　before　his

time；　his　merit　chiefly　consisting　in　the　skilful　manner　in　which　he

combined　and　applied　them。　　Thus；　like　the　Craneges；　he　employed　the

reverberatory　or　air　furnace；　without　blast；　and；　like　Onions；　he

worked　the　fused　metal　with　iron　bars　until　it　was　brought　into

lumps；　when　it　was　removed　and　forged　into　malleable　iron。　　Cort；

however；　carried　the　process　further；　and　made　it　more　effectual　in

all　respects。　　His　method　may　be　thus　briefly　described：　　the　bottom　of

the　reverberatory　furnace　was　hollow；　so　as　to　contain　the　fluid

metal；　introduced　into　it　by　ladles；　the　heat　being　kept　up　by

pit…coal　or　other　fuel。　　When　the　furnace　was　charged；　the　doors　were

closed　until　the　metal　was　sufficiently　fused；　when　the　workman

opened　an　aperture　and　worked　or　stirred　about　the　metal　with　iron

bars；　when　an　ebullition　took　place；　during　the　continuance　of　which

a　bluish　flame　was　emitted；　the　carbon　of　the　cast…iron　was　burned

off；　the　metal　separated　from　the　slag；　and　the　iron；　becoming

reduced　to　nature；　was　then　collected　into　lumps　or　loops　of　sizes

suited　to　their　intended　uses；　when　they　were　drawn　out　of　the　doors

of　the　furnace。　　They　were　then　stamped　into　plates；　and　piled　or

worked　in　an　air　furnace；　heated　to　a　white　or　welding　heat；　shingled

under　a　forge　hammer；　and　passed　through　the　grooved　rollers　after

the　method　described　in　the　first　patent。



The　processes　described　by　Cort　in　his　two　patents　have　been　followed

by　iron　manufacturers；　with　various　modifications；　the　results　of

enlarged　experience；　down　to　the　present　time。　　After　the　lapse　of

seventy…eight　years；　the　language　employed　by　Cort　continues　on　the

whole　a　faithful　description　of　the　processes　still　practised：　　the

same　methods　of　manufacturing　bar　from　cast…iron；　and　of　puddling；

piling；　welding；　and　working　the　bar…iron　through　grooved

rollersall　are　nearly　identical　with　the　methods　of　manufacture

perfected　by　Henry　Cort　in　1784。　　It　may　be　mentioned　that　the

development　of　the　powers　of　the　steam…engine　by　Watt　had　an

extraordinary　effect　upon　the　production　of　iron。　　It　created　a

largely　increased　demand　for　the　article　for　the　purposes　of　the

shafting　and　machinery　which　it　was　employed　to　drive；　while　at　the

same　time　it　cleared　pits　of　water　which　before　were　unworkable；　and

by　being　extensively　applied　to　the　blowing　of　iron…furnaces　and　the

working　of　the　rolling…mills；　it　thus　gave　a　still　further　impetus　to

the　manufacture　of　the　metal。　　It　would　be　beside　our　purpose　to　enter

into　any　statistical　detail　on　the　subject；　but　it　will　be　sufficient

to　state　that　the　production　of　iron；　which　in　the　early　part　of　last

century　amounted　to　little　more　than　12；000　tons；　about　the　middle　of

the　century　to　about　18；000　tons；　and　at　the　time　of　Cort's

inventions　to　about　90；000　tons；　was　found；　in　1820；　to　have

increased　to　400；000　tons；　and　now　the　total　quantity　produced　is

upwards　of　four　millions　of　tons　of　pig…iron　every　year；　or　more　than

the　entire　production　of　all　other　European　countries。　　There　is

little　reason　to　doubt　that　this　extraordinary　development　of　the

iron　manufacture　has　been　in　a　great　measure　due　to　the　inventions　of

Henry　Cort。　　It　is　said　that　at　the　present　time　there　are　not　fewer

than　8200　of　Cort's　furnaces　in　operation　in　Great　Britain　alone。*

　＇footnote。。。

Letter　by　Mr。　Truran　in　Mechanic's　Magazine。

　。。。＇



Practical　men　have　regarded　Cort's　improvement　of　the　process　of

rolling　the　iron　as　the　most　valuable　of　his　inventions。　　A　competent

authority　has　spoken　of　Cort's　grooved　rollers　as　of　〃high

philosophical　interest；　being　scarcely　less　than　the　discovery　of　a

new　mechanical　Power；　in　reversing　the　action　of　the　wedge；　by　the

application　of　force　to　four　surfaces；　so　as　to　elongate　a　mass；

instead　of　applying　force　to　a　mass　to　divide　the　four　surfaces。〃　　One

of　the　best　authorities　in　the　iron　trade　of　last　century；　Mr。

Alexander　Raby　of　Llanelly；　like　many　others；　was　at　first　entirely

sceptical　as　to　the　value　of　Cort's　invention；　but　he　had　no　sooner

witnessed　the　process　than　with　manly　candour　he　avowed　his　entire

conversion　to　his　views。



We　now　return　to　the　history　of　the　chief　author　of　this　great　branch

of　national　industry。　　As　might　naturally　be　expected；　the　principal

ironmasters；　when　they　heard　of　Cort's　success；　and　the　rapidity　and

economy　with　which　he　manufactured　and　forged　bar…iron；　visited　his

foundry　for　the　purpose　of　examining　his　process；　and；　if　found

expedient；　of　employing　it　at　their　own　works。　　Among　the　first　to　try

it　were　Richard　Crawshay　of　Cyfartha；　Samuel　Homfray　of　Penydarran

（both　in　South　Wales）；　and　William　Reynolds　of　Coalbrookdale。　　Richard

Crawshay　was　then　（in　1787）　forging　only　ten　tons　of　bar…iron　weekly

under　the　hammer；　and　when　he　saw　the　superior　processes　invented　by

Cort　he　readily　entered　into　a　contract　with　him　to　work　under　his

patents　at　ten　shillings　a　ton　royalty；　In　1812　a　letter　from