industrial biography-第39章

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these　words　were　uttered　was　at　a　Christmas　party；　given　to　the　men；

about　1300　in　number；　employed　at　the　iron　works　of　Messrs。　Hawks；

Crawshay；　and　Co。；　at　Newcastle…upon…Tyne。　　These　works　were　founded

in　1754　by　William　Hawks；　a　blacksmith；　whose　principal　trade

consisted　in　making　claw…hammers　for　joiners。　　He　became　a　thriving

man；　and　eventually　a　large　manufacturer　of　bar…iron。　　Partners　joined

him；　and　in　the　course　of　the　changes　wrought　by　time；　one　of　the

Crawshays；　in　1842；　became　a　principal　partner　in　the　firm。



Illustrations　of　a　like　kind　might　be　multiplied　to　any　extent；

showing　the　growth　in　our　own　time　of　an　iron　aristocracy　of　great

wealth　and　influence；　the　result　mainly　of　the　successful　working　of

the　inventions　of　the　unfortunate　and　unrequited　Henry　Cort。　　He　has

been　the　very　Tubal　Cain　of　Englandone　of　the　principal　founders　of

our　iron　age。　　To　him　we　mainly　owe　the　abundance　of　wrought…iron　for

machinery；　for　steam…engines；　and　for　railways；　at　one…third　the

price　we　were　before　accustomed　to　pay　to　the　foreigner。　　We　have　by

his　invention；　not　only　ceased　to　be　dependent　upon　other　nations　for

our　supply　of　iron　for　tools；　implements；　and　arms；　but　we　have

become　the　greatest　exporters　of　iron；　producing　more　than　all　other

European　countries　combined。　　In　the　opinion　of　Mr。　Fairbairn　of

Manchester；　the　inventions　of　Henry　Cort　have　already　added　six

hundred　millions　sterling　to　the　wealth　of　the　kingdom；　while　they

have　given　employment　to　some　six　hundred　thousand　working　people

during　three　generations。　　And　while　the　great　ironmasters；　by　freely

availing　themselves　of　his　inventions；　have　been　adding　estate　to

estate；　the　only　estate　secured　by　Henry　Cort　was　the　little　domain

of　six　feet　by　two　in　which　he　lies　interred　in　Hampstead　Churchyard。







CHAPTER　VIII。



THE　SCOTCH　IRON　MANUFACTURE　…　Dr。　ROEBUCK　DAVID　MUSHET。



〃Were　public　benefactors　to　be　allowed　to　pass　away；　like　hewers　of

wood　and　drawers　of　water；　without　commemoration；　genius　and

enterprise　would　be　deprived　of　their　most　coveted　distinction。〃Sir

Henry　Englefield。





The　account　given　of　Dr。　Roebuck　in　a　Cyclopedia　of　Biography；

recently　published　in　Glasgow；　runs　as　follows：　　　〃Roebuck；　John；　a

physician　and　experimental　chemist；　born　at　Sheffield；　1718；　died；

after　ruining　himself　by　his　projects；　1794。　　Such　is　the　short　shrift

which　the　man　receives　who　fails。　　Had　Dr。　Roebuck　wholly　succeeded　in

his　projects；　he　would　probably　have　been　esteemed　as　among　the

greatest　of　Scotland's　benefactors。　　Yet　his　life　was　not　altogether　a

failure；　as　we　think　will　sufficiently　appear　from　the　following

brief　account　of　his　labours：　　



At　the　beginning　of　last　century；　John　Roebuck's　father　carried　on

the　manufacture　of　cutlery　at　Sheffield；*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　Roebuck's　grandson；　John　Arthur　Roebuck；　by　a　singular

coincidence；　at　present　represents　Sheffield　in　the　British

Parliament。

　。。。＇

in　the　course　of　which　he　realized　a　competency。　　He　intended　his　son

to　follow　his　own　business；　but　the　youth　was　irresistibly　attracted

to　scientific　pursuits；　in　which　his　father　liberally　encouraged　him；

and　he　was　placed　first　under　the　care　of　Dr。　Doddridge；　at

Northampton；　and　afterwards　at　the　University　of　Edinburgh；　where　he

applied　himself　to　the　study　of　medicine；　and　especially　of

chemistry；　which　was　then　attracting　considerable　attention　at　the

principal　seats　of　learning　in　Scotland。　　While　residing　at　Edinburgh

young　Roebuck　contracted　many　intimate　friendships　with　men　who

afterwards　became　eminent　in　literature；　such　as　Hume　and　Robertson

the　historians；　and　the　circumstance　is　supposed　to　have　contributed

not　a　little　to　his　partiality　in　favour　of　Scotland；　and　his

afterwards　selecting　it　as　the　field　for　his　industrial　operations。



After　graduating　as　a　physician　at　Leyden；　Roebuck　returned　to

England；　and　settled　at　Birmingham　in　the　year　1745　for　the　purpose

of　practising　his　profession。　　Birmingham　was　then　a　principal　seat　of

the　metal　manufacture；　and　its　mechanics　were　reputed　to　be　among　the

most　skilled　in　Britain。　　Dr。　Roebuck's　attention　was　early　drawn　to

the　scarcity　and　dearness　of　the　material　in　which　the　mechanics

worked；　and　he　sought　by　experiment　to　devise　some　method　of　smelting

iron　otherwise　than　by　means　of　charcoal。　　He　had　a　laboratory　fitted

up　in　his　house　for　the　purpose　of　prosecuting　his　inquiries；　and

there　he　spent　every　minute　that　he　could　spare　from　his　professional

labours。　　It　was　thus　that　he　invented　the　process　of　smelting　iron　by

means　of　pit…coal　which　he　afterwards　embodied　in　the　patent

hereafter　to　be　referred　to。　　At　the　same　time　he　invented　new　methods

of　refining　gold　and　silver；　and　of　employing　them　in　the　arts；　which

proved　of　great　practical　value　to　the　Birmingham　trades…men；　who

made　extensive　use　of　them　in　their　various　processes　of　manufacture。



Dr。　Roebuck's　inquiries　had　an　almost　exclusively　practical

direction；　and　in　pursuing　them　his　main　object　was　to　render　them

subservient　to　the　improvement　of　the　industrial　arts。　　Thus　he　sought

to　devise　more　economical　methods　of　producing　the　various　chemicals

used　in　the　Birmingham　trade；　such　as　ammonia；　sublimate；　and　several

of　the　acids；　and　his　success　was　such　as　to　induce　him　to　erect　a

large　laboratory　for　their　manufacture；　which　was　conducted　with

complete　success　by　his　friend　Mr。　Garbett。　　Among　his　inventions　of

this　character；　was　the　modern　process　of　manufacturing　vitriolic

acid　in　leaden　vessels　in　large　quantities；　instead　of　in　glass

vessels　in　small　quantities　as　formerly　practised。　　His　success　led

him　to　consider　the　project　of　establishing　a　manufactory　for　the

purpose　of　producing　oil　of　vitriol　on　a　large　scale；　and；　having

given　up　his　practice　as　a　physician；　he　resolved；　with　his　partner

Mr。　Garbett；　to　establish　the　proposed　works　in　the　neighbourhood　of

Edinburgh。　　He　removed　to　Scotland　with　that　object；　and　began　the

manufacture　of　vitriol　at　Prestonpans　in　the　year　1749。　　The

enterprise　proved　eminently　lucrative；　and；　encouraged　by　his

success；　Roebuck　proceeded　to　strike　out　new　branches　of　manufacture。

He　started　a　pottery　for　making　white　and　brown　ware；　which

eventually　became　established；　and　the　manufacture　exists　in　the　same

neighbourhood　to　this　day。



The　next　enterprise　in　which　he　became　engaged　was　one　of　still

greater　importance；　though　it　proved　eminently　unfortunate　in　its

results　as　concerned　himself。　　While　living　at　Prestonpans；　he　made

the　friendship　of　Mr。　William　Cadell；　of　Cockenzie；　a　gentleman　who

had　for　some　time　been　earnestly　intent　on　developing　the　industry　of

Scotland；　then　in　a　very　backward　condition。　　Mr。　Cadell　had　tried；

without　success；　to　establish　a　manufactory　of　iron；　and；　though　he

had　heretofore　failed；　he　hoped　that　with　the　aid　of　Dr。　Roebuck　he

might　yet　succeed。　　The　Doctor　listened　to　his　suggestions　with

interest；　and　embraced　the　proposed　enterprise　with　zeal。　　He

immediately　proceeded　to　organize　a　company；　in　which　he　was　joined

by　a　number　of　his　friends　and　relatives。　　His　next　step　was　to　select

a　site　for　the　intended　works；　and　make　the　necessary　arrangements

for　beginning　the　manufacture　of　iron。　　After　carefully　examining　the

country　on　both　sides　of　the　Forth；　he　at　length　made　choice　of　a

site　on　the　banks　of　the　river　Carron；　in　Stirlingshire；　where　there

was　an　abundant　supply　of　wafer；　and　an　inexhaustible　supply　of　iron；

coal；　and　limestone　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood；　and　there　Dr。

Roebuck　planted　the　first　ironworks　in　Scotland；



In　order　to　carry　them　on　with　the　best　chances　of　success；　he

brought　a　large　number　of　skilled　workmen　from　England；　who　formed　a

nucleus　of　industry　at　Carron；　where　their　example　and　improved

methods　of　working　served　to　train　the　native　labourers　in　their　art。

At　a　subsequent　period；　Mr。　Cadel