industrial biography-第42章

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on　the　experimental　crucible；　and　his　operations　were　again　brought

to　a　standstill。　　A　chimney　of　brick　having　been　substituted　for　the

cast…iron　pipe；　he　was；　however；　enabled　to　proceed　with　his　trials。



He　continued　to　pursue　his　experiments　in　assaying　for　about　two

years；　during　which　he　had　been　working　entirely　after　the　methods

described　in　books；　but；　feeling　the　results　still　unsatisfactory；　he

determined　to　borrow　no　more　from　the　books；　but　to　work　out　a　system

of　his　own；　which　should　ensure　results　similar　to　those　produced　at

the　blast…furnace。　　This　he　eventually　succeeded　in　effecting　by

numerous　experiments　performed　in　the　night；　as　his　time　was　fully

occupied　by　his　office…duties　during　the　day。　　At　length　these　patient

experiments　bore　their　due　fruits。　　David　Mushet　became　the　most

skilled　assayer　at　the　works；　and　when　a　difficulty　occurred　in

smelting　a　quantity　of　new　ironstone　which　had　been　contracted　for；

the　manager　himself　resorted　to　the　bookkeeper　for　advice　and

information；　and　the　skill　and　experience　which　he　had　gathered

during　his　nightly　labours；　enabled　him　readily　and　satisfactorily　to

solve　the　difficulty　and　suggest　a　suitable　remedy。　　His　reward　for

this　achievement　was　the　permission；　which　was　immediately　granted

him　by　the　manager；　to　make　use　of　his　own　assay…furnace；　in　which　he

thenceforward　continued　his　investigations；　at　the　same　time　that　he

instructed　the　manager's　son　in　the　art　of　assaying。　　This　additional

experience　proved　of　great　benefit　to　him；　and　he　continued　to

prosecute　his　inquiries　with　much　zeal；　sometimes　devoting　entire

nights　to　experiments　in　assaying；　roasting　and　cementing　iron…ores

and　ironstone；　decarbonating　cast…iron　for　steel　and　bar…iron；　and

various　like　operations。　　His　general　practice；　however；　at　that　time

was；　to　retire　between　two　and　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　leaving

directions　with　the　engine…man　to　call　him　at　half…past　five；　so　as

to　be　present　in　the　office　at　six。　　But　these　praiseworthy

experiments　were　brought　to　a　sudden　end；　as　thus　described　by

himself：　　



〃In　the　midst　of　my　career　of　investigation；〃　says　he；*

　＇footnote。。。

Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel。　　By　David　Mushet。　　London；　1840。

　。。。＇

〃and　without　a　cause　being　assigned；　I　was　stopped　short。　　My

furnaces；　at　the　order　of　the　manager；　were　pulled　in　pieces；　and　an

edict　was　passed　that　they　should　never　be　erected　again。　　Thus

terminated　my　researches　at　the　Clyde　Iron　Works。　　It　happened　at　a

time　when　I　was　interestedand　I　had　been　two　years　previously

occupiedin　an　attempt　to　convert　cast…iron　into　steel；　without

fusion；　by　a　process　of　cementation；　which　had　for　its　object　the

dispersion　or　absorption　of　the　superfluous　carbon　contained　in　the

cast…iron；an　object　which　at　that　time　appeared　to　me　of　so　great

importance；　that；　with　the　consent　of　a　friend；　I　erected　an　assay

and　cementing　Furnace　at　the　distance　of　about　two　miles　from　the

Clyde　Works。　　Thither　I　repaired　at　night；　and　sometimes　at　the

breakfast　and　dinner　hours　during　the　day。　　This　plan　of　operation　was

persevered　in　for　the　whole　of　one　summer；　but　was　found　too

uncertain　and　laborious　to　be　continued。　　At　the　latter　end　of　the

year　1798　I　left　my　chambers；　and　removed　from　the　Clyde　Works　to　the

distance　of　about　a　mile；　where　I　constructed　several　furnaces　for

assaying　and　cementing；　capable　of　exciting　a　greater　temperature

than　any　to　which　I　before　had　access；　and　thus　for　nearly　two　years

I　continued　to　carry　on　my　investigations　connected　with　iron　and　the

alloys　of　the　metals。



〃Though　operating　in　a　retired　manner；　and　holding　little

communication　with　others；　my　views　and　opinions　upon　the　RATIONALE

of　iron…making　spread　over　the　establishment。　　I　was　considered

forward　in　affecting　to　see　and　explain　matters　in　a　different　way

from　others　who　were　much　my　seniors；　and　who　were　content　to　be

satisfied　with　old　methods　of　explanation；　or　with　no　explanation　at

all。。。。。　　Notwithstanding　these　early　reproaches；　I　have　lived　to　see

the　nomenclature　of　my　youth　furnish　a　vocabulary　of　terms　in　the　art

of　iron…making；　which　is　used　by　many　of　the　ironmasters　of　the

present　day　with　freedom　and　effect；　in　communicating　with　each　other

on　the　subject　of　their　respective　manufactures。　　Prejudices　seldom

outlive　the　generation　to　which　they　belong；　when　opposed　by　a　more

rational　system　of　explanation。　　In　this　respect；　Time　（as　my　Lord

Bacon　says）　is　the　greatest　of　all　innovators。



〃In　a　similar　manner；　Time　operated　in　my　favour　in　respect　to　the

Black　Band　Ironstone。*

　＇footnote。。。

This　valuable　description　of　iron　ore　was　discovered　by　Mr。　Mushet；

as　he　afterwards　informs　us　（Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel；　121）；in　the

year　1801；　when　crossing　the　river　Calder；　in　the　parish　of　Old

Monkland。　　Having　subjected　a　specimen　which　he　found　in　the　river…bed

to　the　test　of　his　crucible；　he　satisfied　himself　as　to　its

properties；　and　proceeded　to　ascertain　its　geological　position　and

relations。　　He　shortly　found　that　it　belonged　to　the　upper　part　of　the

coal…formation；　and　hence　he　designated　it　carboniferous　ironstone。

He　prosecuted　his　researches；　and　found　various　rich　beds　of　the

mineral　distributed　throughout　the　western　counties　of　Scotland。　　On

analysis；　it　was　found　to　contain　a　little　over　50　per　cent。　　of

protoxide　of　iron。　　The　coaly　　matter　it　contained　was　not　its　least

valuable　ingredient；　for　by　the　aid　of　the　hot　blast　it　was

afterwards　found　practicable　to　smelt　it　almost　without　any　addition

of　coal。　　Seams　of　black　band　have　since　been　discovered　and

successfully　worked　in　Edinburghshire；　Staffordshire；　and　North

Wales。

　。。。＇

The　discovery　of　this　was　made　in　1801；　when　I　was　engaged　in

erecting　for　myself　and　partners　the　Calder　Iron　Works。　　Great

prejudice　was　excited　against　me　by　the　ironmasters　and　others　of

that　day　in　presuming　to　class　the　WILD　COALS　of　the　country　（as

Black　Band　was　called）　with　ironstone　fit　and　proper　for　the　blast

furnace。　　Yet　that　discovery　has　elevated　Scotland　to　a　considerable

rank　among　the　iron…making　nations　of　Europe；　with　resources　still　in

store　that　may　be　considered　inexhaustible。　　But　such　are　the

consolatory　effects　of　Time；　that　the　discoverer　of　1801　is　no　longer

considered　the　intrusive　visionary　of　the　laboratory；　but　the

acknowledged　benefactor　of　his　country　at　large；　and　particularly　of

an　extensive　class　of　coal　and　mine　proprietors　and　iron　masters；　who

have　derived；　and　are　still　deriving；　great　wealth　from　this

important　discovery；　and　who；　in　the　spirit　of　grateful

acknowledgment；　have　pronounced　it　worthy　of　a　crown　of　gold；　or　a

monumental　record　on　the　spot　where　the　discovery　was　first　made。



〃At　an　advanced　period　of　life；　such　considerations　are　soothing　and

satisfactory。　　Many　under　similar　circumstances　have　not；　in　their　own

lifetime；　had　that　measure　of　justice　awarded　to　them　by　their

country　to　which　they　were　equally　entitled。　　I　accept　it；　however；　as

a　boon　justly　due　to　me；　and　as　an　equivalent　in　some　degree　for　that

laborious　course　of　investigation　which　I　had　prescribed　for　myself；

and　which；　in　early　life；　was　carried　on　under　circumstances　of

personal　exposure　and　inconvenience；　which　nothing　but　a　frame　of

iron　could　have　supported。　　They　atone　also　；in　part；　for　that

disappointment　sustained　in　early　life　by　the　speculative　habits　of

one　partner；　and　the　constitutional　nervousness　of　another；　which

eventually　occasioned　my　separation　from　the　Calder　Iron　Works；　and

lost　me　the　possession　of　extensive　tracts　of　Black　Band　iron…stone；

which　I　had　secured　while　the　value　of　the　discovery　was　known　only

to　myself。〃



Mr。　Mushet　published　the　results　of　his　laborious　investigations　in　a

series　of　papers　in　the　Philosophical　Magazine；afterwards　reprinted

in　a　collected　form　in　1840　under　the　title　of　〃Papers　on　Iron　and

Steel。〃　　These　p