industrial biography-第43章

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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　papers　are　among　the　most　valuable　original

contributions　to　the　literature　of　the　iron…manufacture　that　have　yet

been　given　to　the　world。　　They　contain　the　germs　of　many　inventions

and　discoveries　in　iron　and　steel；　some　of　which　were　perfected　by

Mr。　Mushet　himself；　while　others　were　adopted　and　worked　out　by

different　experimenters。　　In　1798　some　of　the　leading　French　chemists

were　endeavouring　to　prove　by　experiment　that　steel　could　be　made　by

contact　of　the　diamond　with　bar…iron　in　the　crucible；　the　carbon　of

the　diamond　being　liberated　and　entering　into　combination　with　the

iron；　forming　steel。　　In　the　animated　controversy　which　occurred　on

the　subject；　Mr。　Mushet's　name　was　brought　into　considerable　notice；

one　of　the　subjects　of　his　published　experiments　having　been　the

conversion　of　bar…iron　into　steel　in　the　crucible　by　contact　with

regulated　proportions　of　charcoal。　　The　experiments　which　he　made　in

connection　with　this　controversy；　though　in　themselves　unproductive

of　results；　led　to　the　important　discovery　by　Mr。　Mushet　of　the

certain　fusibility　of　malleable　iron　at　a　suitable　temperature。



Among　the　other　important　results　of　Mr。　Mushet's　lifelong　labours；

the　following　may　be　summarily　mentioned：　　The　preparation　of　steel

from　bar…iron　by　a　direct　process；　combining　the　iron　with　carbon；

the　discovery　of　the　beneficial　effects　of　oxide　of　manganese　on　iron

and　steel；　the　use　of　oxides　of　iron　in　the　puddling…furnace　in

various　modes　of　appliance；　the　production　of　pig…iron　from　the

blast…furnace；　suitable　for　puddling；　without　the　intervention　of　the

refinery；　and　the　application　of　the　hot　blast　to　anthracite　coal　in

iron…smelting。　　For　the　process　of　combining　iron　with　carbon　for　the

production　of　steel；　Mr。　Mushet　took　out　a　patent　in　November；　1800；

and　many　years　after；　when　he　had　discovered　the　beneficial　effects

of　oxide　of　manganese　on　steel；　Mr。　Josiah　Heath　founded　upon　it　his

celebrated　patent　for　the　making　of　cast…steel；　which　had　the　effect

of　raising　the　annual　production　of　that　metal　in　Sheffield　from　3000

to　100；000　tons。　　His　application　of　the　hot　blast　to　anthracite　coal；

after　a　process　invented　by　him　and　adopted　by　the　Messrs。　Hill　of

the　Plymouth　Iron　Works；　South　Wales；　had　the　effect　of　producing

savings　equal　to　about　20；000L。　a　year　at　those　works；　and　yet；

strange　to　say；　Mr。　Mushet　himself　never　received　any　consideration

for　his　invention。



The　discovery　of　Titanium　by　Mr。　Mushet　in　the　hearth　of　a

blast…furnace　in　1794　would　now　be　regarded　as　a　mere　isolated　fact；

inasmuch　as　Titanium　was　not　placed　in　the　list　of　recognised　metals

until　Dr。　Wollaston；　many　years　later；　ascertained　its　qualities。　　But

in　connection　with　the　fact；　it　may　be　mentioned　that　Mr。　Mushet's

youngest　son；　Robert；　reasoning　on　the　peculiar　circumstances　of　the

discovery　in　question；　of　which　ample　record　is　left；　has　founded

upon　it　his　Titanium　process；　which　is　expected　by　him　eventually　to

supersede　all　other　methods　of　manufacturing　steel；　and　to　reduce

very　materially　the　cost　of　its　production。



While　he　lived；　Mr。　Mushet　was　a　leading　authority　on　all　matters

connected　with　Iron　and　Steel；　and　he　contributed　largely　to　the

scientific　works　of　his　time。　　Besides　his　papers　in　the　Philosophical

Journal；　he　wrote　the　article　〃Iron〃　for　Napiers　Supplement　to　the

Encyclopaedia　Britannica；　and　the　articles　〃Blast　Furnace〃　and

〃Blowing　Machine〃　for　Rees's　Cyclopaedia。　　The　two　latter　articles　had

a　considerable　influence　on　the　opposition　to　the　intended　tax　upon

iron　in　1807；　and　were　frequently　referred　to　in　the　discussions　on

the　subject　in　Parliament。　　Mr。　Mushet　died　in　1847。







CHAPTER　IX。



INVENTION　OF　THE　HOT　BLASTJAMES　BEAUMONT　NEILSON。



〃Whilst　the　exploits　of　the　conqueror　and　the　intrigues　of　the

demagogue　are　faithfully　preserved　through　a　succession　of　ages；　the

persevering　and　unobtrusive　efforts　of　genius；　developing　the　best

blessings　of　the　Deity　to　man；　are　often　consigned　to　oblivion。〃

David　Mushet。





The　extraordinary　value　of　the　Black　Band　ironstone　was　not　at　first

duly　recognised；　perhaps　not　even　by　Mr。　Mushet　himself。　　For　several

years　after　its　discovery　by　him；　its　use　was　confined　to　the　Calder

Iron　Works；　where　it　was　employed　in　mixture　with　other　ironstones　of

the　argillaceous　class。　　It　was　afterwards　partially　used　at　the　Clyde

Iron　Works；　but　nowhere　else；　a　strong　feeling　of　prejudice　being

entertained　against　it　on　the　part　of　the　iron　trade　generally。　　It

was　not　until　the　year　1825　that　the　Monkland　Company　used　it　alone；

without　any　other　mixture　than　the　necessary　quantity　of　limestone

for　a　flux。　　〃The　success　of　this　Company；〃　says　Mr。　Mushet；　〃soon

gave　rise　to　the　Gartsherrie　and　Dundyvan　furnaces；　in　the　midst　of

which　progress　came　the　use　of　raw　pit…coal　and　the　Hot　Blastthe

latter　one　of　the　greatest　discoveries　in　metallurgy　of　the　present

age；　and；　above　every　other　process；　admirably　adapted　for　smelting

the　Blackband　ironstone。〃　　From　the　introduction　of　this　process　the

extraordinary　development　of　the　iron…manufacture　of　Scotland　may　be

said　to　date；　and　we　accordingly　propose　to　devote　the　present

chapter　to　an　account　of　its　meritorious　inventor。



James　Beaumont　Neilson　was　born　at　Shettleston；　a　roadside　village

about　three　miles　eastward　of　Glasgow；　on　the　22nd　of　June；　1792。　　His

parents　belonged　to　the　working　class。　　His　father's　earnings　during

many　laborious　years　of　his　life　did　not　exceed　sixteen　shillings　a

week。　　He　had　been　bred　to　the　trade　of　a　mill…wright；　and　was　for

some　time　in　the　employment　of　Dr。　Roebuck　as　an　engine…wright　at　his

colliery　near　Boroughstoness。　　He　was　next　employed　in　a　like　capacity

by　Mr。　Beaumont；　the　mineral…manager　of　the　collieries　of　Mrs。

Cunningham　of　Lainshaw；　near　Irvine　in　Ayrshire；　after　which　he　was

appointed　engine…wright　at　Ayr；　and　subsequently　at　the　Govan　Coal

Works　near　Glasgow；　where　he　remained　until　his　death。　　It　was　while

working　at　the　Irvine　Works　that　he　first　became　acquainted　with　his

future　wife；　Marion　Smith；　the　daughter　of　a　Renfrewshire　bleacher；　a

woman　remarkable　through　life　for　her　clever；　managing；　and

industrious　habits。　　She　had　the　charge　of　Mrs。　Cunningham's　children

for　some　time　after　the　marriage　of　that　lady　to　Mr。　Beaumont；　and　it

was　in　compliment　to　her　former　mistress　and　her　husband　that　she

named　her　youngest　son　James　Beaumont　after　the　latter。



The　boy's　education　was　confined　to　the　common　elements　of　reading；

writing；　and　arithmetic；　which　he　partly　acquired　at　the　parish

school　of　Strathbungo　near　Glasgow；　and　partly　at　the　Chapel　School；

as　it　was　called；　in　the　Gorbals　at　Glasgow。　　He　had　finally　left

school　before　he　was　fourteen。　　Some　time　before　he　left；　he　had　been

partially　set　to　work；　and　earned　four　shillings　a　week　by　employing

a　part　of　each　day　in　driving　a　small　condensing　engine　which　his

father　had　put　up　in　a　neighbouring　quarry。　　After　leaving　school；　he

was　employed　for　two　years　as　a　gig　boy　on　one　of　the　winding　engines

at　the　Govan　colliery。　　His　parents　now　considered　him　of　fit　age　to

be　apprenticed　to　some　special　trade；　and　as　Beaumont　had　much　of　his

father's　tastes　for　mechanical　pursuits；　it　was　determined　to　put　him

apprentice　to　a　working　engineer。　　His　elder　brother　John　was　then

acting　as　engineman　at　Oakbank　near　Glasgow；　and　Beaumont　was

apprenticed　under　him　to　learn　the　trade。　　John　was　a　person　of　a

studious　and　serious　turn　of　mind；　and　had　been　strongly　attracted　to

follow　the　example　of　the　brothers　Haldane；　who　were　then　exciting

great　interest　by　their　preaching　throughout　the　North；　but　his

father　set　his　face　against　his　son's　〃preaching　at　the　back　o'

dikes；〃　as　he　called　it；