industrial biography-第61章

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could　never　equal。



The　effects　of　the　introduction　of　the　slide　rest　were　very　shortly

felt　in　all　departments　of　mechanism。　　Though　it　had　to　encounter　some

of　the　ridicule　with　which　new　methods　of　working　are　usually

received；　and　for　a　time　was　spoken　of　in　derision　as　〃Maudslay's

Go…cart；〃its　practical　advantages　were　so　decided　that　it　gradually

made　its　way；　and　became　an　established　tool　in　all　the　best

mechanical　workshops。　　It　was　found　alike　capable　of　executing　the

most　delicate　and　the　most　ponderous　pieces　of　machinery；　and　as

slide…lathes　could　be　manufactured　to　any　extent；　machinery；

steam…engines；　and　all　kinds　of　metal　work　could　now　be　turned　out　in

a　quantity　and　at　a　price　that；　but　for　its　use；　could　never　have

been　practicable。　　In　course　of　time　various　modifications　of　the

machine　were　introducedsuch　as　the　planing　machine；　the

wheel…cutting　machine；　and　other　beautiful　tools　on　the　slide…rest

principle；the　result　of　which　has　been　that　extraordinary

development　of　mechanical　production　and　power　which　is　so

characteristic　a　feature　of　the　age　we　live　in。



〃It　is　not；　indeed；　saying　at　all　too　much　to　state；〃　says　Mr。

Nasmyth；*

　＇footnote。。。

Remarks　on　the　Introduction　of　the　Slide　Principle　in　Tools　and

Machines　employed　in　the　Production　of　Machinery；　in　Buchanan's

Practical　Essays　on　Mill　Work　and　other　Machinery。　　3rd　ed。　p。　397。

　。。。＇

a　most　competent　judge　in　such　a　matter；　〃that　its　influence　in

improving　and　extending　the　use　of　machinery　has　been　as　great　as

that　produced　by　the　improvement　of　the　steam…engine　in　respect　to

perfecting　manufactures　and　extending　commerce；　inasmuch　as　without

the　aid　of　the　vast　accession　to　our　power　of　producing　perfect

mechanism　which　it　at　once　supplied；　we　could　never　have　worked　out

into　practical　and　profitable　forms　the　conceptions　of　those　master

minds　who；　during　the　last　half　century；　have　so　successfully

pioneered　the　way　for　mankind。　　The　steam…engine　itself；　which

supplies　us　with　such　unbounded　power；　owes　its　present　perfection　to

this　most　admirable　means　of　giving　to　metallic　objects　the　most

precise　and　perfect　geometrical　forms。　　How　could　we；　for　instance；

have　good　steam…engines　if　we　had　not　the　means　of　boring　out　a　true

cylinder；　or　turning　a　true　piston…rod；　or　planing　a　valve　face？　It

is　this　alone　which　has　furnished　us　with　the　means　of　carrying　into

practice　the　accumulated　result's　of　scientific　investigation　on

mechanical　subjects。　　It　would　be　blamable　indeed；〃　continues　Mr。

Nasmyth；　〃after　having　endeavoured　to　set　forth　the　vast　advantages

which　have　been　conferred　on　the　mechanical　world；　and　therefore　on

mankind　generally；　by　the　invention　and　introduction　of　the　Slide

Rest；　were　I　to　suppress　the　name　of　that　admirable　individual　to

whom　we　are　indebted　for　this　powerful　agent　towards　the　attainment

of　mechanical　perfection。　　I　allude　to　Henry　Maudslay；　whose　useful

life　was　enthusiastically　devoted　to　the　grand　object　of　improving

our　means　of　producing　perfect　workmanship　and　machinery：　　to　him　we

are　certainly　indebted　for　the　slide　rest；　and；　consequently；　to　say

the　least；　we　are　indirectly　so　for　the　vast　benefits　which　have

resulted　from　the　introduction　of　so　powerful　an　agent　in　perfecting

our　machinery　and　mechanism　generally。　　The　indefatigable　care　which

he　took　in　inculcating　and　diffusing　among　his　workmen；　and

mechanical　men　generally；　sound　ideas　of　practical　knowledge　and

refined　views　of　construction；　have　rendered　and　ever　will　continue

to　render　his　name　identified　with　all　that　is　noble　in　the　ambition

of　a　lover　of　mechanical　perfection。〃



One　of　the　first　uses　to　which　Mr。　Maudslay　applied　the　improved

slide　rest；　which　he　perfected　shortly　after　beginning　business　in

Margaret　Street；　Cavendish　Square；　was　in　executing　the　requisite

tools　and　machinery　required　by　Mr。　（afterwards　Sir　Marc　Isambard）

Brunel　for　manufacturing　ships'　blocks。　　The　career　of　Brunel　was　of　a

more　romantic　character　than　falls　to　the　ordinary　lot　of　mechanical

engineers。　　His　father　was　a　small　farmer　and　postmaster；　at　the

village　of　Hacqueville；　in　Normandy；　where　Marc　Isambard　was　born　in

1769。　　He　was　early　intended　for　a　priest；　and　educated　accordingly。

But　he　was　much　fonder　of　the　carpenter's　shop　than　of　the　school；

and　coaxing；　entreaty；　and　punishment　alike　failed　in　making　a

hopeful　scholar　of　him。　　He　drew　faces　and　plans　until　his　father　was

almost　in　despair。　　Sent　to　school　at　Rouen；　his　chief　pleasure　was　in

watching　the　ships　along　the　quays；　and　one　day　his　curiosity　was

excited　by　the　sight　of　some　large　iron　castings　just　landed。　　What

were　they？　How　had　they　been　made？　Where　did　they　come　from？　His

eager　inquiries　were　soon　answered。　　They　were　parts　of　an　engine

intended　for　the　great　Paris　water…works；　the　engine　was　to　pump

water　by　the　power　of　steam；　and　the　castings　had　been　made　in

England；　and　had　just　been　landed　from　an　English　ship。　　〃England！〃

exclaimed　the　boy；　〃ah！　when　I　am　a　man　I　will　go　see　the　country

where　such　grand　machines　are　made！〃　On　one　occasion；　seeing　a　new

tool　in　a　cutler's　window；　he　coveted　it　so　much　that　he　pawned　his

hat　to　possess　it。　　This　was　not　the　right　road　to　the　priesthood；　and

his　father　soon　saw　that　it　was　of　no　use　urging　him　further：　　but　the

boy's　instinct　proved　truer　than　the　father's　judgment。



It　was　eventually　determined　that　he　should　qualify　himself　to　enter

the　royal　navy；　and　at　seventeen　he　was　nominated　to　serve　in　a

corvette　as　〃volontaire　d'honneur。〃　　His　ship　was　paid　off　in　1792；

and　he　was　at　Paris　during　the　trial　of　the　King。　　With　the

incautiousness　of　youth　he　openly　avowed　his　royalist　opinions　in　the

cafe　which　he　frequented。　　On　the　very　day　that　Louis　was　condemned

to　death；　Brunel　had　an　angry　altercation　with　some

ultra…republicans；　after　which　he　called　to　his　dog；　〃Viens；

citoyen！〃　　Scowling　looks　were　turned　upon　him；　and　he　deemed　it

expedient　to　take　the　first　opportunity　of　escaping　from　the　house；

which　he　did　by　a　back…door；　and　made　the　best　of　his　way　to

Hacqueville。　　From　thence　he　went　to　Rouen；　and　succeeded　in　finding　a

passage　on　board　an　American　ship；　in　which　he　sailed　for　New　York；

having　first　pledged　his　affections　to　an　English　girl；　Sophia

Kingdom；　whom　he　had　accidentally　met　at　the　house　of　Mr。　Carpentier；

the　American　consul　at　Rouen。



Arrived　in　America；　he　succeeded　in　finding　employment　as　assistant

surveyor　of　a　tract　of　land　along　the　Black　River；　near　Lake　Ontario。

In　the　intervals　of　his　labours　he　made　occasional　visits　to　New

York；　and　it　was　there　that　the　first　idea　of　his　block…machinery

occurred　to　him。　　He　carried　his　idea　back　with　him　into　the　woods；

where　it　often　mingled　with　his　thoughts　of　Sophia　Kingdom；　by　this

time　safe　in　England　after　passing　through　the　horrors　of　a　French

prison。　　〃My　first　thought　of　the　block…machinery；〃　he　once　said；　〃was

at　a　dinner　party　at　Major…General　Hamilton's；　in　New　York；　my　second

under　an　American　tree；　when；　one　day　that　I　was　carving　letters　on

its　bark；　the　turn　of　one　of　them　reminded　me　of　it；　and　I　thought；

'Ah！　my　block！　so　it　must　be。'　And　what　do　you　think。　　were　the

letters　I　was　cutting？　Of　course　none　other　than　S。　　K。〃　　Brunel

subsequently　obtained　some　employment　as　an　architect　in　New　York；

and　promulgated　various　plans　for　improving　the　navigation　of　the

principal　rivers。　　Among　the　designs　of　his　which　were　carried　out；

was　that　of　the　Park　Theatre　at　New　York；　and　a　cannon　foundry；　in

which　he　introduced　improvements　in　casting　and　boring　big　guns。　　But

being　badly　paid　for　his　work；　and　a　powerful　attraction　drawing　him

constantly　towards　England；　he　determined　to　take　final　leave　of

America；　which　he　did　in　1799；　and　landed　at　Falmouth　in　the

following　March。　　There　he　again　met　Miss　Kingdom；　who　had　remained

faithful　to　him　during　his　six　long　years　of　e