men of invention and industry-第13章

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So　long　as　timber　was　used　for　the　construction　of　ships；　the

number　of　vessels　built　annually；　especially　in　so　small　an

island　as　Britain；　must　necessarily　have　continued　very　limited。　

Indeed；　so　little　had　the　cultivation　of　oak　in　Great　Britain

been　attended　to；　that　all　the　royal　forests　could　not　have

supplied　sufficient　timber　to　build　one　line…of…battle　ship

annually；　while　for　the　mercantile　marine；　the　world　had　to　be

ransacked　for　wood；　often　of　a　very　inferior　quality。



Take；　for　instance；　the　seventy…eight　gun　ship；　the　Hindostan；

launched　a　few　years　ago。　　It　would　have　required　4200　loads　of

timber　to　build　a　ship　of　that　description；　and　the　growth　of　the

timber　would　have　occupied　seventy　acres　of　ground　during　eighty

years。＇2＇　　It　would　have　needed　something　like　800；000　acres　of

land　on　which　to　grow　the　timber　for　the　ships　annually　built　in

this　country　for　commercial　purposes。　　And　timber　ships　are　by　no

means　lasting。　　The　average　durability　of　ships　of　war　employed

in　active　service；　has　been　calculated　to　be　about　thirteen

years；　even　when　built　of　British　oak。



Indeed；　years　ago；　the　building　of　shipping　in　this　country　was

much　hindered　by　the　want　of　materials。



The　trade　was　being　rapidly　transferred　to　Canada　and　the　United

States。　　Some　years　since；　an　American　captain　said　to　an

Englishman；　Captain　Hall；　when　in　China；　〃You　will　soon　have　to

come　to　our　country　for　your　ships：　your　little　island　cannot

grow　wood　enough　for　a　large　marine。〃　　〃Oh！〃　said　the　Englishman；

〃we　can　build　ships　of　iron！〃　　〃Iron？〃　replied　the　American　in

surprise；　〃why；　iron　sinks；　only　wood　can　float！〃　　〃Well！　you

will　find　I　am　right。〃　　The　prophecy　was　correct。　　The　Englishman

in　question　has　now　a　fleet　of　splendid　iron　steamers　at　sea。



The　use　of　iron　in　shipbuilding　had　small　beginnings；　like

everything　else。　　The　established　prejudicethat　iron　must

necessarily　sink　in　waterlong　continued　to　prevail　against　its

employment。　　The　first　iron　vessel　was　built　and　launched　about　a

hundred　years　since　by　John　Wilkinson；　of　Bradley　Forge；　in

Staffordshire。　　In　a　letter　of　his；　dated　the　14th　July；　1787；

the　original　of　which　we　have　seen；　he　writes：　　〃Yesterday　week

my　iron　boat　was　launched。　　It　answers　all　my　expectations；　and

has　convinced　the　unbelievers；　who　were　999　in　1000。　　It　will　be

only　a　nine　days'　wonder；　and　afterwards　a　Columbus's　egg。〃　　It

was；　however；　more　than　a　nine　days'　wonder；　for　wood　long

continued　to　be　thought　the　only　material　capable　of　floating。



Although　Wilkinson's　iron　vessels　continued　to　ply　upon　the

Severn；　more　than　twenty　years　elapsed　before　another　shipbuilder

ventured　to　follow　his　example。　　But　in　1810；　Onions　and　Son；　of

Brosely；　built　several　iron　vessels；　also　for　use　upon　the

Severn。　　Then；　in　1815；　Mr。　Jervons；　of　Liverpool；　built　a　small

iron　boat　for　use　on　the　Mersey。　　Six　years　later；　in　1821；　Mr。

Aaron　Manby　designed　an　iron　steam　vessel；　which　was　built　at　the

Horsley　Company's　Works；　in　Staffordshire。　　She　sailed　from

London　to　Havre　a　few　years　later；　under　the　command　of　Captain

（afterwards　Sir　Charles）　Napier；　RN。　　She　was　freighted　with　a

cargo　of　linseed　and　iron　castings；　and　went　up　the　Seine　to

Paris。　　It　was　some　time；　however；　before　iron　came　into　general

use。　　Ten　years　later；　in　1832；　Maudslay　and　Field　built　four

iron　vessels　for　the　East　India　Company。　　In　the　course　of　about

twenty　years；　the　use　of　iron　became　general；　not　only　for　ships

of　war；　but　for　merchant　ships　plying　to　all　parts　of　the　world。



When　ships　began　to　be　built　of　iron；　it　was　found　that　they

could　be　increased　without　limit；　so　long　as　coal；　iron；

machinery；　and　strong　men　full　of　skill　and　industry；　were

procurable。　　The　trade　in　shipbuilding　returned　to　Britain；　where

iron　ships　are　now　made　and　exported　in　large　numbers；　the

mercantile　marine　of　this　country　exceeding　in　amount　and　tonnage

that　of　all　the　other　countries　of　the　world　put　together。　　The

〃wooden　walls〃＇3＇　of　England　exist　no　more；　for　iron　has

superseded　wood。　　Instead　of　constructing　vessels　from　the

forest；　we　are　now　digging　new　navies　out　of　the　bowels　of　the

earth；　and　our　〃walls；〃　instead　of　wood；　are　now　of　iron　and

steel。



The　attempt　to　propel　ships　by　other　means　than　sails　and　oars

went　on　from　century　to　century；　and　did　not　succeed　until　almost

within　our　own　time。　　It　is　said　that　the　Roman　army　under

Claudius　Codex　was　transported　into　Sicily　in　boats　propelled　by

wheels　moved　by　oxen。　　Galleys；　propelled　by　wheels　in　paddles；

were　afterwards　attempted。　　The　Harleian　MS。　contains　an　Italian

book　of　sketches；　attributed　to　the　15th　century；　in　which　there

appears　a　drawing　of　a　paddle…boat；　evidently　intended　to　be

worked　by　men。　　Paddle…boats；　worked　by　horse…power；　were　also

tried。　　Blasco　Garay　made　a　supreme　effort　at　Barcelona　in　1543。　

His　vessel　was　propelled　by　a　paddle…wheel　on　each　side；　worked

by　forty　men。　　But　nothing　came　of　the　experiment。



Many　other　efforts　of　a　similar　kind　were　made；by　Savery　among

others；＇4＇until　we　come　down　to　Patrick　Miller；　of　Dalswinton；

who；　in　1787；　invented　a　double…hulled　boat；　which　he　caused　to

be　propelled　on　the　Firth　of　Forth　by　men　working　a　capstan　which

drove　the　paddles　on　each　side。　　The　men　soon　became　exhausted；

and　on　Miller　mentioning　the　subject　to　William　Symington；　who

was　then　exhibiting　his　road　locomotive　in　Edinburgh；　Symington

at　once　said；　〃Why　don't　you　employ　steam…power？〃



There　were　many　speculations　in　early　times　as　to　the　application

of　steam…power　for　propelling　vessels　through　the　water。　　David

Ramsay　in　1618；　Dr。　Grant　in　1632；　the　Marquis　of　Worcester　in

1661；　were　among　the　first　in　England　to　publish　their　views　upon

the　subject。　　But　it　is　probable　that　Denis　Papin；　the　banished

Hugnenot　physician；　for　some　time　Curator　of　the　Royal　Society；

was　the　first　who　made　a　model　steam…boat。　　Daring　his　residence

in　England；　he　was　elected　Professor　of　Mathematics　in　the

University　of　Marburg。　　It　was　while　at　that　city　that　he

constructed；　in　1707；　a　small　steam…engine；　which　he　fitted　in　a

boatune　petite　machine　d'un；　vaisseau　a　rouesand　despatched

it　to　England　for　the　purpose　of　being　tried　upon　the　Thames。　

The　little　vessel　never　reached　England。　　At　Munden；　the　boatmen

on　the　River　Weser；　thinking　that；　if　successful；　it　would

destroy　their　occupation；　seized　the　boat；　with　its　machine；　and

barbarously　destroyed　it。　　Papin　did　not　repeat　his　experiment；

and　died　a　few　years　later。



The　next　inventor　was　Jonathan　Hulls；　of　Campden；　in

Gloucestershire。　　He　patented　a　steamboat　in　1736；　and　worked　the

paddle…wheel　placed　at　the　stern　of　the　vessel　by　means　of　a

Newcomen　engine。　　He　tried　his　boat　on　the　River　Avon；　at

Evesham；　but　it　did　not　succeed；　and　the　engine　was　taken　on

shore　again。　　A　local　poet　commemorated　his　failure　in　the

following　lines；　which　were　remembered　long　after　his　steamboat

experiment　had　been　forgotten：



〃Jonathan　Hull；　

With　his　paper　skull；　

Tried　hard　to　make　a　machine　

That　should　go　against　wind　and　tide；　

But　he；　like　an　ass；　

Couldn't　bring　it　to　pass；　

So　at　last　was　ashamed　to　be　seen。〃



Nothing　of　importance　was　done　in　the　direction　of　a　steam…engine

able　to　drive　paddles；　until　the　invention　by　James　Watt；　in

1769；　of　his　double…acting　enginethe　first　step　by　which　steam

was　rendered　capable　of　being　successfully　used　to　impel　a

vessel。　　But　Watt　was　indifferent　to　taking　up　the　subject　of

steam　navigation；　as　well　as　of　steam　locomotion。　　He　refused

many　invitations　to　make　steam…engines　for　the　propulsion　of

ships；　preferring　to　confine　himself　to　his　〃regular　established

trade　and　manufacture；〃　that　of　making　condensing　steam…engines；

which　had　become　of　great　importance　towards　the　close　of　his

life。



Two　records　exist　of　paddle…wheel　steamboats　having　be