men of invention and industry-第14章

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life。



Two　records　exist　of　paddle…wheel　steamboats　having　been　early

tried　in　Franceone　by　the　Comte　d'Auxiron　and　M。　Perrier　in

1774；　the　other　by　the　Comte　de　Jouffroy　in　1783but　the　notices

of　their　experiments　are　very　vague；　and　rest　on　somewhat

doubtful　authority。



The　idea；　however；　had　been　born；　and　was　not　allowed　to　die。　

When　Mr。　Miller　of　Dalswinton　had　revived　the　notion　of

propelling　vessels　by　means　of　paddle…wheels；　worked；　as　Savery

had　before　worked　them；　by　means　of　a　capstan　placed　in　the

centre　of　the　vessel；　and　when　he　complained　to　Symington　of　the

fatigue　caused　to　the　men　by　working　the　capstan；　and　Symington

had　suggested　the　use　of　steam；　Mr。　Miller　was　impressed　by　the

idea；　and　proceeded　to　order　a　steam…engine　for　the　purpose　of

trying　the　experiment。　　The　boat　was　built　at　Edinburgh；　and

removed　to　Dalswinton　Lake。　　It　was　there　fitted　with　Symington's

steam…engine；　and　first　tried　with　success　on　the　14th　of

October；　1788；　as　has　been　related　at　length　in　Mr。　Nasmyth's

'Autobiography。'　The　experiment　was　repeated　with　even　greater

success　in　the　charlotte　Dundas　in　1801；　which　was　used　to　tow

vessels　along　the　Forth　and　Clyde　Canal；　and　to　bring　ships　up

the　Firth　of　Forth　to　the　canal　entrance　at　Grangemouth。



The　progress　of　steam　navigation　was　nevertheless　very　slow。　

Symington's　experiments　were　not　renewed。　　The　Charlotte　Dundas

was　withdrawn　from　use；　because　of　the　supposed　injury　to　the

banks　of　the　Canal；　caused　by　the　swell　from　the　wheel。　　The

steamboat　was　laid　up　in　a　creek　at　Bainsford；　where　it　went　to

ruin；　and　the　inventor　himself　died　in　poverty。　　Among　those　who

inspected　the　vessel　while　at　work　were　Fulton；　the　American

artist；　and　Henry　Bell；　the　Glasgow　engineer。　　The　former　had

already　occupied　himself　with　model　steamboats；　both　at　Paris　and

in　London；　and　in　1805　he　obtained　from　Boulton　and　Watt；　of

Birmingham；　the　steam…engine　required　for　propelling　his　paddle

steamboat　on　the　Hudson。　　The　Clermont　was　first　started　in

August；　1807；　and　attained　a　speed　of　nearly　five　miles　an　hour。　

Five　years　later；　Henry　Bell　constructed　and　tried　his　first

steamer　on　the　Clyde。



It　was　not　until　1815　that　the　first　steamboat　was　seen　on　the

Thames。　　This　was　the　Richmond　packet；　which　plied　between　London

and　Richmond。　　The　vessel　was　fitted　with　the　first　marine　engine

Henry　Maudslay　ever　made。　　During　the　same　year；　the　Margery；

formerly　employed　on　the　Firth　of　Forth；　began　plying　between

Gravesend　and　London；　and　the　Thames；　formerly　the　Argyll；　came

round　from　the　Clyde；　encountering　rough　seas；　and　making　the

voyage　of　758　miles　in　five　days　and　two　hours。　　This　was　thought

extraordinarily　rapidthough　the　voyage　of　about　3000　miles；

from　Liverpool　to　New　York；　can　now　be　made　in　only　about　two

days'　more　time。



In　nearly　all　seagoing　vessels；　the　Paddle　has　now　almost

entirely　given　place　to　the　Screw。　　It　was　long　before　this

invention　was　perfected　and　brought　into　general　use。　　It　was　not

the　production　of　one　man；　but　of　several　generations　of

mechanical　inventors。　　A　perfected　invention　does　not　burst　forth

from　the　brain　like　a　poetic　thought　or　a　fine　resolve。　　It　has

to　be　initiated；　laboured　over；　and　pursued　in　the　face　of

disappointments；　difficulties；　and　discouragements。



Sometimes　the　idea　is　born　in　one　generation；　followed　out　in　the

next；　and　perhaps　perfected　in　the　third。　　In　an　age　of　progress；

one　invention　merely　paves　the　way　for　another。　　What　was　the

wonder　of　yesterday；　becomes　the　common　and　unnoticed　thing　of

to…day。



The　first　idea　of　the　screw　was　thrown　out　by　James　Watt　more

than　a　century　ago。　　Matthew　Boulton；　of　Birmingham；　had　proposed

to　move　canal　boats　by　means　of　the　steam…engine；　and　Dr。　Small；

his　friend；　was　in　communication　with　James　Watt；　then　residing

at　Glasgow；　on　the　subject。　　In　a　letter　from　Watt　to　Small；

dated　the　30th　September；　1770；　the　former；　after　speaking　of　the

condenser；　and　saying　that　it　cannot　be　dispensed　with；　proceeds：

〃Have　you　ever　considered　a　spiral　oar　for　that　purpose

＇propulsion　of　canal　boats＇；　or　are　you　for　two　wheels？〃　　Watt

added　a　pen…and…ink　drawing　of　his　spiral　oar；　greatly　resembling

the　form　of　screw　afterwards　patented。　　Nothing；　however；　was

actually　done；　and　the　idea　slept。



It　was　revived　again　in　1785；　by　Joseph　Bramah；　a　wonderful

projector　and　inventor。＇5＇　　He　took　out　a　patent；　which　included

a　rotatory　steam…engine；　and　a　mode　of　propelling　vessels　by

means　either　of　a　paddle…wheel　or　a　〃screw　propeller。〃　　This

propeller　was　〃similar　to　the　fly　of　a　smoke…jack〃；　but　there　is

no　account　of　Bramah　having　practically　tried　this　method　of

propulsion。



Austria；　also；　claims　the　honour　of　the　invention　of　the　screw

steamer。　　At　Trieste　and　Vienna　are　statues　erected　to　Joseph

Ressel；　on　whose　behalf　his　countrymen　lay　claim　to　the

invention；　and　patents　for　some　sort　of　a　screw　date　back　as　far

as　1794。



Patents　were　also　taken　out　in　England　and　Americaby　W。

Lyttleton　in　1794；　by　E。　Shorter　in　1799；　by　J。　C。　Stevens；　of

New　Jersey；　in　1804；　by　Henry　James　in　1811but　nothing

practical　was　accomplished。　　Richard　Trevethick；　the　anticipator

of　many　things；　also　took　out　a　patent　in　1815；　and　in　it　he

describes　the　screw　propeller　with　considerable　minuteness。　

Millington；　Whytock；　Perkins；　Marestier；　and　Brown　followed；　with

no　better　results。



The　late　Dr。　Birkbeck；　in　a　letter　addressed　to　the　'Mechanics'

Register；'　in　the　year　1824；　claimed　that　John　Swan；　of　82；

Mansfield　Street；　Kingsland　Road；　London；　was　the　practical

inventor　of　the　screw　propeller。　　John　Swan　was　a　native　of

Coldingham；　Berwickshire。　　He　had　removed　to　London；　and　entered

the　employment　of　Messrs。　Gordon；　of　Deptford。　　Swan　fitted　up　a

boat　with　his　propeller；　and　tried　it　on　a　sheet　of　water　in　the

grounds　of　Charles　Gordon；　Esq。；　of　Dulwich　Hill。　　〃The　velocity

and　steadiness　of　the　motion；〃　said　Dr。　Birkbeck　in　his　letter；

〃so　far　exceeded　that　of　the　same　model　when　impelled　by

paddle…wheels　driven　by　the　same　spring；　that　I　could　not　doubt

its　superiority；　and　the　stillness　of　the　water　was　such　as　to

give　the　vessel　the　appearance　of　being　moved　by　some　magical

power。〃



Then　comes　another　claimantMr。　Robert　Wilson；　then　of　Dunbar

（not　far　from　Coldingham）；　but　afterwards　of　the　Bridgewater

Foundry；　Patricroft。　　In　his　pamphlet；　published　a　few　years　ago；

he　states　that　he　had　long　considered　the　subject；　and　in　1827　he

made　a　small　model；　fitted　with　〃revolving　skulls；〃　which　he

tried　on　a　sheet　of　water　in　the　presence　of　the　Hon。　Capt。

Anthony　Maitland；　son　of　the　Earl　of　Lauderdale。　　The　experiment

was　successfulso　successful；　that　when　the　〃stern　paddles〃　were

in　1828　used　at　Leith　in　a　boat　twenty…five　feet　long；　with　two

men　to　work　the　machinery；　the　boat　was　propelled　at　an　average

speed　of　about　ten　miles　an　hour；　and　the　Society　of　Arts

afterwards；　in　October；　1882；　awarded　Mr。　Wilson　their　silver

medal　for　the　〃description；　drawing；　and　models　of　stern　paddles

for　propelling　steamboats；　invented　by　him。〃　　The　subject　was；　in

1833；　brought　by　Sir　John　Sinclair　under　the　consideration　of　the

Board　of　Admiralty；　but　the　report　of　the　officials　（Oliver　Lang；

Abethell；　Lloyd；　and　Kingston）　was　to　the　effect　that　〃the　plan

proposed　（independent　of　practical　difficulties）　is

objectionable；　as　it　involves　a　greater　loss　of　power　than　the

common　mode　of　applying　the　wheels　to　the　side。〃　　And　here　ended

the　experiment；　so　far　as　Mr。　Wilson's　〃stern　paddles〃　were

concerned。



It　will　be　observed；　from　what　has　been　said；　that　the　idea　of　a

screw　propeller　is　a　very　old　one。　　Watt；　Bramah；　Trevethick；　and

many　more；　had　given　descriptions　of　the　screw。　　Trevethick

schemed　a　number　of　its　forms　and　applications；　which　have　been

the　subject　of　many　subsequent　patents。　　It　has　been