men of invention and industry-第16章

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distinguished　company　embarked　at　Somerset　House；　and　the　little

steamer；　with　her　precious　charge；　proceeded　down　the　river　to

Limehouse　at　the　rate　of　about　ten　miles　an　hour。　　After　visiting

the　steam…engine　manufactory　of　Messrs。　Seawood；　where　their

Lordships'　favourite　apparatus；　the　Morgan　paddle…wheel；　was　in

course　of　construction；　they　re…embarked；　and　returned　in　safety

to　Somerset　House。



The　experiment　was　perfectly　successful；　and　yet　the　result　was

disappointment。　　A　few　days　later；　a　letter　from　Captain　Beaufort

informed　Mr。　Ericsson　that　their　Lordships　had　certainly　been

〃very　much　disappointed　with　the　result　of　the　experiment。〃　　The

reason　for　the　disappointment　was　altogether　inexplicable　to　the

inventor。　　It　afterwards　appeared；　however；　that　Sir　William

Symonds；　then　Surveyor　to　the　Navy；　had　expressed　the　opinion

that　〃even　if　the　propeller　had　the　power　of　propelling　a　vessel；

it　would　be　found　altogether　useless　in　practice；　because　the

power　being　applied　at　the　stern；　it　would　be　absolutely

impossible　to　make　the　vessel　steer！〃　　It　will　be　remembered　that

Francis　Pettit　Smith's　screw　vessel　went　to　sea　in　the　course　of

the　same　year；　and　not　only　faced　the　waves；　but　was　made　to

steer　in　a　perfectly　successful　manner。



Although　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　would　not　further　encourage

the　screw　propeller　of　Ericsson；　an　officer　of　the　United　States

Navy；　Capt。　R。　F。　Stockton；　was　so　satisfied　of　its　success；　that

after　making　a　single　trip　in　the　experimental　steamboat　from

London　Bridge　to　Greenwich；　he　ordered　the　inventor　to　build　for

him　forthwith　two　iron　boats　for　the　United　States；　with　steam

machinery　and　a　propeller　on　the　same　plan。　　One　of　these

vesselsthe　Robert　F。　Stocktonseventy　feet　in　length；　was

constructed　by　Laird　and　Co。；　of　Birkenhead；　in　1838；　and　left

England　for　America　in　April　1839。　　Capt。　Stockton　so　fully

persuaded　Ericsson　of　his　probable　success　in　America；　that　the

inventor　at　once　abandoned　his　professional　engagements　in

England；　and　set　out　for　the　United　States。　　It　is　unnecessary　to

mention　the　further　important　works　of　this　great　engineer。



We　may；　however；　briefly　mention　that　in　1844；　Ericsson

constructed　for　the　United　States　Government　the　Princeton　screw

steamerthough　he　was　never　paid　for　his　time；　labour；　and

expenditure。＇6＇　　Undeterred　by　their　ingratitude；　Ericsson

nevertheless　constructed　for　the　same　government；　when　in　the

throes　of　civil　war；　the　famous　Monitor；　the　iron…clad　cupola

vessel；　and　was　similarly　rewarded！　　He　afterwards　invented　the

torpedo　shipthe　Destroyerthe　use　of　which　has　fortunately　not

yet　been　required　in　sea　warfare。　　Ericsson　still

livesconstantly　planning　and　schemingin　his　house　in　Beach

Street；　New　York。　　He　is　now　over　eighty　years　old　having　been

born　in　1803。　　He　is　strong　and　healthy。　　How　has　he　preserved

his　vigorous　constitution？　　The　editor　of　Scribner　gives　the

answer：　〃The　hall　windows　of　his　house　are　open；　winter　and

summer；　and　none　but　open　grate…fires　are　allowed。　　Insomnia

never　troubles　him；　for　he　falls　asleep　as　soon　as　his　head

touches　the　pillow。　　His　appetite　and　digestion　are　always　good；

and　he　has　not　lost　a　meal　in　ten　years。　　What　an　example　to　the

men　who　imagine　it　is　hard　work　that　is　killing　them　in　this

career　of　unremitting　industry！〃



To　return　to　〃Screw〃　Smith；　after　the　successful　trial　of　his

little　vessel　at　sea　in　the　autumn　of　1837。　　He　had　many

difficulties　yet　to　contend　with。　　There　was；　first；　the

difficulty　of　a　new　invention；　and　the　fact　that　the　paddle…boat

had　established　itself　in　public　estimation。　　The　engineering　and

shipbuilding　world　were　dead　against　him。　　They　regarded　the

project　of　propelling　a　vessel　by　means　of　a　screw　as　visionary

and　preposterous。　　There　was　also　the　official　unwillingness　to

undertake　anything　novel；　untried；　and　contrary　to　routine。　

There　was　the　usual　shaking　of　the　head　and　the　shrugging　of　the

shoulders；　as　if　the　inventor　were　either　a　mere　dreamer　or　a

projector　eager　to　lay　his　hands　upon　the　public　purse。　　The

surveyor　of　the　navy　was　opposed　to　the　plan；　because　of　the

impossibility　of　making　a　vessel　steer　which　was　impelled　from

the　stern。　　〃Screw〃　Smith　bided　his　time；　he　continued　undaunted；

and　was　determined　to　succeed。　　He　laboured　steadily　onward；

maintaining　his　own　faith　unshaken；　and　upholding　the　faith　of

the　gentlemen　who　had　become　associated　with　him　in　the

prosecution　of　the　invention。



At　the　beginning　of　1838　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　requested　Mr。

Smith　to　allow　his　vessel　to　be　tried　under　their　inspection。　

Two　trials　were　accordingly　made；　and　they　gave　so　much

satisfaction　that　the　adoption　of　the　propeller　for　naval

purposes　was　considered　as　a　not　improbable　contingency。　　Before

deciding　finally　upon　its　adoption；　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty

were　anxious　to　see　an　experiment　made　with　a　vessel　of　not　less

than　200　tons。　　Mr。　Smith　had　not　the　means　of　accomplishing　this

by　himself；　but　with　the　improved　prospects　of　the　invention；　

capitalists　now　came　to　his　aid。　　One　of　the　most　effective　and

energetic　of　these　was　Mr。　Henry　Currie；　banker；　and；　with　the

assistance　of　others；　the　〃Ship　Propeller　Company〃　was　formed；

and　proceeded　to　erect　the　test　ship　proposed　by　the　Admiralty。



The　result　was　the　Archimedes；　a　wooden　vessel　of　237　tons

burthen。　　She　was　designed　by　Mr。　Pasco；　laid　down　by　Mr。

Wimshurst　in　the　spring　of　1838；　was　launched　on　the　18th　of

October　following；　and　made　her　first　trip　in　May　1839。　　She　was

fitted　with　a　screw　of　one　turn　placed　in　the　dead　wood；　and

propelled　by　a　pair　of　engines　of　80…horse　power。　　The　vessel　was

built　under　the　persuasion　that　her　performance　would　be

considered　satisfactory　if　a　speed　was　attained　of　four　or　five

knots　an　hour；　where　as　her　actual　speed　was　nine　and　a　half

knots。　　The　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　were　invited　to　inspect　the

ship。　　At　the　second　trial　Sir　Edward　Parry；　Sir　William　Symonds；

Captain　Basil　Hall；　and　other　distinguished　persons　were　present。



The　results　were　again　satisfactory。　　The　success　of　the

Archimedes　astonished　the　engineering　world。　　Even　the　Surveyor

of　the　Royal　Navy　found　that　the　vessel　could　steer！　　The　Lords

of　the　Admiralty　could　no　longer　shut　their　eyes。　　But　the

invention　could　not　at　once　be　adopted。　　It　must　be　tested　by　the

best　judges。　　The　vessel　was　sent　to　Dover　to　be　tried　with　the

best　packets　between　Dover　and　Calais。　　Mr。　Lloyd；　the　chief

engineer　of　the　Navy；　conducted　the　investigation；　and　reported

most　favourably　as　to　the　manner　of　her　performance。　　Yet　several

years　elapsed　before　the　screw　was　introduced　into　the　service。



In　1840　the　Archimedes　was　placed　at　the　disposal　of　Captain

Chappell；　of　the　Royal　Navy；　who；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Smith；

visited　every　principal　port　in　Great　Britain。　　She　was　thus　seen

by　shipowners；　marine　engineers；　and　shipbuilders　in　every　part

of　the　kingdom。　　They　regarded　her　with　wonder　and　admiration；

yet　the　new　mode　of　navigation　was　not　speedily　adopted。　　The

paddle…wheel　still　held　its　own。　　The　sentiment；　if　not　the　plant

and　capital；　of　the　engineering　world；　were　against　the

introduction　of　the　screw。　　After　the　vessel　had　returned　from

her　circumnavigation　of　Great　Britain；　she　was　sent　to　Oporto；

and　performed　the　voyage　in　sixty…eight　and　a　half　hours；　then

held　to　be　the　quickest　voyage　on　record。　　She　was　then　sent　to

the　Texel　at　the　request　of　the　Dutch　Government。　　She　went

through　the　North　Holland　Canal；　visited　Amsterdam；　Antwerp；　and

other　ports；　and　everywhere　left　the　impression　that　the　screw

was　an　efficient　and　reliable　power　in　the　propulsion　of　vessels

at　sea。



Shipbuilders；　however；　continued　to　〃fight　shy〃　of　the　screw。　

The　late　Isambard　Kingdon　Brunel　is　entitled　to　the　credit　of

having　first　directed　the　attention　of　shipbuilders　to　this

impo