men of invention and industry-第17章

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having　first　directed　the　attention　of　shipbuilders　to　this

important　invention。　　He　was　himself　a　man　of　original　views；

free　from　bias；　and　always　ready　to　strike　out　a　fresh　path　in

engineering　works。　　He　was　building　a　large　new　iron　steamer　at

Bristol；　the　Great　Britain；　for　passenger　traffic　between　England

and　America。　　He　had　intended　to　construct　her　as　a　paddle

steamer；　but　hearing　of　the　success　of　the　Archimedes；　he

inspected　the　vessel；　and　was　so　satisfied　with　the　performance

of　the　screw　that　he　recommended　his　directors　to　adopt　this

method　for　propelling　the　Great　Britain。　　His　advice　was　adopted；

and　the　vessel　was　altered　so　as　to　adapt　her　for　the　reception

of　the　screw。　　The　vessel　was　found　perfectly　successful；　and　on

her　first　voyage　to　London　she　attained　the　speed　of　ten　knots　an

hour；　though　the　wind　and　balance　of　tides　were　against　her。　　A

few　other　merchant　ships　were　built　and　fitted　with　the　screw；

the　Princess　Royal　at　Newcastle　in　1840；　the　Margaret　and　Senator

at　Hull；　and　the　Great　Northern　at　Londonderry；　in　1841。



The　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　made　slow　progress　in　adapting　the

screw　for　the　Royal　Navy。　　Sir　William　Symonds；　the　surveyor　and

principal　designer　of　Her　Majesty's　ships；　was　opposed　to　all　new

projects。　　He　hated　steam　power；　and　was　utterly　opposed　to　iron

ships。　　He　speaks　of　them　in　his　journal　as　〃monstrous。〃＇7＇　　So

long　as　he　remained　in　office　everything　was　done　in　a

perfunctory　way。　　A　small　vessel　named　the　Bee　was　built　at

Chatham　in　1841；　and　fitted　with　both　paddles　and　the　screw　for

the　purposes　of　experiment。　　In　the　same　year　the　Rattier；　the

first　screw　vessel　built　for　the　navy；　was　laid　down　at

Sheerness。　　Although　of　only　888　tons　burthen；　she　was　not

launched　until　the　spring　of　1843。　　She　was　then　fitted　with　the

same　kind　of　screw　as　the　Archimedes；that　is；　a　double…headed

screw　of　half　a　convolution。　　Experiments　went　on　for　about　three

years；　so　as　to　determine　the　best　proportions　of　the　screw；　and

the　proportions　then　ascertained　have　since　been　the　principal

guides　of　engineering　practice。



The　Rattler　was　at　length　tried　in　a　water　tournament　with　the

paddle…steamer　Alecto；　and　signally　defeated　her。　　Francis　Pettit

Smith；　like　Gulliver；　may　be　said　to　have　dragged　the　whole

British　fleet　after　him。　　Were　the　paddle　our　only　means　of

propulsion；　our　whole　naval　force　would　be　reduced　to　a　nullity。　

Hostile　gunners　would　wing　a　paddle…steamer　as　effectuaily　as　a

sportsman　wings　a　bird；　and　all　the　plating　in　the　world　would

render　such　a　ship　a　mere　helpless　log　on　the　water。



The　Admiralty　could　no　longer　defer　the　use　of　this　important

invention。　　Like　all　good　things；　it　made　its　way　slowly　and　by

degrees。　　The　royal　naval　authorities；　who　in　1833　backed　the

side　paddles；　have　since　adopted　the　screw　in　most　of　the

ships…of…war。　　In　all　long　sea…going　voyages；　also；　the　screw　is

now　the　favourite　mode　of　propulsion。　　Screw　ships　of　prodigious

size　are　now　built　and　launched　in　all　the　ship…building　ports　of

Britain；　and　are　sent　out　to　navigate　in　every　part　of　the　world。



The　introduction　of　iron　as　the　material　for　shipbuilding　has

immensely　advanced　the　interests　of　steam　navigation；　as　it

enables　the　builders　to　construct　vessels　of　great　size　with　the

finest　lines；　so　as　to　attain　the　highest　rates　of　speed。



One　might　have　supposed　that　Francis　Pettit　Smith　would　derive

some　substantial　benefit　from　his　invention；　or　at　least　that　the

Ship　Propeller　Company　would　distribute　large　dividends　among

their　proprietors。　　Nothing　of　the　kind。　　Smith　spent　his　money；

his　labour；　and　his　ingenuity　in　conferring　a　great　public

benefit　without　receiving　any　adequate　reward；　and　the　company；

instead　of　distributing　dividends；　lost　about　50；000L。　in

introducing　this　great　invention；　after　which；　in　1856；　the

patent…right　expired。　　Three　hundred　and　twenty…seven　ships　and

vessels　of　all　classes　in　the　Royal　Navy　had　then　been　fitted

with　the　screw　propeller；　and　a　much　larger　number　in　the

merchant　service；　but　since　that　time　the　number　of　screw

propellers　constructed　is　to　be　counted　by　thousands。



In　his　comparatively　impoverished　condition　it　was　found

necessary　to　do　something　for　the　inventor。　　The　Civil　Engineers；

with　Robert　Stephenson；　M。P。；　in　the　chair；　entertained　him　at　a

dinner　and　presented　him　with　a　handsome　salver　and　claret　jug。　

And　that　he　might　have　something　to　put　upon　his　salver　and　into

his　claret　jug；　a　number　of　his　friends　and　admirers　subscribed

over　2000L。　as　a　testimonial。　　The　Government　appointed　him

Curator　of　the　Patent　Museum　at　South　Kensington；　the　Queen

granted　him　a　pension　on　the　Civil　List　for　200L。　a　year；　he　was

raised　to　the　honour　of　knighthood　in　l87l；　and　three　years　later

he　died。



Francis　Pettit　Smith　was　not　a　great　inventor。　　He　had；　like　many

others；　invented　a　screw　propeller。　　But；　while　those　others　had

given　up　the　idea　of　prosecuting　it　to　its　completion；　Smith

stuck　to　his　invention　with　determined　tenacity；　and　never　let　it

go　until　he　had　secured　for　it　a　complete　triumph。　　As　Mr。

Stephenson　observed　at　the　engineer's　meeting：　　〃Mr。　Smith　had

worked　from　a　platform　which　might　have　been　raised　by　others；　as

Watt　had　done；　and　as　other　great　men　had　done；　but　he　had　made　a

stride　in　advance　which　was　almost　tantamount　to　a　new　invention。



It　was　impossible　to　overrate　the　advantages　which　this　and　other

countries　had　derived　from　his　untiring　and　devoted　patience　in

prosecuting　the　invention　to　a　successful　issue。〃　　Baron　Charles

Dupin　compared　the　farmer　Smith　with　the　barber　Arkwright：　〃He

had　the　same　perseverance　and　the　same　indomitable　courage。　

These　two　moral　qualities　enabled　him　to　triumph　over　every

obstacle。〃　　This　was　the　merit　of　〃Screw〃　Smiththat　he　was

determined　to　realize　what　his　predecessors　had　dreamt　of

achieving；　and　he　eventually　accomplished　his　great　purpose。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　II。



＇1＇　In　the　Transactions　of　the　Institution　of　Naval　Architects

for　1860；　it　was　pointed　out　that　the　general　dimensions　and　form

of　bottom　of　this　ship　were　very　similar　to　the　most　famous

line…of…battle　ships　built　down　to　the　end　of　last　century；　some

of　which　were　then　in　existence。



＇2＇　According　to　the　calculation　of　Mr。　Chatfield；　of　Her

Majesty's　dockyard　at　Plymouth；　in　a　paper　read　before　the

British　Association　in　1841　on　shipbuilding。



＇3＇　The　phrase　〃wooden　walls〃　is　derived　from　the　Greek。　　When

the　city　of　Athens　was　once　in　danger　of　being　attacked　and

destroyed；　the　oracle　of　Delphi　was　consulted。　　The　inhabitants

were　told　that　there　was　no　safety　for　them　but　in　their　〃wooden

walls；〃that　is　their　shipping。　　As　they　had　then　a　powerful

fleet；　the　oracle　gave　them　rational　advice；　which　had　the　effect

of　saving　the　Athenian　people。



＇4＇　An　account　of　these　is　given　by　Bennet　Woodcraft　in　his

Sketch　of　the　Origin　and　Progress　of　Steam　Navigation；　London；

1848。



＇5＇　See　Industrial　Biography；　pp。　183…197；



＇6＇　The　story　is　told　in　Scribner's　Monthly　Illustrated　Magazine；

for　April　1879。　　Ericsson's　modest　bill　was　only　15；000　for　two

years'　labour。　　He　was　put　off　from　year　to　year；　and　at　length

the　Government　refused　to　pay　the　amount。　　〃The　American

Government；〃　says　the　editor　of　Scribner；　〃will　not　appropriate

the　money　to　pay　it；　and　that　is　all。　　It　is　said　to　be　the

nature　of　republics　to　be　ungrateful；　but　must　they　also　be

dishonest？〃



＇7＇　Memoirs　of　the　Life　and　Services　of　Rear…Admiral　Sir　William

Symonds；　Kt。；　p。　332。





CHAPTER　III。＇1＇



JOHN　HARRISON：　INVENTOR　OF　THE　MARINE　CHRONOMETER。



No　man　knows　who　invented　the　mariner's　compass；　or　who　first

hollowed　out　a　canoe　from　a　log。　　The　power　to　observe　accurately

the　sun；　moon；　and　planets；　so　as　to　fix　a　vessel's　actual

position　when　far　out　of　sight　of　land；　enabling　l