men of invention and industry-第39章

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he　added　the　following　new　expedients：　a　feeder；　consisting　of　an

endless　web；an　improved　arrangement　of　the　endless　tapes　by

inner　as　well　as　outer　friskets；an　improvement　of　the　register

（that　is；　one　page　falling　exactly　on　the　back　of　another）；　by

which　greater　accuracy　of　impression　was　also　secured；　and

finally；　an　arrangement　by　which　the　sheet　was　thrown　out　of　the

machine；　printed　by　the　revolving　cylinder　on　both　sides。



The　partners　in　Koenig's　Patents　had　established　a　manufactory　in

Whitecross　Street　for　the　production　of　the　new　machines。　　The

workmen　employed　were　sworn　to　secrecy。　　They　entered　into　an

agreement　by　which　they　were　liable　to　forfeit　100L。　if　they

communicated　to　others　the　secret　of　the　machines；　either　by

drawings　or　description；　or　if　they　told　by　whom　or　for　whom　they

were　constructed。　　This　was　to　avoid　the　hostility　of　the

pressmen；　who；　having　heard　of　the　new　invention；　were　up　in　arms

against　it；　as　likely　to　deprive　them　of　their　employment。　　And

yet；　as　stated　by　Johnson　in　his　'Typographia；'　the　manual　labour

of　the　men　who　worked　at　the　hand　press；　was　so　severe　and

exhausting；　〃that　the　stoutest　constitutions　fell　a　sacrifice　to

it　in　a　few　years。〃　The　number　of　sheets　that　could　be　thrown　off

was　also　extremely　limited。



With　the　improved　press；　perfected　by　Earl　Stanhope；　about　250

impressions　could　be　taken；　or　l25　sheets　printed　on　both　sides

in　an　hour。　　Although　a　greater　number　was　produced　in　newspaper

printing　offices　by　excessive　labour；　yet　it　was　necessary　to

have　duplicate　presses；　and　to　set　up　duplicate　forms　of　type；　to

carry　on　such　extra　work；　and　still　the　production　of　copies　was

quite　inadequate　to　satisfy　the　rapidly　increasing　demand　for

newspapers。　　The　time　was　therefore　evidently　ripe　for　the

adoption　of　such　a　machine　as　that　of　Koenig。　　Attempts　had　been

made　by　many　inventors；　but　every　one　of　them　had　failed。　

Printers　generally　regarded　the　steam…press　as　altogether

chimerical。



Such　was　the　condition　of　affairs　when　Koenig　finished　his

improved　printing　machine　in　the　manufactory　in　Whitecross

Street。　　The　partners　in　the　invention　were　now　in　great　hopes。　

When　the　machine　had　been　got　ready　for　work；　the　proprietors　of

several　of　the　leading　London　newspapers　were　invited　to　witness

its　performances。　　Amongst　them　were　Mr。　Perry　of　the　Morning

chronicle；　and　Mr。　Walter　of　The　Times。　　Mr。　Perry　would　have

nothing　to　do　with　the　machine；　he　would　not　even　go　to　see　it；

for　he　regarded　it　as　a　gimcrack。＇5＇　　On　the　contrary；　Mr。

Walter；　though　he　had　five　years　before　declined　to　enter　into

any　arrangement　with　Bensley；　now　that　he　heard　the　machine　was

finished；　and　at　work；　decided　to　go　and　inspect　it。　　It　was

thoroughly　characteristic　of　the　business　spirit　of　the　man。　　He

had　been　very　anxious　to　apply　increased　mechanical　power　to　the

printing　of　his　newspaper。　　He　had　consulted　Isambard　Brunelone

of　the　cleverest　inventors　of　the　dayon　the　subject；　but

Brunel；　after　studying　the　subject；　and　labouring　over　a　variety

of　plans；　finally　gave　it　up。　　He　had　next　tried　Thomas　Martyn；

an　ingenious　young　compositor；　who　had　a　scheme　for　a　self…acting

machine　for　working　the　printing　press。　　But；　although　Mr。　Walter

supplied　him　with　the　necessary　funds；　his　scheme　never　came　to

anything。　　Now；　therefore；　was　the　chance　for　Koenig！



After　carefully　examining　the　machine　at　work；　Mr。　Walter　was　at

once　satisfied　as　to　the　great　value　of　the　invention。　　He　saw　it

turning　out　the　impressions　with　unusual　speed　and　great

regularity。　　This　was　the　very　machine　of　which　he　had　been　in

search。　　But　it　turned　out　the　impressions　printed　on　one　side

only。　　Koenig；　however；　having　briefly　explained　the　more　rapid

action　of　a　double　machine　on　the　same　principle　for　the　printing

of　newspapers；　Mr。　Walter；　after　a　few　minutes'　consideration；

and　before　leaving　the　premises；　ordered　two　double　machines　for

the　printing　of　The　Times　newspaper。　　Here；　at　last；　was　the

opportunity　for　a　triumphant　issue　out　of　Koenig's　difficulties。



The　construction　of　the　first　newspaper　machine　was　still；

however；　a　work　of　great　difficulty　and　labour。　　It　must　be

remembered　that　nothing　of　the　kind　had　yet　been　made　by　any

other　inventor。　　The　single…cylinder　machine；　which　Mr。　Walter

had　seen　at　work；　was　intended　for　bookwork　only。　　Now　Koenig　had

to　construct　a　double…cylinder　machine　for　printing　newspapers；

in　which　many　of　the　arrangements　must　necessarily　be　entirely

new。　　With　the　assistance　of　his　leading　mechanic；　Bauer；　aided

by　the　valuable　suggestions　of　Mr。　Walter　himself；　Koenig　at

length　completed　his　plans；　and　proceeded　with　the　erection　of

the　working　machine。　　The　several　parts　were　prepared　at　the

workshop　in　Whitecross　Street；　and　taken　from　thence；　in　as

secret　a　way　as　possible；　to　the　premises　in　Printing　House

Square；　adjoining　The　Times　office；　where　they　were　fitted

together　and　erected　into　a　working　machine。　　Nearly　two　years

elapsed　before　the　press　was　ready　for　work。　　Great　as　was　the

secrecy　with　which　the　operations　were　conducted；　the　pressmen　of

The　Times　office　obtained　some　inkling　of　what　was　going　on；　and

they　vowed　vengeance　to　the　foreign　inventor　who　threatened　their

craft　with　destruction。　　There　was；　however；　always　this

consolation：　every　attempt　that　had　heretofore　been　made　to　print

newspapers　in　any　other　way　than　by　manual　labour　had　proved　an

utter　failure！



At　length　the　day　arrived　when　the　first　newspaper　steam…press

was　ready　for　use。　　The　pressmen　were　in　a　state　of　great

excitement；　for　they　knew　by　rumour　that　the　machine　of　which

they　had　so　long　been　apprehensive　was　fast　approaching

completion。　　One　night　they　were　told　to　wait　in　the　press…room；

as　important　news　was　expected　from　abroad。　　At　six　o'clock　in

the　morning　of　the　29th　November；　1814；　Mr。　Walter；　who　had　been

watching　the　working　of　the　machine　all　through　the　night；

suddenly　appeared　among　the　pressmen；　and　announced　that　〃The

Times　is　already　printed　by　steam！〃　　Knowing　that　the　pressmen

had　vowed　vengeance　against　the　inventor　and　his　invention；　and

that　they　had　threatened　〃destruction　to　him　and　his　traps；〃　he

informed　them　that　if　they　attempted　violence；　there　was　a　force

ready　to　suppress　it；　but　that　if　they　were　peaceable；　their

wages　should　be　continued　to　every　one　of　them　until　they　could

obtain　similar　employment。　　This　proved　satisfactory　so　far；　and

he　proceeded　to　distribute　several　copies　of　the　newspaper

amongst　themthe　first　newspaper　printed　by　steam！　That　paper

contained　the　following　memorable　announcement：



〃Our　Journal　of　this　day　presents　to　the　Public　the　practical

result　of　the　greatest　improvement　connected　with　printing　since

the　discovery　of　the　art　itself。　　The　reader　of　this　paragraph

now　holds　in　his　hand　one　of　the　many　thousand　impressions　of　The

Times　newspaper　which　were　taken　off　last　night　by　a　mechanical

apparatus。　　A　system　of　machinery　almost　organic　has　been　devised

and　arranged；　which；　while　it　relieves　the　human　frame　of　its

most　laborious'　efforts　in　printing；　far　exceeds　all　human　powers

in　rapidity　and　dispatch。　　That　the　magnitude　of　the　invention

may　be　justly　appreciated　by　its　effects；　we　shall　inform　the

public；　that　after　the　letters　are　placed　by　the　compositors；　and

enclosed　in　what　is　called　the　forme；　little　more　remains　for　man

to　do　than　to　attend　upon　and　to　watch　this　unconscious　agent　in

its　operations。　　The　machine　is　then　merely　supplied　with　paper：

itself　places　the　forme；　inks　it；　adjusts　the　paper　to　the　forme

newly　inked；　stamps　the　sheet；　and　gives　it　forth　to　the　hands　of

the　attendant；　at　the　same　time　withdrawing　the　forme　for　a　fresh

coat　of　ink；　which　itself　again　distributes；　to　meet　the　ensuing

sheet　now　advancing　for　impression；　and　the　whole　of　these

complicated　acts　is　performed　with　such　a