men of invention and industry-第45章

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employed　by　Walter　as　compositors　apprehended　as　deserters　from

the　Royal　Navy。　　The　men　were　taken　before　the　magistrate；　but

the　charge　was　only　sustained　by　the　testimony　of　clumsy；

perjured　witnesses；　and　fell　to　the　ground。　　The　turn…outs　next

proceeded　to　assault　the　new　hands；　when　Mr。　Walter　resolved　to

throw　around　them　the　protection　of　the　law。　　By　the　advice　of

counsel；　he　had　twenty…one　of　the　conspirators　apprehended　and

tried；　and　nineteen　of　them　were　found　guilty　and　condemned　to

various　periods　of　imprisonment。　　From　that　moment　combination

was　at　an　end　in　Printing　House　Square。



Mr。　Walter's　greatest　achievement　was　his　successful　application

of　steam　power　to　newspaper　printing。　　Although　he　had　greatly

improved　the　mechanical　arrangements　after　he　took　command　of　the

paper；　the　rate　at　which　the　copies　could　be　printed　off　remained

almost　stationary。　　It　took　a　very　long　time　indeed　to　throw　off；

by　the　hand…labour　of　pressmen；　the　three　or　four　thousand　copies

which　then　constituted　the　ordinary　circulation　of　The　Times。　　On

the　occasion　of　any　event　of　great　public　interest　being　reported

in　the　paper；　it　was　found　almost　impossible　to　meet　the　demand

for　copies。　　Only　about　300　copies　could　be　printed　in　the　hour；

with　one　man　to　ink　the　types　and　another　to　work　the　press；

while　the　labour　was　very　severe。　　Thus　it　took　a　long　time　to

get　out　the　daily　impression；　and　very　often　the　evening　papers

were　out　before　The　Times　had　half　supplied　the　demand。



Mr。　Walter　could　not　brook　the　tedium　of　this　irksome　and

laborious　process。　　To　increase　the　number　of　impressions；　he

resorted　to　various　expedients。　　The　type　was　set　up　in

duplicate；　and　even　in　triplicate；　several　Stanhope　presses　were

kept　constantly　at　work；　and　still　the　insatiable　demands　of　the

newsmen　on　certain　occasions　could　not　be　met。　　Thus　the　question

was　early　forced　upon　his　consideration；　whether　he　could　not

devise　machinery　for　the　purpose　of　expediting　the　production　of

newspapers。　　Instead　of　300　impressions　an　hour；　he　wanted　from

1500　to　2000。　　Although　such　a　speed　as　this　seemed　quite　as

chimerical　as　propelling　a　ship　through　the　water　against　wind

and　tide　at　fifteen　miles　an　hour；　or　running　a　locomotive　on　a

railway　at　fifty；　yet　Mr。　Walter　was　impressed　with　the

conviction　that　a　much　more　rapid　printing　of　newspapers　was

feasible　than　by　the　slow　hand…labour　process；　and　he　endeavoured

to　induce　several　ingenious　mechanical　contrivers　to　take　up　and

work　out　his　idea。



The　principle　of　producing　impressions　by　means　of　a　cylinder；

and　of　inking　the　types　by　means　of　a　roller；　was　not　new。　　We

have　seen；　in　the　preceding　memoir；　that　as　early　as　1790　William

Nicholson　had　patented　such　a　method；　but　his　scheme　had　never

been　brought　into　practical　operation。　　Mr。　Walter　endeavoured　to

enlist　Marc　Isambard　Brunelone　of　the　cleverest　inventors　of

the　dayin　his　proposed　method　of　rapid　printing　by　machinery；

but　after　labouring　over　a　variety　of　plans　for　a　considerable

time；　Brunel　finally　gave　up　the　printing　machine；　unable　to　make

anything　of　it。　　Mr。　Walter　next　tried　Thomas　Martyn；　an

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

machine　for　working　the　printing　press。　　He　was　supplied　with　the

necessary　funds　to　enable　him　to　prosecute　his　idea；　but　Mr。

Walter's　father　was　opposed　to　the　scheme；　and　when　the　funds

became　exhausted；　this　scheme　also　fell　to　the　ground。



As　years　passed　on；　and　the　circulation　of　the　paper　increased；

the　necessity　for　some　more　expeditious　method　of　printing　became

still　more　urgent。　　Although　Mr。　Walter　had　declined　to　enter

into　an　arrangement　with　Bensley　in　1809；　before　Koenig　had

completed　his　invention　of　printing　by　cylinders；　it　was

different　five　years　later；　when　Koenig's　printing　machine　was

actually　at　work。　　In　the　preceding　memoir；　the　circumstances

connected　with　the　adoption　of　the　invention　by　Mr。　Walter　are

fully　related；　as　well　as　the　announcement　made　in　The　Times　on

the　29th　of　November；　1814the　day　on　which　the　first　newspaper

printed　by　steam　was　given　to　the　world。



But　Koenig's　printing　machine　was　but　the　beginning　of　a　great

new　branch　of　industry。　　After　he　had　left　this　country　in

disgust；　it　remained　for　others　to　perfect　the　invention；

although　the　ingenious　German　was　entitled　to　the　greatest　credit

for　having　made　the　first　satisfactory　beginning。　　Great

inventions　are　not　brought　forth　at　a　heat。　　They　are　begun　by

one　man；　improved　by　another；　and　perfected　by　a　whole　host　of

mechanical　inventors。　　Numerous　patents　were　taken　out　for　the

mechanical　improvement　of　printing。　　Donkin　and　Bacon　contrived　a

machine　in　1813；　in　which　the　types　were　placed　on　a　revolving

prism。　　One　of　them　was　made　for　the　University　of　Cambridge；　but

it　was　found　too　complicated；　the　inking　was　defective；　and　the

project　was　abandoned。



In　1816；　Mr。　Cowper　obtained　a　patent　（No。3974）　entitled；〃　A

Method　of　Printing　Paper　for　Paper　Hangings；　and　Other　Purposes。〃



The　principal　feature　of　this　invention　consisted　in　the　curving

or　bending　of　stereotype　plates　for　the　purpose　of　being　printed

in　that　form。　　A　number　of　machines　for　printing　in　two　colours；

in　exact　register；　was　made　for　the　Bank　of　England；　and　four

millions　of　One　Pound　notes　were　printed　before　the　Bank

Directors　determined　to　abolish　their　further　issue。　　The　regular

mode　of　producing　stereotype　plates；　from　plaster　of　Paris

moulds；　took　so　much　time；　that　they　could　not　then　be　used　for

newspaper　printing。



Two　years　later；　in　1818；　Mr。　Cowper　invented　and　patented　（No。　

4194）　his　great　improvements　in　printing。　　It　may　be　mentioned

that　he　was　then　himself　a　printer；　in　partnership　with　Mr。

Applegath；　his　brother…in…law。　　His　invention　consisted　in　the

perfect　distribution　of　the　ink；　by　giving　end　motion　to　the

rollers；　so　as　to　get　a　distribution　crossways；　as　well　as

lengthways。　　This　principle　is　at　the　very　foundation　of　good

printing；　and　has　been　adopted　in　every　machine　since　made。　　The

very　first　experiment　proved　that　the　principle　was　right。　　Mr。

Cowper　was　asked　by　Mr。　Walter　to　alter　Koenig's　machine　at　The

Times　office；　so　as　to　obtain　good　distribution。　　He　adopted　two

of　Nicholson's　single　cylinders　and　flat　formes　of　type。　　Two

〃drums〃　were　placed　betwixt　the　cylinders　to　ensure　accuracy　in

the　register；over　and　under　which　the　sheet　was　conveyed　in　it

s　progress　from　one　cylinder　to　the　other；the　sheet　being　at

all　times　firmly　held　between　two　tapes；　which　bound　it　to　the

cylinders　and　drums。　　This　is　commonly　called；　in　the　trade；　a

〃perfecting　machine；〃　that　is；　it　printed　the　paper　on　both　sides

simultaneously；　and　is　still　much　used　for　〃book…work；〃　whilst

single　cylinder　machines　are　often　used　for　provincial

newspapers。



After　this；　Mr。　Cowper　designed　the　four　cylinder　machine　for　The

Times；by　means　of　which　from　4000　to　5000　sheets　could　be

printed　from　one　forme　in　the　hour。　　In　1823；　Mr。　Applegath

invented　an　improvement　in　the　inking　apparatus；　by　placing　the

distributing　rollers　at　an　angle　across　the　distributing　table；

instead　of　forcing　them　endways　by　other　means。



Mr。　Walter　continued　to　devote　the　same　unremitting　attention　to

his　business　as　before。　　He　looked　into　all　the　details；　was

familiar　with　every　department；　and；　on　an　emergency；　was　willing

to　lend　a　hand　in　any　work　requiring　more　than　ordinary　despatch。



Thus；　it　is　related　of　him　that；　in　the　spring　of　1833；　shortly

after　his　return　to　Parliament　as　Member　for　Berkshire；　he　was　at

The　Times　office　one　day；　when　an　express　arrived　from　Paris；

bringing　the　speech　of　the　King　of　the　French　on　the　opening　of

the　Chambers。　　The　express　arrived　at　10　A。M。；　after　the　day's

impression　of　the　paper　had　been　published；　and　the　editors　and

compositors　had　left　the　office。　　It　was　important　t