men of invention and industry-第68章

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cylindrico…conical　or　chrysalis　form；　to　be　propelled　by　a　screw

at　each　end；　turned　by　sixteen　men　inside；　seated　on

water…ballast　tanks；　sufficient　room　being　left　at　the　ends

inside　for　the　accommodation　of　ten　or　twelve　shipwrecked

persons；　while　a　mate　near　the　bow；　and　the　captain　near　the

stern　in　charge　of　the　rudder；　were　stationed　in　recesses　in　the

deck　about　three　feet　deep。　　The　whole　apparatus　was　almost

cylindrical；　and　watertight；　save　in　the　self…acting　ventilators；

which　could　only　give　access　to　the　smallest　portion　of　water。　　I

considered　that；　if　the　lifeboat　fully　manned　were　launched　into

the　roughest　seas；　or　off　the　deck　of　a　vessel；　it　would；　even　if

turned　on　its　back；　immediately　right　itself；　without　any　of　the

crew　being　disturbed　from　their　positions；　to　which　they　were　to

have　been　strapped。



It　happened　that　at　this　time　（the　summer　of　1850）　his　Grace　the

late　Duke　of　Northumberland；　who　had　always　taken　a　deep　interest

in　the　Lifeboat　Institution；　offered　a　prize　of　one　hundred

guineas　for　the　best　model　and　design　of　such　a　craft；　so　I

determined　to　complete　my　plans　and　make　a　working　model　of　my

lifeboat。　　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　cylindrico…conical

form；　with　the　frames　to　be　carried　completely　round　and　forming

beams　as　well；　and　the　two　screws；　one　at　each　end；　worked　off

the　same　power；　by　which　one　or　other　of　them　would　always　be

immersed；　were　worth　registering　in　the　Patent　Office。　　I

therefore　entered　a　caveat　there；　and　continued　working　at　my

model　in　the　evenings。　　I　first　made　a　wooden　block　model；　on　the

scale　of　an　inch　to　the　foot。　　I　had　some　difficulty　in　procuring

sheets　of　copper　thin　enough；　so　that　the　model　should　draw　only

the　correct　amount　of　water；　but　at　last　I　succeeded；　through

finding　the　man　at　Newcastle　who　had　supplied　my　father　with

copper　plates　for　his　early　road　locomotive。



The　model　was　only　32　inches　in　length；　and　8　inches　in　beam；　and

in　order　to　fix　all　the　internal　fittings；　of　tanks；　seats；　crank

handles；　and　pulleys；　I　had　first　to　fit　the　shell　plating；　and

then；　by　finally　securing　one　strake　of　plates　on；　and　then

another；　after　all　inside　was　complete；　I　at　last　finished　for

good　the　last　outside　plate。　　In　executing　the　job；　my　early

experience　of　all　sorts　of　handiwork　came　serviceably　to　my　aid。　

After　many　a　whole　night's　workfor　the　evenings　alone　were　not

sufficient　for　the　purposeI　at　length　completed　my　model；　and

triumphantly　and　confidently　took　it　to　sea　in　an　open　boat；　and

then　cast　it　into　the　waves。　　The　model　either　rode　over　them　or

passed　through　them；　if　it　was　sometimes　rolled　over；　it　righted

itself　at　once；　and　resumed　its　proper　attitude　in　the　waters。　

After　a　considerable　trial　I　found　scarcely　a　trace　of　water

inside。　　Such　as　had　got　there　was　merely　through　the　joints　in

the　sliding　hatches；　though　the　ventilators　were　free　to　work

during　the　experiments。



I　completed　the　prescribed　drawings　and　specifications；　and　sent

them；　together　with　the　model；　to　Somerset　House。　　Some　280

schemes　of　lifeboats　were　submitted　for　competition；　but　mine　was

not　successful。　　I　suspect　that　the　extreme　novelty　of　the

arrangement　deterred　the　adjudicators　from　awarding　in　its

favour。　　Indeed；　the　scheme　was　so　unprecedented；　and　so　entirely

out　of　the　ordinary　course　of　things；　that　there　was　no　special

mention　made　of　it　in　the　report　afterwards　published；　and　even

the　description　there　given　was　incorrect。　　The　prize　was　awarded

to　Mr。　James　Beeching；　of　Great　Yarmouth；　whose　plans　were

afterwards　generally　adopted　by　the　Lifeboat　Society。　　I　have

preserved　my　model　just　as　it　was；　and　some　of　its　features　have

since　been　introduced　with　advantage　into　shipbuilding。＇1＇



The　firm　of　Robert　Stephenson　and　Co。　having　contracted　to　build

for　the　Government　three　large　iron　caissons　for　the　Keyham

Docks；　and　as　these　were　very　similar　in　construction　to　that　of

an　ordinary　iron　ship；　draughtsmen　conversant　with　that　class　of

work　were　specially　engaged　to　superintend　it。　　The　manager；

knowing　my　fondness　for　ships；　placed　me　as　his　assistant　at　this

new　work。　　After　I　had　mastered　it；　I　endeavoured　to　introduce

improvements；　having　observed　certain　defects　in　laying　down　the

linesI　mean　by　the　use　of　graduated　curves　cut　out　of　thin

wood。　　In　lieu　of　this　method；　I　contrived　thin　tapered　laths　of

lancewood；　and　weights　of　a　particular　form；　with　steel　claws　and

knife　edges　attached；　so　as　to　hold　the　lath　tightly　down　to　the

paper；　yet　capable　of　being　readily　adjusted；　so　as　to　produce

any　form　of　curve；　along　which　the　pen　could　freely　and

continuously　travel。　　This　method　proved　very　efficient；　and　it

has　since　come　into　general　use。



The　Messrs。　Stephenson　were　then　also　making　marine　engines；　as

well　as　large　condensing　pumping　engines；　and　a　large　tubular

bridge　to　be　erected　over　the　river　Don。　　The　splendid　high…level

bridge　over　the　Tyne；　of　which　Robert　Stephenson　was　the

engineer；　was　also　in　course　of　construction。　　With　the

opportunity　of　seeing　these　great　works　in　progress；　and　of

visiting；　during　my　holidays　and　long　evenings；　most　of　the

manufactories　and　mines　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Newcastle；　I

could　not　fail　to　pick　up　considerable　knowledge；　and　an

acquaintance　with　a　vast　variety　of　trades。　　There　were　about

thirty　other　pupils　in　the　works　at　the　same　time　with　myself；

some　were　there　either　through　favour　or　idle　fancy；　but

comparatively　few　gave　their　full　attention　to　the　work；　and　I

have　since　heard　nothing　of　them。　　Indeed；　unless　a　young　fellow

takes　a　real　interest　in　his　work；　and　has　a　genuine　love　for　it；

the　greatest　advantages　will　prove　of　no　avail　whatever。



It　was　a　good　plan　adopted　at　the　works；　to　require　the　pupils　to

keep　the　same　hours　as　the　rest　of　the　men；　and；　though　they　paid

a　premium　on　entering；　to　give　them　the　same　rate　of　wages　as　the

rest　of　the　lads。　　Mr。　William　Hutchinson；　a　contemporary　of

George　Stephenson；　was　the　managing　partner。　　He　was　a　person　of

great　experience；　and　had　the　most　thorough　knowledge　of　men　and

materials；　knowing　well　how　to　handle　both　to　the　best　advantage。



His　son…in…law；　Mr。　William　Weallans；　was　the　head　draughtsman；

and　very　proficient；　not　only　in　quickness　but　in　accuracy　and

finish。　　I　found　it　of　great　advantage　to　have　the　benefit　of　the

example　and　the　training　of　these　very　clever　men。



My　five　years　apprenticeship　was　completed　in　May　1851；　on　my

twentieth　birthday。　　Having　had　but　very　little　〃black　time；〃　as

it　was　called；　beyond　the　half…yearly　holiday　for　visiting　my

friends；　and　having　only　〃slept　in〃　twice　during　the　five　years；

I　was　at　once　entered　on　the　books　as　a　journeyman；　on　the　〃big〃

wage　of　twenty　shillings　a　week。　　Orders　were；　however；　at　that

time　very　difficult　to　be　had。



Railway　trucks；　and　even　navvies'　barrows；　were　contracted　for　in

order　to　keep　the　men　employed。　　It　was　better　not　to　discharge

them；　and　to　find　something　for　them　to　do。　　At　the　same　time　it

was　not　very　encouraging　for　me；　under　such　circumstances；　to

remain　with　the　firm。　　I　therefore　soon　arranged　to　leave；　and

first　of　all　I　went　to　see　London。　　It　was　the　Great　Exhibition

year　of　1851。　　I　need　scarcely　say　what　a　rich　feast　I　found

there；　and　how　thoroughly　I　enjoyed　it　all。　　I　spent　about　two

months　in　inspecting　the　works　of　art　and　mechanics　in　the

Exhibition；　to　my　own　great　advantage。　　I　then　returned　home；

and；　after　remaining　in　Scarborough　for　a　short　time；　I　proceeded

to　Glasgow　with　a　letter　of　introduction　to　Messrs。　J。　and　G。

Thomson；　marine　engine　builders；　who　started　me　on　the　same　wages

which　I　had　received　at　Stephenson's；　namely　twenty　shillings　a

week。



I　found　the　banks　of　the　Clyde　splendid　ground　for　gaining

further　mechanical　knowledge。　　There　were　the　ship　and　engine

works　on　both　sides　of　the　river；　down