men of invention and industry-第69章

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further　mechanical　knowledge。　　There　were　the　ship　and　engine

works　on　both　sides　of　the　river；　down　to　Govan；　and　below　there；

at　Renfrew；　Dumbarton；　Port　Glasgow；　and　Greenockno　end　of

magnificent　yardsso　that　I　had　plenty　of　occupation　for　my

leisure　time　on　Saturday　afternoons。　　The　works　of　Messrs。　Robert

Napier　and　Sons　were　then　at　the　top　of　the　tree。　　The　largest

Cunard　steamers　were　built　and　engined　there。　　Tod　and　Macgregor

were　the　foremost　in　screw　steamshipsthose　for　the　Peninsular

and　Oriental　Company　being　splendid　models　of　symmetry　and　works

of　art。　　Some　of　the　fine　wooden　paddle…steamers　built　in　Bristol

for　the　Royal　Mail　Company　were　sent　round　to　the　Clyde　for　their

machinery。　　I　contrived　to　board　all　these　ships　from　time　to

time；　so　as　to　become　well　acquainted　with　their　respective

merits　and　peculiarities。



As　an　illustration　of　how　contrivances；　excellent　in　principle；

but　defective　in　construction；　may　be　discarded；　but　again　taken

up　under　more　favourable　circumstances；　I　may　mention　that　I　saw

a　Hall's　patent　surface…condensor　thrown　to　one　side　from　one　of

these　steamers；　the　principal　difficulty　being　in　keeping　it

tight。　　And　yet；　in　the　course　of　a　very　few　years；　by　the

simplest　possible　contrivanceinserting　an　indiarubber　ring

round　each　end　of　the　tube　（Spencer's　patent）surface

condensation　in　marine　engines　came　into　vogue；　and　there　is

probably　no　ocean…going　steamer　afloat　without　it；　furnished　with

every　variety　of　suitable　packings。



After　some　time；　the　Messrs。　Thomson　determined　to　build　their

own　vessels；　and　an　experienced　naval　draughtsman　was　engaged；　to

whom　I　was　〃told　off〃　whenever　he　needed　assistance。　　In　the

course　of　time；　more　and　more　of　the　ship　work　came　in　my　way。　

Indeed；　I　seemed　to　obtain　the　preference。　　Fortunately　for　us

both；　my　superior　obtained　an　appointment　of　a　similar　kind　on

the　Tyne；　at　superior　pay；　and　I　was　promoted　to　his　place。　　The

Thomsons　had　now　a　very　fine　shipbuilding…yard；　in　full　working

order；　with　several　large　steamers　on　the　stocks。　　I　was　placed

in　the　drawing…office　as　head　draughtsman。　　At　the　same　time　I

had　no　rise　of　wages；　but　still　went　on　enjoying　my　twenty

shillings　a　week。　　I　was；　however；　gaining　information　and

experience；　and　knew　that　better　pay　would　follow　in　due　course

of　time。　　And　without　solicitation　I　was　eventually　offered　an

engagement　for　a　term　of　years；　at　an　increased　and　increasing

salary；　with　three　months'　notice　on　either　side。



I　had　only　enjoyed　the　advance　for　a　short　time；　when　Mr。　Thomas

Toward；　a　shipbuilder　on　the　Tyne；　being　in　want　of　a　manager；

made　application　to　the　Messrs。　Stephenson　for　such　a　person。　

They　mentioned　my　name；　and　Mr。　Toward　came　over　to　the　Clyde　to

see　me。　　The　result　was；　that　I　became　engaged；　and　it　was

arranged　that　I　should　enter　on　my　enlarged　duties　on　the　Tyne　in

the　autumn　of　1853。　　It　was　with　no　small　reluctance　that　I　left

the　Messrs。　Thomson。　　They　were　first…class　practical　men；　and

had　throughout　shown　me　every　kindness　and　consideration。　　But　a

managership　was　not　to　be　had　every　day；　and　being　the　next　step

to　the　position　of　a　master；　I　could　not　neglect　the　opportunity

for　advancement　which　now　offered　itself。



Before　leaving　Glasgow；　however；　I　found　that　it　would　be

necessary　to　have　a　new　angle　and　plate　furnace　provided　for　the

works　on　the　Tyne。　　Now；　the　best　man　in　Glasgow　for　building

these　important　requisites　for　shipbuilding　work　was　scarcely

ever　sober；　but　by　watching　and　coaxing　him；　and　by　a　liberal

supply　of　Glenlivat　afterwards；　I　contrived　to　lay　down　on　paper；

from　his　directions；　what　he　considered　to　be　the　best　class　of

furnace；　and　by　the　aid　of　this　I　was　afterwards　enabled　to

construct　what　proved　to　be　the　best　furnace　on　the　Tyne。



To　return　to　my　education　in　shipbuilding。　　My　early　efforts　in

ship…draughting　at　Stephensons'　were　further　developed　and

matured　at　Thomsons'　on　the　Clyde。　　Models　and　drawings　were　more

carefully　worked　out　on　the　1/4…in。　scale　than　heretofore。　　The

stern　frames　were　laid　off　and　put　up　at　once　correctly；　which

before　had　been　first　shaped　by　full…sized　wooden　moulds。　　I　also

contrived　a　mode　of　quickly　and　correctly　laying　off　the

frame…lines　on　a　model；　by　laying　it　on　a　plane　surface；　and

then；　with　a　rectangular　block　traversing　ita　pencil　in　a

suitable　holder　being　readily　applied　over　the　curved　surface。　

This　method　is　now　in　general　use。



Even　at　that　time；　competition　as　regards　speed　in　the　Clyde

steamers　was　very　keen。　　Foremost　among　the　competitors　was　the

late　Mr。　David　Hutchinson；　who；　though　delighted　with　the

Mountaineer；　built　by　the　Thomsons　in　1853；　did　not　hesitate　to

have　her　lengthened　forward　to　make　her　sharper；　so　as　to　secure

her　ascendency　in　speed　during　the　ensuing　season。　　The　results

were　satisfactory；　and　his　steamers　grew　and　grew；　until　they

developed　into　the　celebrated　Iona　and　Cambria；　which　were　in

later　years　built　for　him　by　the　same　firm。　　I　may　mention　that

the　Cunard　screw　steamer　Jura　was　the　last　heavy　job　with　which　I

was　connected　while　at　Thomsons'。



I　then　proceeded　to　the　Tyne；　to　superintend　the　building　of

ships　and　marine　boilers。　　The　shipbuilding　yard　was　at　St。

Peter's；　about　two　and　a…half　miles　below　Newcastle。　　I　found　the

work；　as　practised　there；　rough　and　ready；　but　by　steady

attention　to　all　the　details；　and　by　careful　inspection　when

passing　the　〃piece…work〃　（a　practice　much　in　vogue　there；　but

which　I　discouraged）；　I　contrived　to　raise　the　standard　of

excellence；　without　a　corresponding　increase　of　price。　　My　object

was　to　raise　the　quality　of　the　work　turned　out；　and；　as　we　had

orders　from　the　Russian　Government；　from　China；　and　the

Continent；　as　well　as　from　shipowners　at　home；　I　observed　that

quality　was　a　very　important　element　in　all　commercial　success。　

My　master；　Mr。　Thomas　Toward；　was　in　declining　health；　and；　being

desirous　of　spending　his　winters　abroad；　I　was　consequently　left

in　full　charge　of　the　works。　　But　as　there　did　not　appear　to　be　a

satisfactory　prospect；　under　the　circumstances；　for　any　material

development　of　the　business；　a　trifling　circumstance　arose；　which

again　changed　the　course　of　my　career。



An　advertisement　appeared　in　the　papers　for　a　manager　to　conduct

a　shipbuilding　yard　in　Belfast。　　I　made　inquiries　as　to　the

situation；　and　　eventually　applied　for　it。　　I　was　appointed；　and

entered　upon　my　duties　there　at　Christmas；　1854。　　The　yard　was　a

much　larger　one　than　that　on　the　Tyne；　and　was　capable　of　great

expansion。　　It　was　situated　on　what　was　then　well　known　as　the

Queen's　Island；　but　now；　like　the　Isle　of　Dogs；　it　has　been

attached　by　reclamation。　　The　yard；　about　four　acres　in　extent；

was　held　by　lease　from　the　Belfast　Harbour　Commissioners。　　It　was

well　placed；　alongside　a　fine　patent　slip；　with　clear　frontage；

allowing　of　the　largest　ships　being　freely　launched。　　Indeed；　the

first　ship　built　there；　the　Mary　Stenhouse；　had　only　just　been

completed　and　launched　by　Messrs。　Robert　Hickson　and　Co。；　then

the　proprietors　of　the　undertaking。　　They　were　also　the　owners　of

the　Eliza　Street　Iron　Works；　Belfast；　which　were　started　to　work

up　old　iron　materials。　　But　as　the　works　were　found　to　be

unremunerative；　they　were　shortly　afterwards　closed。



On　my　entering　the　shipbuilding　yard　I　found　that　the　firm　had　an

order　for　two　large　sailing　ships。　　One　of　these　was　partly　in

frame；　and　I　at　once　tackled　with　it　and　the　men。　　Mr。　Hickson；

the　acting　partner；　not　being　practically　acquainted　with　the

business；　the　whole　proceeding　connected　with　the　building　of　the

ships　devolved　upon　me。　　I　had　been　engaged　to　supersede　a

manager　summarily　dismissed。　　Although　he　had　not　given

satisfaction　to　his　employers；　he　was　a　great　favourite　with　the

men。　　Accordingly；　my　appearance　as　manager　in　his　stead　was　not

very　agr