industrial biography-第22章

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were　found　confined　for　debt；　he　paid　the　claims　against　them　and

procured　their　release。　　Such　a　man　could　not　fail　to　be　followed　with

blessings　and　gratitude；　but　these　he　sought　to　direct　to　the　Giver

of　all　Good。　　〃My　talent；〃　said　he　to　a　friend；　〃is　the　meanest　of　all

talentsa　little　sordid　dust；　but　as　the　man　in　the　parable　who　had

but　one　talent　was　held　accountable；　I　also　am　accountable　for　the

talent　that　I　possess；　humble　as　it　is；　to　the　great　Lord　of　all。〃　　On

one　occasion　the　case　of　a　poor　orphan　boy　was　submitted　to　him；

whose　parents；　both　dying　young；　had　left　him　destitute；　on　which　Mr。

Reynolds　generously　offered　to　place　a　sum　in　the　names　of　trustees

for　his　education　and　maintenance　until　he　could　be　apprenticed　to　a

business。　　The　lady　who　represented　the　case　was　so　overpowered　by　the

munificence　of　the　act　that　she　burst　into　tears；　and；　struggling　to

express　her　gratitude；　concluded　with〃and　when　the　dear　child　is

old　enough；　I　will　teach　him　to　thank　his　benefactor。〃　　〃Thou　must

teach　him　to　look　higher；〃　interrupted　Reynolds：　　〃Do　we　thank　the

clouds　for　rain？　When　the　child　grows　up；　teach　him　to　thank　Him　who

sendeth　both　the　clouds　and　the　rain。〃　　Reynolds　himself　deplored　his

infirmity　of　temper；　which　was　by　nature　hasty；　and；　as　his

benevolence　was　known；　and　appeals　were　made　to　him　at　all　times；

seasonable　and　unseasonable；　he　sometimes　met　them　with　a　sharp　word；

which；　however；　he　had　scarcely　uttered　before　he　repented　of　it：　　and

he　is　known　to　have　followed　a　poor　woman　to　her　home　and　ask

forgiveness　for　having　spoken　hastily　in　answer　to　her　application

for　help。



This　〃great　good　man〃　died　on　the　l0th　of　September；　1816；　in　the

81st　year　of　his　age。　　At　his　funeral　the　poor　of　Bristol　were　the

chief　mourners。　　The　children　of　the　benevolent　societies　which　he　had

munificently　supported　during　his　lifetime；　and　some　of　which　he　had

founded；　followed　his　body　to　the　grave。　　The　procession　was　joined　by

the　clergy　and　ministers　of　all　denominations；　and　by　men　of　all

classes　and　persuasions。　　And　thus　was　Richard　Reynolds　laid　to　his

rest；　leaving　behind　him　a　name　full　of　good　odour；　which　will　long

be　held　in　grateful　remembrance　by　the　inhabitants　of　Bristol。





CHAPTER　VI。



INVENTION　OF　CAST　STEELBENJAMIN　HUNTSMAN。



〃It　may　be　averred　that　as　certainly　as　the　age　of　iron　superseded

that　of　bronze；　so　will　the　age　of　steel　reign　triumphant　over

iron。〃　HENRY　BESSEMER。



〃Aujourd'hui　la　revolution　que　devait　amener　en　Grande…Bretagne　la

memorable　decouverte　de　Benjamin　Huntsman　est　tout　a　fait

accomplie；　et　chaque　jour　les　consequetces　sen　feront　plus　vivement

sentir　sur　le　confinent。〃LE　PLAY；　Sur　la　Fabricatio　n　de　l'　Acier

en　Yorkshire。





Iron；　besides　being　used　in　various　forms　as　bar　and　cast　iron；　is

also　used　in　various　forms　as　bar　and　cast　steel；　and　it　is

principally　because　of　its　many　admirable　qualities　in　these　latter

forms　that　iron　maintains　its　supremacy　over　all　the　other　metals。



The　process　of　converting　iron　into　steel　had　long　been　known　among

the　Eastern　nations　before　it　was　introduced　into　Europe。　　The　Hindoos

were　especially　skilled　in　the　art　of　making　steel；　as　indeed　they

are　to　this　day；　and　it　is　supposed　that　the　tools　with　which　the

Egyptians　covered　their　obelisks　and　temples　of　porphyry　and　syenite

with　hieroglyphics　were　made　of　Indian　steel；　as　probably　no　other

metal　was　capable　of　executing　such　work。　　The　art　seems　to　have　been

well　known　in　Germany　in　the　Middle　Ages；　and　the　process　is　on　the

whole　very　faithfully　described　by　Agricola　in　his　great　work　on

Metallurgy。*

　＇footnote。。。

AGRICOLA；　De　Re　Metallica。　　Basle；　1621。

　。。。＇

England　then　produced　very　little　steel；　and　was　mainly　dependent　for

its　supply　of　the　article　upon　the　continental　makers。



From　an　early　period　Sheffield　became　distinguished　for　its

manufacture　of　iron　and　steel　into　various　useful　articles。　　We　find

it　mentioned　in　the　thirteenth　century　as　a　place　where　the　best

arrowheads　were　made；the　Earl　of　Richmond　owing　his　success　at　the

battle　of　Bosworth　partly　to　their　superior　length；　sharpness；　and

finish。　　The　manufactures　of　the　town　became　of　a　more　pacific

character　in　the　following　centuries；　during　which　knives；　tools；　and

implements　of　husbandry　became　the　leading　articles。



Chaucer's　reference　to　the　'Sheffield　thwytel'　（or　case…knife）　in　his

Canterbury　Tales；　written　about　the　end　of　the　fourteenth　century；

shows　that　the　place　had　then　become　known　for　its　manufacture　of

knives。　　In　1575　we　find　the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury　presenting　to　his

friend　Lord　Burleigh　〃a　case　of　Hallamshire　whittells；　being　such

fruites　as　his　pore　cuntrey　affordeth　with　fame　throughout　the

realme。〃　　Fuller　afterwards　speaks　of　the　Sheffield　knives　as　〃for

common　use　of　the　country　people；〃　and　he　cites　an　instance　of　a

knave　who　cozened　him　out　of　fourpence　for　one　when　it　was　only　worth

a　penny。



In　1600　Sheffield　became　celebrated　for　its　tobacco…boxes　and

Jew's…harps。　　The　town　was　as　yet　of　small　size　and　population；　for

when　a　survey　of　it　was　made　in　1615　it　was　found　to　contain　not　more

than　2207　householders；　of　whom　one…third；　or　725；　were　〃not　able　to

live　without　the　charity　of　their　neighbours：　　these　are　all　Begging

poor。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Rev。　JOSEPH　HUNTER；　History　of　Hallamshire。

　。。。＇

It　must；　however；　have　continued　its　manufacture　of　knives；　for　we

find　that　the　knife　with　which　Felton　stabbed　the　Duke　of　Buckingham

at　Portsmouth　in　1628　was　traced　to　Sheffield。　　The　knife　was　left

sticking　in　the　duke's　body；　and　when　examined　was　found　to　bear　the

Sheffield　corporation　mark。　　It　was　ultimately　ascertained　to　have

been　made　by　one　Wild；　a　cutler；　who　had　sold　the　knife　for　tenpence

to　Felton　when　recruiting　in　the　town。　　At　a　still　later　period；　the

manufacture　of　clasp　or　spring　knives　was　introduced　into　Sheffield

by　Flemish　workmen。　　Harrison　says　this　trade　was　begun　in　1650。　　The

clasp…knife　was　commonly　known　in　the　North　as　a　jocteleg。　　Hence

Burns；　describing　the　famous　article　treasured　by　Captain　Grose　the

antiquarian；　says　that



　　　　　〃It　was　a　faulding　jocteleq；

　　　　　　Or　lang…kail　gully；〃



the　word　being　merely　a　corruption　of　Jacques　de　Liege；　a　famous

foreign　cutler；　whose　knives　were　as　well　known　throughout　Europe　as

those　of　Rogers　or　Mappin　are　now。　　Scythes　and　sickles　formed　other

branches　of　manufacture　introduced　by　the　Flemish　artisans；　the

makers　of　the　former　principally　living　in　the　parish　of　Norton；

those　of　the　latter　in　Eckington。



Many　improvements　were　introduced　from　time　to　time　in　the　material

of　which　these　articles　were　made。　　Instead　of　importing　the　German

steel；　as　it　was　called；　the　Sheffield　manufacturers　began　to　make　it

themselves；　principally　from　Dannemora　iron　imported　from　Sweden。　　The

first　English　manufacturer　of　the　article　was　one　Crowley；　a

Newcastle　man；　and　the　Sheffield　makers　shortly　followed　his　example。

We　may　here　briefly　state　that　the　ordinary　method　of　preparing　this

valuable　material　of　manufactures　is　by　exposing　iron　bars；　placed　in

contact　with　roughly…granulated　charcoal；　to　an　intense　heat；the

process　lasting　for　about　a　week；　more　or　less；　according　to　the

degree　of　carbonization　required。　　By　this　means；　what　is　called

BLISTERED　STEEL　is　produced；　and　it　furnishes　the　material　out　of

which　razors；　files；　knives；　swords；　and　various　articles　of　hardware

are　manufactured。　　A　further　process　is　the　manufacture　of　the　metal

thus　treated　into　SHEAR　STEEL；　by　exposing　a　fasciculus　of　the

blistered　steel　rods；　with　sand　scattered　over　them　for　the　purposes

of　a　flux；　to　the　heat　of　a　wind…furnace　until　the　whole　mass　becomes

of　a　welding　heat；　when　it　is　taken　from　the　fire　and　drawn　out　under

a　forge…hammer；the　process　of　welding　being　repeated；　after　which

the　steel　is　reduced　to　the　required　sizes。　　The　article　called　FAGGOT

steel　is　made　after　a　somewhat　similar　process。



But　the　most　valuable　form　in　which　steel　is　now　used　in　the

manufactures　of　Sheffield　is　that　of　cast…steel；　in　which　iron　is

presented　in　perhaps　its　very　highest　state　of　perfection。　　Cast…steel

consists　of　iron　united　to　carbon　in　an　elastic　state　together　with　a

small　portion　of　oxygen；　whereas　crude　or　pig　iron　consists　of　iron

combined　with　carbon　in　a　material　state。*

　＇footnote。。。

MUSHET；　Papers　On　Iron　and　Steel。

　。。。＇

chief　merits　of　cast…steel　consist　in　its　possessing　great　cohesion

and　closeness　of　grain；　with　an　astonishing　degree　of　tenacity　and

flexibility；　qualities　which　render　it　of　the　highest　value　in　all

kinds　of　tools　and　instruments　where　durability；　polish；　and　fineness

of　edge　are　essential　requisites。　　It　is　to　this　material　that　we　are

mainly　indebted　for　the　exquisite　cutting　instrument　of　the　surgeon；

the　chisel　of　the　sculptor；　the　steel　plate　on　which　the　engraver

practises　his　art；　the　cutting　tools　employed　in　the　various

processes　of　skilled　handicraft；　down　to　the　common　saw　or　the　axe

used　by　the　backwoodsman　in　levelling　the　primeval　forest。



The　invention　of　cast…steel　is　due　to　Benjamin　Huntsman；　of

Attercliffe；　near　Sheffield。　　M。　Le　Play；　Professor　of　Metallurgy　in

the　Royal　School　of　Mines　of　France；　after　making　careful　inquiry　and

weighing　all　the　evidence　on　the　subject；　arrived　at　the　conclusion

that　the　invention　fairly　belongs　to　Huntsman。　　The　French　professor

speaks　of　it　as　a　〃memorable　discovery；〃　made　and　applied　with

admirable　perseverance；　and　he　claims　for　its　inventor　the

distinguished　merit　of　advancing　the　steel　manufactures　of　Yorkshire

to　the　first　rank；　and　powerfully　contributing　to　the　establishment

on　a　firm　foundation　of　the　industrial　and　commercial　supremacy　of

Great　Britain。　　It　is　remarkable　that　a　French　writer　should　have　been

among　the　first　to　direct　public　attention　to　the　merits　of　this

inventor；　and　to　have　first　published　the　few　facts　known　as　to　his

history　in　a　French　Government　Report；showing　the　neglect　which　men

of　this　class　have　heretofore　received　at　home；　and　the　much　greater

esteem　in　which　they　are　held　by　scientific　foreigners。*

　＇footnote。。。

M。　Le　Play's　two　elaborate　and　admirable　reports　on　the　manufacture

of　steel；　published　in　the　Annales　des　Mines；　vols。　iii。　and　ix。；　4th

series；　are　unique　of　their　kind；　and　have　as　yet　no　counterpart　in

English　literature。　　They　are　respectively　entitled　'Memoire　sur　la

Fabrication　de　l'Acier　en　Yorkshire；'　and　'Memoire　sur　le

Fabrication　et　le　Commerce　des　Fers　a　Acier　dans　le　Nord　de

l'Europe。'

　。。。＇

Le　Play；　in　his　enthusiastic　admiration　of　the　discoverer　of　so

potent　a　metal　as　cast…steel；　paid　a　visit　to　Huntsman's　grave　in

Atterclifle　Churchyard；　near　Sheffield；　and　from　the　inscription　on

his　tombstone　recites　the　facts　of　his　birth；