industrial biography-第24章

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in　the　conversion　was　five　hours。



It　is　said　that　the　person　who　first　succeeded　in　copying　Huntsman's

process　was　an　ironfounder　named　Walker；　who　carried　on　his　business

at　Greenside　near　Sheffield；　and　it　was　certainly　there　that　the

making　of　cast…steel　was　next　begun。　　Walker　adopted　the　〃ruse〃　of

disguising　himself　as　a　tramp；　and；　feigning　great　distress　and

abject　poverty；　he　appeared　shivering　at　the　door　of　Huntsman's

foundry　late　one　night　when　the　workmen　were　about　to　begin　their

labours　at　steel…casting；　and　asked　for　admission　to　warm　himself　by

the　furnace　fire。　　The　workmen's　hearts　were　moved；　and　they　permitted

him　to　enter。　　We　have　the　above　facts　from　the　descendants　of　the

Huntsman　family；　but　we　add　the　traditional　story　preserved　in　the

neighbourhood；　as　given　in　a　well…known　book　on　metallurgy　：　　



〃One　cold　winter's　night；　while　the　snow　was　falling　in　heavy　flakes；

and　the　manufactory　threw　its　red　glared　light　over　the

neighbourhood；　a　person　of　the　most　abject　appearance　presented

himself　at　the　entrance；　praying　for　permission　to　share　the　warmth

and　shelter　which　it　afforded。　　The　humane　workmen　found　the　appeal

irresistible；　and　the　apparent　beggar　was　permitted　to　take　up　his

quarters　in　a　warm　corner　of　the　building。　　A　careful　scrutiny　would

have　discovered　little　real　sleep　in　the　drowsiness　which　seemed　to

overtake　the　stranger；　for　he　eagerly　watched　every　movement　of　the

workmen　while　they　went　through　the　operations　of　the　newly

discovered　process。　　He　observed；　first　of　all；　that　bars　of　blistered

steel　were　broken　into　small　pieces；　two　or　three　inches　in　length；

and　placed　in　crucibles　of　fire　clay。　　When　nearly　full；　a　little

green　glass　broken　into　small　fragments　was　spread　over　the　top；　and

the　whole　covered　over　with　a　closely…fitting　cover。　　The　crucibles

were　then　placed　in　a　furnace　previously　prepared　for　them；　and　after

a　lapse　of　from　three　to　four　hours；　during　which　the　crucibles　were

examined　from　time　to　time　to　see　that　the　metal　was　thoroughly

melted　and　incorporated；　the　workmen　proceeded　to　lift　the　crucible

from　its　place　on　the　furnace　by　means　of　tongs；　and　its　molten

contents；　blazing；　sparkling；　and　spurting；　were　poured　into　a　mould

of　cast…iron　previously　prepared：　　here　it　was　suffered　to　cool；　while

the　crucibles　were　again　filled；　and　the　process　repeated。　　When　cool；

the　mould　was　unscrewed；　and　a　bar　of　cast…steel　presented　itself；

which　only　required　the　aid　of　the　hammerman　to　form　a　finished　bar

of　cast…steel。　　How　the　unauthorized　spectator　of　these　operations

effected　his　escape　without　detection　tradition　does　not　say；　but　it

tells　us　that；　before　many　months　had　passed；　the　Huntsman

manufactory　was　not　the　only　one　where　cast…steel　was　produced。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Useful　Metals　and　their　Alloys　（p。　348）；　an　excellent　little

work；　in　which　the　process　of　cast…steel　making　will　be　found　fully

described。

　。。。＇



However　the　facts　may　be；　the　discovery　of　the　elder　Huntsman　proved

of　the　greatest　advantage　to　Sheffield；　for　there　is　scarcely　a

civilized　country　where　Sheffield　steel　is　not　largely　used；　either

in　its　most　highly　finished　forms　of　cutlery；　or　as　the　raw　material

for　some　home　manufacture。　　In　the　mean　time　the　demand　for　Huntsman's

steel　steadily　increased；　and　in　l770；　for　the　purpose　of　obtaining

greater　scope　for　his　operations；　he　removed　to　a　large　new

manufactory　which　he　erected　at　Attercliffe；　a　little　to　the　north　of

Sheffield；　more　conveniently　situated　for　business　purposes。　　There　he

continued　to　flourish　for　six　years　more；　making　steel　and　practising

benevolence；　for；　like　the　Darbys　and　Reynoldses　of　Coalbrookdale；　he

was　a　worthy　and　highly　respected　member　of　the　Society　of　Friends。

He　was　well　versed　in　the　science　of　his　day；　and　skilled　in

chemistry；　which　doubtless　proved　of　great　advantage　to　him　in

pursuing　his　experiments　in　metallurgy。*

　＇footnote。。。

We　are　informed　that　a　mirror　is　still　preserved　at　Attercliffe；　made

by　Huntsman　in　the　days　of　his　early　experiments。

　。。。＇

That　he　was　possessed　of　great　perseverance　will　be　obvious　from　the

difficulties　he　encountered　and　overcame　in　perfecting　his　valuable

invention。　　He　was；　however；　like　many　persons　of　strong　original

character；　eccentric　in　his　habits　and　reserved　in　his　manner。　　The

Royal　Society　wished　to　enrol　him　as　a　member　in　acknowledgment　of

the　high　merit　of　his　discovery　of　cast…steel；　as　well　as　because　of

his　skill　in　practical　chemistry；　but　as　this　would　have　drawn　him　in

some　measure　from　his　seclusion；　and　was　also；　as　he　imagined；

opposed　to　the　principles　of　the　Society　to　which　he　belonged；　he

declined　the　honour。　　Mr。　Huntsman　died　in　1776；　in　his　seventy…second

year；　and　was　buried　in　the　churchyard　at　Attercliffe；　where　a

gravestone　with　an　inscription　marks　his　resting…place。



His　son　continued　to　carry　on　the　business；　and　largely　extended　its

operations。　　The　Huntsman　mark　became　known　throughout　the　civilised

world。　　Le　Play　the　French　Professor　of　Metallurgy；　in　his　Memoire　of

1846；　still　speaks　of　the　cast…steel　bearing　the　mark　of　〃Huntsman

and　Marshall〃　as　the　best　that　is　made；　and　he　adds；　〃the　buyer　of

this　article；　who　pays　a　higher　price　for　it　than　for　other　sorts；　is

not　acting　merely　in　the　blind　spirit　of　routine；　but　pays　a　logical

and　well…deserved　homage　to　all　the　material　and　moral　qualities　of

which　the　true　Huntsman　mark　has　been　the　guarantee　for　a　century。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Annales　des　Mines；　vol。　ix。；　4th　Series；　266。

　。。。＇



Many　other　large　firms　now　compete　for　their　share　of　the　trade；　and

the　extent　to　which　it　has　grown；　the　number　of　furnaces　constantly

at　work；　and　the　quantity　of　steel　cast　into　ingots；　to　be　tilted　or

rolled　for　the　various　purposes　to　which　it　is　applied；　have　rendered

Sheffield　the　greatest　laboratory　in　the　world　of　this　valuable

material。　　Of　the　total　quantity　of　cast…steel　manufactured　in

England；　not　less　than　five…sixths　are　produced　there；　and　the

facilities　for　experiment　and　adaptation　on　the　spot　have　enabled　the

Sheffield　steel…makers　to　keep　the　lead　in　the　manufacture；　and

surpass　all　others　in　the　perfection　to　which　they　have　carried　this

important　branch　of　our　national　industry。　　It　is　indeed　a　remarkable

fact　that　this　very　town；　which　was　formerly　indebted　to　Styria　for

the　steel　used　in　its　manufactures；　now　exports　a　material　of　its　own

conversion　to　the　Austrian　forges　and　other　places　on　the　Continent

from　which　it　was　before　accustomed　to　draw　its　own　supplies。



Among　the　improved　processes　invented　of　late　years　for　the

manufacture　of　steel　are　those　of　Heath；　Mushet；　and　Bessemer。　　The

last　promises　to　effect　before　long　an　entire　revolution　in　the　iron

and　steel　trade。　　By　it　the　crude　metal　is　converted　by　one　simple

process；　directly　as　it　comes　from　the　blast…furnace。　　This　is

effected　by　driving　through　it；　while　still　in　a　molten　state；

several　streams　of　atmospheric　air；　on　which　the　carbon　of　the　crude

iron　unites　with　the　oxygen　of　the　atmosphere；　the　temperature　is

greatly　raised；　and　a　violent　ebullition　takes　place；　during　which；

if　the　process　be　continued；　that　part　of　the　carbon　which　appears　to

be　mechanically　mixed　and　diffused　through　the　crude　iron　is　entirely

consumed。　　The　metal　becomes　thoroughly　cleansed；　the　slag　is　ejected

and　removed；　while　the　sulphur　and　other　volatile　matters　are　driven

off；　the　result　being　an　ingot　of　malleable　iron　of　the　quality　of

charcoal　iron。　　An　important。　　feature　in　the　process　is；　that　by

stopping　it　at　a　particular　stage；　immediately　following　the　boil；

before　the　whole　of　the　carbon　has　been　abstracted　by　the　oxygen；　the

crude　iron　will　be　found　to　have　passed　into　the　condition　of

cast…steel　of　ordinary　quality。　　By　continuing　the　process；　the　metal

losing　its　carbon；　it　passes　from　hard　to　soft　steel；　thence　to

steely　iron；　and　last　of　all　to　very　soft　iron；　so　that　by

interrupting　the　process　at　any　stage；　or　continuing　it　to　the　end；

almost　any　quality　of　iron　and　steel　may　be　obtained。　　One　of　the　most

valuable　forms　of　the　metal　is　described　by　Mr。　Bessemer　as

〃semi…steel；〃　being　in　hardness　about　midway　between　ordinary

cast…steel　and　soft　malleable　iron。　　The　Bessemer　processes　are　now　in

full　operation　in　England　as　well　as　abroad；　both　for　converting

crude　into　malleable　iron；　and　for　producing　steel；　and　the　results

are　expected　to　prove　of　the　greatest　practical　utility　in　all　cases

where　iron　and　steel　are　extensively　employed。



Yet；　like　every　other　invention；　this　of　Mr。　Bessemer　had　long　been

dreamt　of；　if　not　really　made。　　We　are　informed　in　Warner's　Tour

through　the　Northern。　　Counties　of　England；　published　at　Bath　in　l80L；

that　a　Mr。　Reed　of　Whitehaven　had　succeeded　at　that　early　period　in

making　steel　direct　from　the　ore；　and　Mr。　Mushet　clearly　alludes　to

the　process　in　his　〃Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel。〃　　Nevertheless；　Mr。

Bessemer　is　entitled　to　the　merit　of　working　out　the　idea；　and

bringing　the　process　to　perfection；　by　his　great　skill　and

indomitable　perseverance。　　In　the　Heath　process；　carburet　of　manganese

is　employed　to　aid　the　conversion　of　iron　into　steel；　while　it　also

confers　on　the　metal　the　property　of　welding　and　working　more　soundly

under　the　hammera　fact　discovered　by　Mr。　Heath　while　residing　in

India。　　Mr。　Mushet's　process　is　of　a　similar　character。　　Another

inventor；　Major　Uchatius；　an　Austrian　engineer；　granulates　crude　iron

while　in　a　molten　state　by　pouring　it　into　water；　and　then　subjecting

it　to　the　process　of　conversion。　　Some　of　the　manufacturers　still

affect　secrecy　in　their　operations；　but　as　one　of　the　Sanderson

firmfamous　for　the　excellence　of　their　steelremarked　to　a　visitor

when　showing　him　over　their　works；　〃the　great　secret　is　to　have　the

courage　to　be　honesta　spirit　to　purchase　the　best　material；　and　the

means　and　disposition　to　do　justice　to　it　in　the　manufacture。〃



It　remains　to　be　added；　that　much　of　the　success　of　the　Sheffield

manufactures　is　attributable　to　the　practical　skill　of　the　workmen；

who　have　profited　by　the　accumulated　experience　treasured　up　by　their

class　through　many　generations。　　The　results　of　the　innumerable

experiments　conducted　before　their　eyes　have　issued　in　a　most

valuable　though　unwritten　code　of　practice；　the　details　of　which　are

known　only　to　themselves。　　They　are　also　a　most　laborious　class；　and

Le　Play　says　of　them；　when　alluding　to　the　fact　of　a　single　workman

superintending　the　operations　of　three　steel…casting　furnaces〃I

have　found　nowhere　in　Europe；　except　in　England；　workmen　able　for　an

entire　day；　without　any　interval　of　rest；　to　undergo　such　toilsome

and　exhausting　labour　as　that　performed　by　these　Sheffield　workmen。〃







CHAPTER　VII。



THE　INVENTIONS　OF　HENRY　CORT。



〃I　have　always　found