industrial biography-第25章

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CHAPTER　VII。



THE　INVENTIONS　OF　HENRY　CORT。



〃I　have　always　found　it　in　mine　own　experience　an　easier　matter　to

devise　manie　and　profitable　inventions；　than　to　dispose　of　one　of

them　to　the　good　of　the　author　himself。〃Sir　Hugh　Platt；　1589。





Henry　Cort　was　born　in　1740　at　Lancaster；　where　his　father　carried　on

the　trade　of　a　builder　and　brickmaker。　　Nothing　is　known　as　to　Henry's

early　history；　but　he　seems　to　have　raised　himself　by　his　own　efforts

to　a　respectable　position。　　In　1765　we　find　him　established　in　Surrey

Street；　Strand；　carrying　on　the　business　of　a　navy　agent；　in　which　he

is　said　to　have　realized　considerable　profits。　　It　was　while

conducting　this　business　that　he　became　aware　of　the　inferiority　of

British　iron　compared　with　that　obtained　from　foreign　countries。　　The

English　wrought　iron　was　considered　so　bad　that　it　was　prohibited

from　all　government　supplies；　while　the　cast　iron　was　considered　of

too　brittle　a　nature　to　be　suited　for　general　use。*

　＇footnote。。。

Life　of　Brunel；　p。　60。

　。。。＇

Indeed　the　Russian　government　became　so

persuaded　that　the　English　nation　could　not　carry　on　their

manufactures　without　Russian　iron；　that　in　1770　they　ordered　the

price　to　be　raised　from　70　and　80　copecs　per　pood　to　200　and　220

copecs　per　pood。*

　＇footnote。。。

SCRIVENOR；　History　of　the　Iron　Trade；　169。

　。。。＇



Such　being　the　case；　Cort's　attention　became　directed　to　the　subject

in　connection　with　the　supply　of　iron　to　the　Navy；　and　he　entered　on

a　series　of　experiments　with　the　object　of　improving　the　manufacture

of　English　iron。　　What　the　particular　experiments　were；　and　by　what

steps　he　arrived　at　results　of　so　much　importance　to　the　British　iron

trade；　no　one　can　now　tell。　　All　that　is　known　is；　that　about　the　year

1775　he　relinquished　his　business　as　a　navy　agent；　and　took　a　lease

of　certain　premises　at　Fontley；　near　Fareham；　at　the　north…western

corner　of　Portsmouth　Harbour；　where　he　erected　a　forge　and　an　iron

mill。　　He　was　afterwards　joined　in　partnership　by　Samuel　Jellicoe　（son

of　Adam　Jellicoe；　then　Deputy…Paymaster　of　Seamen's　Wages）；　which

turned　out；　as　will　shortly　appear；　a　most　unfortunate　connection　for

Cort。



As　in　the　case　of　other　inventions；　Cort　took　up　the　manufacture　of

iron　at　the　point　to　which　his　predecessors　had　brought　it；　carrying

it　still　further；　and　improving　upon　their　processes。　　We　may　here

briefly　recite　the　steps　by　which　the　manufacture　of　bar…iron　by

means　of　pit…coal　had　up　to　this　time　been　advanced。　　In　1747；　Mr。

Ford　succeeded　at　Coalbrookdale　in　smelting　iron　ore　with　pit…coal；

after　which　it　was　refined　in　the　usual　way　by　means　of　coke　and

charcoal。　　In　1762；　Dr。　Roebuck　（hereafter　to　be　referred　to）　took　out

a　patent　for　melting　the　cast　or　pig　iron　in　a　hearth　heated　with

pit…coal　by　the　blast　of　bellows；　and　then　working　the　iron　until　it

was　reduced　to　nature；　or　metallized；　as　it　was　termed；　after　which

it　was　exposed　to　the　action　of　a　hollow　pit…coal　fire　urged　by　a

blast；　until　it　was　reduced　to　a　loop　and　drawn　out　into　bar…iron

under　a　common　forge…hammer。　　Then　the　brothers　Cranege；　in　1766；

adopted　the　reverberatory　or　air　furnace；　in　which　they　placed　the

pig　or　cast　iron；　and　without　blast　or　the　addition　of　anything　more

than　common　raw　pit…coal；　converted　the　same　into　good　malleable

iron；　which　being　taken　red　hot　from　the　reverberatory　furnace　to　the

forge　hammer；　was　drawn　into　bars　according　to　the　will　of　the

workman。　　Peter　Onions　of　Merthyr　Tydvil；　in　1783；　carried　the

manufacture　a　stage　further；　as　described　by　him　in　his　patent　of

that　year。　　Having　charged　his　furnace　（〃bound　with　iron　work　and　well

annealed〃）　with　pig　or　fused　cast　iron　from　the　smelting　furnace；　it

was　closed　up　and　the　doors　were　luted　with　sand。　　The　fire　was　urged

by　a　blast　admitted　underneath；　apparently　for　the　purpose　of　keeping

up　the　combustion　of　the　fuel　on　the　grate。　　Thus　Onions'　furnace　was

of　the　nature　of　a　puddling　furnace；　the　fire　of　which　was　urged　by　a

blast。　　The　fire　was　to　be　kept　up　until　the　metal　became　less　fluid；

and　〃thickened　into　a　kind　of　froth；　which　the　workman；　by　opening

the　door；　must　turn　and　stir　with　a　bar　or　other　iron　instrument；　and

then　close　the　aperture　again；　applying　the　blast　and　fire　until

there　was　a　ferment　in　the　metal。〃　　The　patent　further　describes　that

〃as　the　workman　stirs　the　metal；〃　the　scoriae　will　separate；　〃and　the

particles　of　iron　will　adhere；　which　particles　the　workman　must

collect　or　gather　into　a　mass　or　lump。〃　　This　mass　or　lump　was　then　to

be　raised　to　a　white　heat；　and　forged　into　malleable　iron　at　the

forge…hammer。



Such　was　the　stage　of　advance　reached　in　the　manufacture　of　bar…iron；

when　Henry　Cort　published　his　patents　in　1783　and　1784。　　In　dispensing

with　a　blast；　he　had　been　anticipated　by　the　Craneges；　and　in　the

process　of　puddling　by　Onions；　but　he　introduced　so　many　improvements

of　an　original　character；　with　which　he　combined　the　inventions　of

his　predecessors；　as　to　establish　quite　a　new　era　in　the　history　of

the　iron　manufacture；　and；　in　the　course　of　a　few　years；　to　raise　it

to　the　highest　state　of　prosperity。　　As　early　as　1786；　Lord　Sheffield

recognised　the　great　national　importance　of　Cort's　improvements　in

the　following　words：　　…　If　Mr。　Cort's　very　ingenious　and　meritorious

improvements　in　the　art　of　making　and　working　iron；　the　steam…engine

of　Boulton　and　Watt；　and　Lord　Dundonald's　discovery　of　making　coke　at

half　the　present　price；　should　all　succeed；　it　is　not　asserting　too

much　to　say　that　the　result　will　be　more　advantageous　to　Great

Britain　than　the　possession　of　the　thirteen　colonies　（of　America）；

for　it　will　give　the　complete　command　of　the　iron　trade　to　this

country；　with　its　vast　advantages　to　navigation。〃　　It　is　scarcely

necessary　here　to　point　out　how　completely　the　anticipations　of　Lord

Sheffield　have　been　fulfilled；　sanguine　though　they　might　appear　to

be　when　uttered　some　seventy…six　years　ago。*

　＇footnote。。。

Although　the　iron　manufacture　had　gradually　been　increasing　since　the

middle　of　the　century；　it　was　as　yet　comparatively　insignificant　in

amount。　　Thus　we　find；　from　a　statement　by　W。　　Wilkinson；　dated　Dec。

25；　1791；　contained　in　the　memorandum…book　of　Wm。　　Reynolds　of

Coalbrookdale；　that　the　produce　in　England　and　Scotland　was　then

estimated　to　be



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Coke　Furnaces。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Charcoal　Furnaces。



　In　England　。。。。。。73　producing　67；548　tons　　　　　　20　producing　8500　tons

　In　Scotland。。。。。。12　　　　　〃　　　　　12；480　　　〃　　　　　　　　2　　　　　〃　　　　　1000　　　〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　85　　　　　〃　　　　　80；028　　　〃　　　　　　　22　　　　　〃　　　　　9500　　　〃





At　the　same　time　the　annual　import　of　Oregrounds　iron　from　Sweden

amounted　to　about　20；000　tons；　and　of　bars　and　slabs　from　Russia

about　50；000　tons；　at　an　average　cost　of　35L。　a　ton！

　。。。＇



We　will　endeavour　as　briefly　as　possible　to　point　out　the　important

character　of　Mr。　Cort's　improvements；　as　embodied　in　his　two　patents

of　1783　and　1784。　　In　the　first　he　states　that；　after　〃great　study；

labour；　and　expense；　in　trying　a　variety　of　experiments；　and　making

many　discoveries；　he　had　invented　and　brought　to　perfection　a

peculiar　method　and　process　of　preparing；　welding；　and　working

various　sorts　of　iron；　and　of　reducing　the　same　into　uses　by

machinery：　　a　furnace；　and　other　apparatus；　adapted　and　applied　to　the

said　process。〃　　He　first　describes　his　method　of　making　iron　for

〃large　uses；〃　such　as　shanks；　arms；　rings；　and　palms　of　anchors；　by

the　method　of　piling　and　faggoting；　since　become　generally　practised；

by　laying　bars　of　iron　of　suitable　lengths；　forged　on　purpose；　and

tapering　so　as　to　be　thinner　at　one　end　than　the　other；　laid　over　one

another　in　the　manner　of　bricks　in　buildings；　so　that　the　ends　should

everywhere　overlay　each　other。　　The　faggots　so　prepared；　to　the　amount

of　half　a　ton　more　or　less；　were　then　to　be　put　into　a　common　air　or

balling　furnace；　and　brought　to　a　welding　heat；　which　was

accomplished　by　his　method　in　a　much　shorter　time　than　in　any　hollow

fire；　and　when　the　heat　was　perfect；　the　faggots　were　then　brought

under　a　forge…hammer　of　great　size　and　weight；　and　welded　into　a

solid　mass。　　Mr。　Cort　alleges　in　the　specification　that　iron　for

〃larger　uses〃　thus　finished；　is　in　all　respect's　possessed　of　the

highest　degree　of　perfection；　and　that　the　fire　in　the　balling

furnace　is　better　suited；　from　its　regularity　and　penetrating

quality；　to　give　the　iron　a　perfect　welding　heat　throughout　its　whole

mass；　without　fusing　in　any　part；　than　any　fire　blown　by　a　blast。

Another　process　employed　by　Mr。　Cort　for　the　purpose　of　cleansing　the

iron　and　producing　a　metal　of　purer　grain；　was　that　of　working　the

faggots　by　passing　them　through　rollers。　　〃By　this　simple　process；〃

said　he；　〃all　the　earthy　particles　are　pressed　out　and　the　iron

becomes　at　once　free　from　dross；　and　what　is　usually　called　cinder；

and　is　compressed　into　a　fibrous　and　tough　state。〃　　The　objection　has

indeed　been　taken　to　the　process　of　passing　the　iron　through　rollers；

that　the　cinder　is　not　so　effectually　got　rid　of　as　by　passing　it

under　a　tilt　hammer；　and　that　much　of　it　is　squeezed　into　the　bar　and

remains　there；　interrupting　its　fibre　and　impairing　its　strength。



It　does　not　appear　that　there　was　any　novelty　in　the　use　of　rollers

by　Cort；　for　in　his　first　specification　he　speaks　of　them　as　already

well　known。*

　＇footnote。。。

〃It　is　material　to　observe〃；　says　Mr。　Webster；　〃that　Cort；　in　this

specification；　speaks　of　the　rollers；　furnaces；　and　separate

processes；　as　well　known。　　There　is　no　claim　to　any　of　them

separately；　the　claim　is　to　the　reducing　of　the　faggots　of　piled　iron

into　bars；　and　the　welding　of　such　bars　by　rollers　instead　of　by

forge…hammers。〃Memoir　of　Henry　Cort；　in　Mechanic's　Magazine；　15

July；　1859；　by　Thomas　Webster；　M。A。；　F。R。S。

　。。。＇

His　great　merit　consisted　in　apprehending　the　value　of　certain

processes；　as　tested　by　his　own　and　others'　experience；　and　combining

and　applying　them　in　a　more　effective　practical　form　than　had　ever

been　done　before。　　This　power　of　apprehending　the　best　methods；　and

embodying　the　details　in　one　complete　whole；　marks　the　practical；

clear…sighted　man；　and　in　certain　cases　amounts　almost　to　a　genius。

The　merit　of　combining　the　inventions　of　others　in　such　forms　as　that

they　shall　work　to　advantage；　is　as　great　in　its　way　as　that　of　the

man　who　strikes　out　the　inventions　themselves；　but　who；　for　want　of

tact　and　experience；　cannot　carry　them　into　practical　effect。



It　was　the　same　with　Cort's　second　patent；　in　which　he　described　his

method　of　manufacturing　bar…iron　from　the　ore　or　from　cast…iron。　　All

the　several　processes　therein　described　had　been　practised　before　his

time；　his　merit　chiefly　consisting　in　the　skilful　manner