industrial biography-第34章

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country　are　generally　unfit　for　coking；　and　lose　as　much　as　55　per

cent。　　in　the　process。　　But　by　using　the　hot　blast；　the　coal　could　be

sent　to　the　blast…furnace　in　its　raw　state；　by　which　a　large　saving

of　fuel　was　effected。*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Mushet　says；　〃The　greatest　produce　in　iron　per　furnace　with　the

Black　Band　and　cold　blast　never　exceeded　60　tons　a…week。　　The　produce

per　furnace　now　averages　90　tons　a…week。　　Ten　tons　of　this　I　attribute

to　the　use　of　raw　pit…coal；　and　the　other　twenty　tons　to　the　use　of

hot　blast。〃　　＇Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel；　127。＇　The　produce　per　furnace

is　now　200　tons　a…week　and　upwards。　　The　hot　blast　process　was

afterwards　applied　to　the　making　of　iron　with　the　anthracite　or　stone

coal　of　Wales；　for　which　a　patent　was　taken　out　by　George　Crane　in

1836。　　Before　the　hot　blast　was　introduced；　anthracite　coal　would　not

act　as　fuel　in　the　blast…furnace。　　When　put　in；　it　merely　had　the

effect　of　putting　the　fire　out。　　With　the　aid　of　the　hot　blast；

however；　it　now　proves　to　be　a　most　valuable　fuel　in　smelting。

　。。。＇

Even　coals　of　an　inferior　quality　were　by　its　means　made　available

for　the　manufacture　of　iron。　　But　one　of　the　peculiar　qualities　of　the

Black　Band　ironstone　is　that　in　many　cases　it　contains　sufficient

coaly　matter　for　purposes　of　calcination；　without　any　admixture　of

coal　whatever。　　Before　its　discovery；　all　the　iron　manufactured　in

Scotland　was　made　from　clay…band；　but　the　use　of　the　latter　has　in　a

great　measure　been　discontinued　wherever　a　sufficient　supply　of　Black

Band　can　be　obtained。　　And　it　is　found　to　exist　very　extensively　in

most　of　the　midland　Scotch　counties；the　coal　and　iron　measures

stretching　in　a　broad　belt　from　the　Firth　of　Forth　to　the　Irish

Channel　at　the　Firth　of　Clyde。　　At　the　time　when　the　hot　blast　was

invented；　the　fortunes　of　many　of　the　older　works　were　at　a　low　ebb；

and　several　of　them　had　been　discontinued；　but　they　were　speedily

brought　to　life　again　wherever　Black　Band　could　be　found。　　In　1829；

the　year　after　Neilson's　patent　was　taken　out；　the　total　make　of

Scotland　was　29；000　tons。　　As　fresh　discoveries　of　the　mineral　were

made；　in　Ayrshire　and　Lanarkshire；　new　works　were　erected；　until；　in

1845；　we　find　the　production　of　Scotch　pig…iron　had　increased　to

475；000　tons。　　It　has　since　increased　to　upwards　of　a　million　of　tons；

nineteen…twentieths　of　which　are　made　from　Black　Band　ironstone。*

　＇footnote。。。

It　is　stated　in　the　North　British　Review　for　Nov。　1845；　that　〃As　in

Scotland　every　furnacewith　the　exception　of　one　at　Carronnow　uses

the　hot　blast　the　saving　on　our　present　produce　of　400；000　tons　of

pig…iron　is　2；000；000　tons　of　coals；　200；000　tons　of　limestone；　and

#650；000　sterling　per　annum。〃　　But　as　the　Scotch　produce　is　now　above

a　million　tons　of　pig…iron　a　year；　the　above　figures　will　have　to　be

multiplied　by　2　1/2　to　give　the　present　annual　savings。

　。。。＇



Employment　has　thus　been　given　to　vast　numbers　of　our　industrial

population；　and　the　wealth　and　resources　of　the　Scotch　iron　districts

have　been　increased　to　an　extraordinary　extent。　　During　the　last　year

there　were　125　furnaces　in　blast　throughout　Scotland；　each　employing

about　400　men　in　making　an　average　of　200　tons　a　week；　and　the　money

distributed　amongst　the　workmen　may　readily　be　computed　from　the　fact

that；　under　the　most　favourable　circumstances；　the　cost　of　making

iron　in　wages　alone　amounts　to　36s。　a…ton。*

　＇footnote。。。

Papers　read　by　Mr。　Ralph　Moore；　Mining　Engineer；　Glasgow；　before　the

Royal　Scottish　Society　of　Arts；　Edin。　　1861；　pp。　13；　14。

　。。。＇



An　immense　additional　value　was　given　to　all　land　in　which　the　Black

Band　was　found。　　Mr。　Mushet　mentions　that　in　1839　the　proprietor　of

the　Airdrie　estate　derived　a　royalty　of　16；500L。　from　the　mineral；

which　had　not　before　its　discovery　yielded　him　one　farthing。　　At　the

same　time；　many　fortunes　have　been　made　by　pushing　and　energetic　men

who　have　of　late　years　entered　upon　this　new　branch　of　industry。

Amongst　these　may　be　mentioned　the　Bairds　of　Gartsherrie；　who　vie

with　the　Guests　and　Crawshays　of　South　Wales；　and　have　advanced

themselves　in　the　course　of　a　very　few　years　from　the　station　of

small　farmers　to　that　of　great　capitalists　owning　estates　in　many

counties；　holding　the　highest　character　commercial　men；　and　ranking

among　the　largest　employers　of　labour　in　the　kingdom。





CHAPTER　X。



MECHANICAL　INVENTIONS　AND　INVENTORS。



〃L'invention　nest…elle　pas　la　poesie　de　la　science？　。　　。　　。　　Toutes　les

grandes　decouvertes　portent　avec　elles　la　trace　ineffacable　d'une

pensee　poetique。　　ll　faut　etre　poete　pour　creer。　　Aussi；　sommes…nous

convaincus　que　si　les　puissantes　machines；　veritable　source　de　la

production　et　de　l'industrie　de　nos　jours；　doivent　recevoir　des

modifications　radicales；　ce　sera　a　des　hommes　d'imagination；　et　non

point　a　dea　hommes　purement　speciaux；　que　l'on　devra　cette

transformation。〃E。　M。　BATAILLE；　Tr　aite　des　Machines　a　Vapeur。





Tools　have　played　a　highly　important　part　in　the　history　of

civilization。　　Without　tools　and　the　ability　to　use　them；　man　were

indeed　but　a　〃poor；　bare；　forked　animal；〃worse　clothed　than　the

birds；　worse　housed　than　the　beaver；　worse　fed　than　the　jackal。　　〃Weak

in　himself；〃　says　Carlyle；　〃and　of　small　stature；　he　stands　on　a

basis；　at　most　for　the　flattest…soled；　of　some　half　square　foot；

insecurely　enough；　has　to　straddle　out　his　legs；　Jest　the　very　wind

supplant　him。　　Feeblest　of　bipeds！　　Three　quintals　are　a　crushing　load

for　him；　the　steer　of　the　meadow　tosses　him　aloft　like　a　waste　rag。

Nevertheless　he　can　use　tools；　can　devise　tools：　　with　these　the

granite　mountain　melts　into　light　dust　before　him；　he　kneads　glowing

iron　as　if　it　were　soft　paste；　seas　are　his　smooth　highway；　winds　and

fire　his　unvarying　steeds。　　Nowhere　do　you　find　him　without　tools：　　

without　tools　he　is　nothing；　with　tools　he　is　all。〃　　His　very　first

contrivances　to　support　life　were　tools　of　the　simplest　and　rudest

construction；　and　his　latest　achievements　in　the　substitution　of

machinery　for　the　relief　of　the　human　hand　and　intellect　are　founded

on　the　use　of　tools　of　a　still　higher　order。　　Hence　it　is　not　without

good　reason　that　man　has　by　some　philosophers　been　defined　as　A

TOOL…MAKING　ANIMAL。



Tools；　like　everything　else；　had　small　beginnings。　　With　the　primitive

stone…hammer　and　chisel　very　little　could　be　done。　　The　felling　of　a

tree　would　occupy　a　workman　a　month；　unless　helped　by　the　destructive

action　of　fire。　　Dwellings　could　not　be　built；　the　soil　could　not　be

tilled；　clothes　could　not　be　fashioned　and　made；　and　the　hewing　out

of　a　boat　was　so　tedious　a　process　that　the　wood　must　have　been　far

gone　in　decay　before　it　could　be　launched。　　It　was　a　great　step　in

advance　to　discover　the　art　of　working　in　metals；　more　especially　in

steel；　one　of　the　few　metals　capable　of　taking　a　sharp　edge　and

keeping　it。　　From　the　date　of　this　discovery；　working　in　wood　and

stone　would　be　found　comparatively　easy；　and　the　results　must

speedily　have　been　felt　not　only　in　the　improvement　of　man's　daily

food；　but　in　his　domestic　and　social　condition。　　Clothing　could　then

be　made；　the　primitive　forest　could　be　cleared　and　tillage　carried

on；　abundant　fuel　could　be　obtained；　dwellings　erected；　ships　built；

temples　reared；　every　improvement　in　tools　marking　a　new　step　in　the

development　of　the　human　intellect；　and　a　further　stage　in　the

progress　of　human　civilization。



The　earliest　tools　were　of　the　simplest　possible　character；

consisting　principally　of　modifications　of　the　wedge；　such　as　the

knife；　the　shears　（formed　of　two　knives　working　on　a　joint）；　the

chisel；　and　the　axe。　　These；　with　the　primitive　hammer；　formed　the

principal　stock…in…trade　of　the　early　mechanics；　who　were

handicraftsmen　in　the　literal　sense　of　the　word。　　But　the　work　which

the　early　craftsmen　in　wood；　stone；　brass；　and　iron；　contrived　to

execute；　sufficed　to　show　how　much　expertness　in　the　handling　of

tools　will　serve　to　compensate　for　their　mechanical　imperfections。

Workmen　then　sought　rather　to　aid　muscular　strength　than　to　supersede

it；　and　mainly　to　facilitate　the　efforts　of　manual　skill。　　Another

tool　became　added　to　those　mentioned　above；　which　proved　an

additional　source　of　power　to　the　workman。　　We　mean　the　Saw；　which　was

considered　of　so　much　importance　that　its　inventor　was　honoured　with

a　place　among　the　gods　in　the　mythology　of　the　Greeks。　　This　invention

is　said　to　have　been　suggested　by　the　arrangement　of　the　teeth　in　the

jaw　of　a　serpent；　used　by　Talus　the　nephew　of　Daedalus　in　dividing　a

piece　of　wood。　　From　the　representations　of　ancient　tools　found　in　the

paintings　at　Herculaneum　it　appears　that　the　frame…saw　used　by　the

ancients　very　nearly　resembled　that　still　in　use；　and　we　are　informed

that　the　tools　employed　in　the　carpenters'　shops　at　Nazareth　at　this

day　are　in　most　respects　the　same　as　those　represented　in　the　buried

Roman　city。　　Another　very　ancient　tool　referred　to　in　the　Bible　and　in

Homer　was　the　File；　which　was　used　to　sharpen　weapons　and　implements。

Thus　the　Hebrews　〃had　a　file　for　the　mattocks；　and　for　the　coulters；

and　for　the　forks；　and　for　the　axes；　and　to　sharpen　the　goads。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

1　Samuel；　ch。　xiii。　v。　21。

　。。。＇

When　to　these　we　add　the　adze；　plane…irons；　the　anger；　and　the

chisel；　we　sum　up　the　tools　principally　relied　on　by　the　early

mechanics　for　working　in　wood　and　iron。



Such　continued　to　be　the　chief　tools　in　use　down　almost　to　our　own

day。　　The　smith　was　at　first　the　principal　tool…maker；　but　special

branches　of　trade　were　gradually　established；　devoted　to　tool…making。

So　long；　however；　as　the　workman　relied　mainly　on　his　dexterity　of

hand；　the　amount　of　production　was　comparatively　limited；　for　the

number　of　skilled　workmen　was　but　small。　　The　articles　turned　out　by

them；　being　the　product　of　tedious　manual　labour；　were　too　dear　to

come　into　common　use；　and　were　made　almost　exclusively　for　the　richer

classes　of　the　community。　　It　was　not　until　machinery　had　been

invented　and　become　generally　adopted　that　many　of　the　ordinary

articles　of　necessity　and　of　comfort　were　produced　in　sufficient

abundance　and　at　such　prices　as　enabled　them　to　enter　into　the

consumption　of　the　great　body　of　the　people。



But　every　improver　of　tools　had　a　long　and　difficult　battle　to　fight；

for　any　improvement　in　their　effective　power　was　sure　to　touch　the

interests　of　some　established　craft。　　Especially　was　this　the　case

with　machines；　which　are　but　tools　of　a　more　complete　though

complicated　kind　than　those　above　described。



Take；　for　instance；　the　case　of　the　Saw。　　The　tedious　drudgery　of

dividing　timber　by　the　old　fashioned　hand…saw　is　well　known。　　To　avoid

it；　some　ingenious　person　suggested　that　a　number　of　saws　should　be

fixed　to　a　frame　in　a　mill；　so　contrived　as　to　work　with　a

reciprocating