industrial biography-第37章

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at　Soho；　apparently　taken　by　some　such　process。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　plate　is　now　to　be　seen　at　the　Museum　of　Patents　at　South

Kensington。　　In　the　account　which　has　been　published　of　the　above

discovery　it　is　stated　that　〃an　old　man　of　ninety　（recently　dead　or

still　alive）　recollected；　or　recollects；　that　Watt　and　others　used　to

take　portraits　of　people　in　a　dark　（？）　room；　and　there　is　a　letter

extant　of　Sir　William　Beechey；　begging　the　Lunar　Society　to　desist

from　these　experiments；　as；　were　the　process　to　succeed；　it　would

ruin　portrait…painting。〃

　。。。＇



In　like　manner　the　invention　of　the　electric　telegraph；　supposed　to

be　exclusively　modern；　was　clearly　indicated　by　Schwenter　in　his

Delasements　Physico…Mathematiques；　published　in　1636；　and　he　there

pointed　out　how　two　individuals　could　communicate　with　each　other　by

means　of　the　magnetic　needle。　　A　century　later；　in　1746；　Le　Monnier

exhibited　a　series　of　experiments　in　the　Royal　Gardens　at　Paris；

showing　how　electricity　could　be　transmitted　through　iron　wire　950

fathoms　in　length；　and　in　1753　we　find　one　Charles　Marshall

publishing　a　remarkable　description　of　the　electric　telegraph　in　the

Scots　Magazine；　under　the　title　of　'An　expeditions　Method　of

conveying　Intelligence。'　Again；　in　1760；　we　find　George　Louis　Lesage；

professor　of　mathematics　at　Geneva；　promulgating　his　invention　of　an

electric　telegraph；　which　he　eventually　completed　and　set　to　work　in

1774。　　This　instrument　was　composed　of　twenty…four　metallic　wires；

separate　from　each　other　and　enclosed　in　a　non…conducting　substance。

Each　wire　ended　in　a　stalk　mounted　with　a　little　ball　of　elder…wood

suspended　by　a　silk　thread。　　When　a　stream　of　electricity；　no　matter

how　slight。；　was　sent　through　the　wire；　the　elder…ball　at　the

opposite　end　was　repelled；　such　movement　designating　some　letter　of

the　alphabet。　　A　few　years　later　we　find　Arthur　Young；　in　his　Travels

in　France；　describing　a　similar　machine　invented　by　a　M。　Lomond　of

Paris；　the　action　of　which　he　also　describes。*

　＇footnote。。。

〃l6th　Oct。l787。　　In　the　evening　to　M。　Lomond；　a　very　ingenious　and

inventive　mechanic；　who　has　made　an　improvement　of　the　jenny　for

spinning　cotton。　　Common　machines　are　said　to　make　too　hard　a　thread

for　certain　fabrics；　but　this　forms　it　loose　and　spongy。　　In

electricity　he　has　made　a　remarkable　discovery：　　you　write　two　or

three　words　on　a　paper；　he　takes　it　with　him　into　a　room；　and　turns　a

machine　inclosed　in　a　cylindrical　case；　at　the　top　of　which　is　an

electrometer；　a　small　fine　pith　ball；　a　wire　connects　with　a　similar

cylinder　and　electrometer　in　a　distant　apartment；　and　his　wife；　by

remarking　the　corresponding　motions　of　the　ball；　writes　down　the

words　they　indicate；　from　which　it　appears　that　he　has　formed　an

alphabet　of　motions。　　As　the　length　of　the　wire　makes　no　difference　in

the　effect；　a　correspondence　might　be　carried　on　at　any　distance：　　

within　and　without　a　besieged　town；　for　instance；　or　for　a　purpose

much　more　worthy；　and　a　thousand　times　more　harmless；　between　two

lovers　prohibited　or　prevented　from　any　better　connexion。　　Whatever

the　use　may　be；　the　invention　is　beautiful。〃Arthur　Young's　Travels

in　France　in　1787…8…9。　　London；　1792；　4to。　ed。　p。　65。

　。。。＇

In　these　and　similar　cases；　though　the　idea　was　born　and　the　model　of

the　invention　was　actually　made；　it　still　waited　the　advent　of　the

scientific　mechanical　inventor　who　should　bring　it　to　perfection；　and

embody　it　in　a　practical　working　form。



Some　of　the　most　valuable　inventions　have　descended　to　us　without　the

names　of　their　authors　having　been　preserved。　　We　are　the　inheritors

of　an　immense　legacy　of　the　results　of　labour　and　ingenuity；　but　we

know　not　the　names　of　our　benefactors。　　Who　invented　the　watch　as　a

measurer　of　time？　Who　invented　the　fast　and　loose　pulley？　Who

invented　the　eccentric？　Who；　asks　a　mechanical　inquirer；*

　＇footnote。。。

Mechanic's　Magazine；　4th　Feb。　1859。

　。。。＇

〃invented　the　method　of　cutting　screws　with　stocks　and　dies？　Whoever

he　might　be；　he　was　certainly　a　great　benefactor　of　his　species。　　Yet

（adds　the　writer）　his　name　is　not　known；　though　the　invention　has

been　so　recent。〃　　This　is　not；　however；　the　case　with　most　modern

inventions；　the　greater　number　of　which　are　more　or　less　disputed。

Who　was　entitled　to　the　merit　of　inventing　printing　has　never　yet　been

determined。　　Weber　and　Senefelder　both　laid　claim　to　the　invention　of

lithography；　though　it　was　merely　an　old　German　art　revived。　　Even　the

invention　of　the　penny…postage　system　by　Sir　Rowland　Hill　is

disputed；　Dr。　Gray　of　the　British　Museum　claiming　to　be　its　inventor；

and　a　French　writer　alleging　it　to　be　an　old　French　invention。*

　＇footnote。。。

A　writer　in　the　Monde　says：　　〃The　invention　of　postage…stamps。　　is　far

from　being　so　modern　as　is　generally　supposed。　　A　postal　regulation　in

France　of　the　year　1653；　which　has　recently　come　to　light；　gives

notice　of　the　creation　of　pre…paid　tickets　to　be　used　for　Paris

instead　of　money　payments。　　These　tickets　were　to　be　dated　and

attached　to　the　letter　or　wrapped　round　it；　in　such　a　manner　that　the

postman　could　remove　and　retain　them　on　delivering　the　missive。　　These

franks　were　to　be　sold　by　the　porters　of　the　convents；　prisons；

colleges；　and　other　public　institutions；　at　the　price　of　one　sou。〃

　。。。＇

　The　invention　of　the　steamboat　has　been　claimed　on　behalf　of　Blasco

de　Garay；　a　Spaniard；　Papin；　a　Frenchman；　Jonathan　Hulls；　an

Englishman；　and　Patrick　Miller　of　Dalswinton；　a　Scotchman。　　The

invention　of　the　spinning　machine　has　been　variously　attributed　to

Paul；　Wyatt；　Hargreaves；　Higley；　and　Arkwright。　　The　invention　of　the

balance…spring　was　claimed　by　Huyghens；　a　Dutchman；　Hautefeuille；　a

Frenchman；　and　Hooke；　an　Englishman。　　There　is　scarcely　a　point　of

detail　in　the　locomotive　but　is　the　subject　of　dispute。　　Thus　the

invention　of　the　blast…pipe　is　claimed　for　Trevithick；　George

Stephenson；　Goldsworthy　Gurney；　and　Timothy　Hackworth；　that　of　the

tubular　boiler　by　Seguin；　Stevens；　Booth；　and　W。　　H。　　James；　that　of

the　link…motion　by　John　Gray；　Hugh　Williams；　and　Robert　Stephenson。



Indeed　many　inventions　appear　to　be　coincident。　　A　number　of　minds　are

working　at　the　same　time　in　the　same　track；　with　the　object　of

supplying　some　want　generally　felt；　and；　guided　by　the　same

experience；　they　not　unfrequently　arrive　at　like　results。　　It　has

sometimes　happened　that　the　inventors　have　been　separated　by　great

distances；　so　that　piracy　on　the　part　of　either　was　impossible。　　Thus

Hadley　and　Godfrey　almost　simultaneously　invented　the　quadrant；　the

one　in　London；　the　other　in　Philadelphia；　and　the　process　of

electrotyping　was　invented　at　the　same　time　by　Mr。　Spencer；　a　working

chemist　at　Liverpool；　and　by　Professor　Jacobi　at　St。　　Petersburg。　　The

safety…lamp　was　a　coincident　invention；　made　about　the　same　time　by

Sir　Humphry　Davy　and　George　Stephenson；　and　perhaps　a　still　more

remarkable　instance　of　a　coincident　discovery　was　that　of　the　planet

Neptune　by　Leverrier　at　Paris；　and　by　Adams　at　Cambridge。



It　is　always　difficult　to　apportion　the　due　share　of　merit　which

belongs　to　mechanical　inventors；　who　are　accustomed　to　work　upon　each

other's　hints　and　suggestions；　as　well　as　by　their　own　experience。

Some　idea　of　this　difficulty　may　be　formed　from　the　fact　that；　in　the

course　of　our　investigations　as　to　the　origin　of　the　planing

machineone　of　the　most　useful　of　modern　toolswe　have　found　that

it　has　been　claimed　on　behalf　of　six　inventorsFox　of　Derby；　Roberts

of　Manchester；　Matthew　Murray　of　Leeds；　Spring　of　Aberdeen；　Clement

and　George　Rennie　of　London；　and　there　may　be　other　claimants　of　whom

we　have　not　yet　heard。　　But　most　mechanical　inventions　are　of　a　very

composite　character；　and　are　led　up　to　by　the　labour　and　the　study　of

a　long　succession　of　workers。　　Thus　Savary　and　Newcomen　led　up　to

Watt；　Cugnot；　Murdock；　and　Trevithick　to　the　Stephensons；　and

Maudslay　to　Clement；　Roberts；　Nasmyth；　Whitworth；　and　many　more

mechanical　inventors。　　There　is　scarcely　a　process　in　the　arts　but　has

in　like　manner　engaged　mind　after　mind　in　bringing　it　to　perfection。

〃There　is　nothing；〃　says　Mr。　Hawkshaw；　〃really　worth　having　that　man

has　obtained；　that　has　not　been　the　result　of　a　combined　and　gradual

process　of　investigation。　　A　gifted　individual　comes　across　some　old

footmark；　stumbles　on　a　chain　of　previous　research　and　inquiry。　　He

meets；　for　instance；　with　a　machine；　the　result　of　much　previous

labour；　he　modifies　it；　pulls　it　to　pieces；　constructs　and

reconstructs　it；　and　by　further　trial　and　experiment　he　arrives　at

the　long　sought…for　result。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Inaugural　Address　delivered　before　the　Institution　of　Civil

Engineers；　l4th　Jan。　1862。

　。。。＇



But　the　making　of　the　invention　is　not　the　sole　difficulty。　　It　is　one

thing　to　invent；　said　Sir　Marc　Brunel；　and　another　thing　to　make　the

invention　work。　　Thus　when　Watt；　after　long　labour　and　study；　had

brought　his　invention　to　completion；　he　encountered　an　obstacle　which

has　stood　in　the　way　of　other　inventors；　and　for　a　time　prevented　the

introduction　of　their　improvements；　if　not　led　to　their　being　laid

aside　and　abandoned。　　This　was　the　circumstance　that　the　machine

projected　was　so　much　in　advance　of　the　mechanical　capability　of　the

age　that　it　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty　it　could　be　executed。

When　labouring　upon　his　invention　at　Glasgow；　Watt　was　baffled　and

thrown　into　despair　by　the　clumsiness　and　incompetency　of　his

workmen。　　Writing　to　Dr。　Roebuck　on　one　occasion；　he　said；　〃You　ask

what　is　the　principal　hindrance　in　erecting　engines？　It　is　always　the

smith…work。〃　　His　first　cylinder　was　made　by　a　whitesmith；　of　hammered

iron　soldered　together；　but　having　used　quicksilver　to　keep　the

cylinder　air…tight；　it　dropped　through　the　inequalities　into　the

interior；　and　〃played　the　devil　with　the　solder。〃　　Yet；　inefficient

though　the　whitesmith　was；　Watt　could　ill　spare　him；　and　we　find　him

writing　to　Dr。　Roebuck　almost　in　despair；　saying；　〃My　old　white…iron

man　is　dead！〃　feeling　his　loss　to　be　almost　irreparable。　　His　next

cylinder　was　cast　and　bored　at　Carron；　but　it　was　so　untrue　that　it

proved　next　to　useless。　　The　piston　could　not　be　kept　steam　tight；

notwithstanding　the　various　expedients　which　were　adopted　of　stuffing

it　with　paper；　cork；　putty；　pasteboard；　and　old　hat。　　Even　after　Watt

had　removed　to　Birmingham；　and　he　had　the　assistance　of　Boulton's

best　workmen；　Smeaton　expressed　the　opinion；　when　he　saw　the　engine

at　work；　that　notwithstanding　the　excellence　of　the　invention；　it

could　never　be　brought　into　general　use　because　of　the　difficulty　of

getting　its　various　parts　manufactured　with　sufficient　precision。　　For

a　long　time　we　find　Watt；　in　his　letters；　complaining　to　his　partner

of　the　failure　of　his　engines　through　〃villainous　bad　workmanship。〃

Sometimes　the　cylinder