industrial biography-第66章

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These　wheels　are　even　at　this　day　regarded　as　among　the　most　perfect

hydraulic　machines　in　Europe。　　About　the　same　time　they　supplied　the

mill　gearing　and　water…machinery　for　Messrs。　Escher　and　Company's

large　works　at　Zurich；　among　the　largest　cotton　manufactories　on　the

continent。



In　the　mean　while　the　industry　of　Manchester　and　the　neighbourhood；

through　which　the　firm　had　risen　and　prospered；　was　not　neglected；

but　had　the　full　benefit　of　the　various　improvements　which　they　were

introducing　in　mill　machinery。　　In　the　course　of　a　few　years　an　entire

revolution　was　effected　in　the　gearing。　　Ponderous　masses　of　timber

and　cast…iron；　with　their　enormous　bearings　and　couplings；　gave　place

to　slender　rods　of　wrought…iron　and　light　frames　or　hooks　by　which

they　were　suspended。　　In　like　manner；　lighter　yet　stronger　wheels　and

pulleys　were　introduced；　the　whole　arrangements　were　improved；　and；

the　workmanship　being　greatly　more　accurate；　friction　was　avoided；

while　the　speed　was　increased　from　about　40　to　upwards　of　300

revolutions　a　minute。　　The　fly…wheel　of　the　engine　was　also　converted

into　a　first　motion　by　the　formation　of　teeth　on　its　periphery；　by

which　a　considerable　saving　was　effected　both　in　cost　and　power。



These　great　improvements　formed　quite　an　era　in　the　history　of　mill

machinery；　and　exercised　the　most　important　influence　on　the

development　of　the　cotton；　flax；　silk；　and　other　branches　of

manufacture。　　Mr。　Fairbairn　says　the　system　introduced　by　his　firm　was

at　first　strongly　condemned　by　leading　engineers；　and　it　was　with

difficulty　that　he　could　overcome　the　force　of　their　opposition；　nor

was　it　until　a　wheel　of　thirty　tons　weight　for　a　pair　of　engines　of

100…horse　power　each　was　erected　and　set　to　work；　that　their

prognostications　of　failure　entirely　ceased。　　From　that　time　the

principles　introduced　by　Mr。　Fairbairn　have　been　adopted　wherever

steam　is　employed　as　a　motive　power　in　mills。



Mr。　Fairbairn　and　his　partner　had　a　hard　uphill　battle　to　fight　while

these　improvements　were　being　introduced；　but　energy　and

perseverance；　guided　by　sound　judgment；　secured　their　usual　reward；

and　the　firm　became　known　as　one　of　the　most　thriving　and

enterprising　in　Manchester。　　Long　years　after；　when　addressing　an

assembly　of　working　men；　Mr。　Fairbairn；　while　urging　the　necessity　of

labour　and　application　as　the　only　sure　means　of　self…improvement；

said；　〃I　can　tell　you　from　experience；　that　there　is　no　labour　so

sweet；　none　so　consolatory；　as　that　which　is　founded　upon　an　honest；

straightforward；　and　honourable　ambition。〃　　The　history　of　any

prosperous　business；　however；　so　closely　resembles　every　other；　and

its　details　are　usually　of　so　monotonous　a　character；　that　it　is

unnecessary　for　us　to　pursue　this　part　of　the　subject；　and　we　will

content　ourselves　with　briefly　indicating　the　several　further

improvements　introduced　by　Mr。　Fairbairn　in　the　mechanics　of

construction　in　the　course　of　his　long　and　useful　career。



His　improvements　in　water…wheels　were　of　great　value；　especially　as

regarded　the　new　form　of　bucket　which　he　introduced　with　the　object

of　facilitating　the　escape　of　the　air　as　the　water　entered　the　bucket

above；　and　its　readmission　as　the　water　emptied　itself　out　below。

This　arrangement　enabled　the　water　to　act　upon　the　wheel　with　the

maximum　of　effect　in　all　states　of　the　river；　and　it　so　generally

recommended　itself；　that　it　very　soon　became　adopted　in　most

water…mills　both　at　home　and　abroad。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　subject　will　be　found　fully　treated　in　Mr。　Fairbairn's　own　work；

A　Treatise　on　Mills　and　Mill…Work；　embodying　the　results　of　his　large

experience。

　。。。＇

His　labours　were　not；　however；　confined　to　his　own　particular　calling

as　a　mill　engineer；　but　were　shortly　directed　to　other　equally

important　branches　of　the　constructive　art。　　Thus　he　was　among　the

first　to　direct　his　attention　to　iron　ship　building　as　a　special

branch　of　business。　　In　1829；　Mr。　Houston；　of　Johnstown；　near　Paisley；

launched　a　light　boat　on　the　Ardrossan　Canal　for　the　purpose　of

ascertaining　the　speed　at　which　it　could　be　towed　by　horses　with　two

or　three　persons　on　board。　　To　the　surprise　of　Mr。　Houston　and　the

other　gentlemen　present；　it　was　found　that　the　labour　the　horses　had

to　perform　in　towing　the　boat　was　mach　greater　at　six　or　seven；　than

at　nine　miles　an　hour。　　This　anomaly　was　very　puzzling　to　the

experimenters；　and　at　the　request　of　the　Council　of　the　Forth　and

Clyde　Canal；　Mr。　Fairbairn；　who　had　already　become　extensively　known

as　a　scientific　mechanic；　was　requested　to　visit　Scotland　and

institute　a　series　of　experiments　with　light　boats　to　determine　the

law　of　traction；　and　clear　up；　if　possible；　the　apparent　anomalies　in

Mr。　Houston's　experiments。　　This　he　did　accordingly；　and　the　results

of　his　experiments　were　afterwards　published；　The　trials　extended

over　a　series　of　years；　and　were　conducted　at　a　cost　of　several

thousand　pounds。　　The　first　experiments　were　made　with　vessels　of

wood；　but　they　eventually　led　to　the　construction　of　iron　vessels

upon　a　large　scale　and　on　an　entirely　new　principle　of　construction；

with　angle　iron　ribs　and　wrought…iron　sheathing　plates。　　The　results

proved　most　valuable；　and　had　the　effect　of　specially　directing　the

attention　of　naval　engineers　to　the　employment　of　iron　in　ship

building。



Mr。　Fairbairn　himself　fully　recognised　the　value　of　the　experiments；

and　proceeded　to　construct　an　iron　vessel　at　his　works　at　Manchester；

in　1831；　which　went　to　sea　the　same　year。　　Its　success　was　such　as　to

induce　him　to　begin　iron　shipbuilding　on　a　large　scale；　at　the　same

time　as　the　Messrs。　Laird　did　at　Birkenhead；　and　in　1835；　Mr。

Fairbairn　established　extensive　works　at　Millwall；　on　the

Thames；afterwards　occupied　by　Mr。　Scott　Russell；　in　whose　yard　the

〃Great　Eastern〃　steamship　was　erected；　where　in　the　course　of　some

fourteen　years　he　built　upwards　of　a　hundred　and　twenty　iron　ships；

some　of　them　above　2000　tons　burden。　　It　was　in　fact　the　first　great

iron　shipbuilding　yard　in　Britain；　and　led　the　way　in　a　branch　of

business　which　has　since　become　of　first…rate　magnitude　and

importance。　　Mr。　Fairbairn　was　a　most　laborious　experimenter　in　iron；

and　investigated　in　great　detail　the　subject　of　its　strength；　the

value　of　different　kinds　of　riveted　joints　compared　with　the　solid

plate；　and　the　distribution　of　the　material　throughout　the　structure；

as　well　as　the　form　of　the　vessel　itself。　　It　would　indeed　be

difficult　to　over…estimate　the　value　of　his　investigations　on　these

points　in　the　earlier　stages　of　this　now　highly　important　branch　of

the　national　industry。



To　facilitate　the　manufacture　of　his　iron…sided　ships；　Mr。　Fairbairn；

about　the　year　1839；　invented　a　machine　for　riveting　boiler　plates　by

steam…power。　　The　usual　method　by　which　this　process　had　before　been

executed　was　by　hand…hammers；　worked　by　men　placed　at　each　side　of

the　plate　to　be　riveted；　acting　simultaneously　on　both　sides　of　the

bolt。　　But　this　process　was　tedious　and　expensive；　as　well　as　clumsy

and　imperfect；　and　some　more　rapid　and　precise　method　of　fixing　the

plates　firmly　together　was　urgently　wanted。　　Mr。　Fairbairn's　machine

completely　supplied　the　want。　　By　its　means　the　rivet　was　driven　into

its　place；　and　firmly　fastened　there　by　a　couple　of　strokes　of　a

hammer　impelled　by　steam。　　Aided　by　the　Jacquard　punching…machine　of

Roberts；　the　riveting　of　plates　of　the　largest　size　has　thus　become

one　of　the　simplest　operations　in　iron…manufacturing。



The　thorough　knowledge　which　Mr。　Fairbairn　possessed　of　the　strength

of　wrought…iron　in　the　form　of　the　hollow　beam　（which　a　wrought…iron

ship　really　is）　naturally　led　to　his　being　consulted　by　the　late

Robert　Stephenson　as　to　the　structures　by　means　of　which　it　was

proposed　to　span　the　estuary　of　the　Conway　and　the　Straits　of　Menai；

and　the　result　was　the　Conway　and　Britannia　Tubular　Bridges；　the

history　of　which　we　have　fully　described　elsewhere。*

　＇footnote。。。

Lives　of　the　Engineers；　vol。　iii。　416…40。　　See　also　An　Account　of　the

Construction　of　the　Britannia　and　Conway　Tubular　Bridges。　　By　William

Fairbairn；　C。E。　　1849。

　。。。＇

There　is　no　reason　to　doubt　that　by　far　the　largest　share　of　the

merit　of　working　out　the　practical　details　of　those　structures；　and

thus　realizing　Robert　Stephenson's　magnificent　idea　of　the　tubular

bridge；　belongs　to　Mr。　Fairbairn。



In　all　matters　connected　with　the　qualities　and　strength　of　iron；　he

came　to　be　regarded　as　a　first…rate　authority；　and　his　advice　was

often　sought　and　highly　valued。　　The　elaborate　experiments　instituted

by　him　as　to　the　strength　of　iron　of　all　kinds　have　formed　the

subject　of　various　papers　which　he　has　read　before　the　British

Association；　the　Royal　Society；　and　the　Literary　and　Philosophical

Society　of　Manchester。　　His　practical　inquries　as　to　the　strength　of

boilers　have　led　to　his　being　frequently　called　upon　to　investigate

the　causes　of　boiler　explosions；　on　which　subject　he　has　published

many　elaborate　reports。　　The　study　of　this　subject　led　him　to

elucidate　the　law　according　to　which　the　density　of　steam　varies

throughout　an　extensive　range　of　pressures　and　atmospheres；in

singular　confirmation　of　what　had　before　been　provisionally

calculated　from　the　mechanical　theory　of　heat。　　His　discovery　of　the

true　method　of　preventing　the　tendency　of　tubes　to　collapse；　by

dividing　the　flues　of　long　boilers　into　short　lengths　by　means　of

stiffening　rings；　arising　out　of　the　same　investigation；　was　one　of

the　valuable　results　of　his　minute　study　of　the　subject；　and　is

calculated　to　be　of　essential　value　in　the　manufacturing　districts　by

diminishing　the　chances　of　boiler　explosions；　and　saving　the

lamentable　loss　of　life　which　has　during　the　last　twenty　years　been

occasioned　by　the　malconstruction　of　boilers。　　Among　Mr。　Fairbairn's

most　recent；　inquiries　are　those　conducted　by　him　at　the　instance　of

the　British　Government　relative　to　the　construction　of　iron…plated

ships；　his　report　of　which　has　not　yet　been　made　public；　most

probably　for　weighty　political　reasons。



We　might　also　refer　to　the　practical　improvements　which　Mr。　Fairbairn

has　been　instrumental　in　introducing　in　the　construction　of　buildings

of　various　kinds　by　the　use　of　iron。　　He　has　himself　erected　numerous

iron　structures；　and　pointed　out　the　road　which　other　manufacturers

have　readily　followed。　　〃I　am　one　of　those；〃　said　he；　in　his　'Lecture

on　the　Progress　of　Engineering；'　〃who　have　great　faith　in　iron　walls

and　iron　beams；　and　although　I　have　both　spoken　and　written　much　on

the　subject；　I　cannot　too　forcibly　recommend　it　to　public　attention。

It　is　now　twenty　years　since　I　constructed　an　iron　house；　with　the

machinery　of　a　corn…mill；　for　Halil　Pasha；　then　Seraskier　of　the

Turkish　army　at　Constantinople。　　I　believe　it　was　the　first　iron　house

built　in