men of invention and industry-第10章

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Aaron　Manby　designed　an　iron　steam　vessel；　which　was　built　at　the

Horsley　Company's　Works；　in　Staffordshire。　　She　sailed　from

London　to　Havre　a　few　years　later；　under　the　command　of　Captain

（afterwards　Sir　Charles）　Napier；　RN。　　She　was　freighted　with　a

cargo　of　linseed　and　iron　castings；　and　went　up　the　Seine　to

Paris。　　It　was　some　time；　however；　before　iron　came　into　general

use。　　Ten　years　later；　in　1832；　Maudslay　and　Field　built　four

iron　vessels　for　the　East　India　Company。　　In　the　course　of　about

twenty　years；　the　use　of　iron　became　general；　not　only　for　ships

of　war；　but　for　merchant　ships　plying　to　all　parts　of　the　world。



When　ships　began　to　be　built　of　iron；　it　was　found　that　they

could　be　increased　without　limit；　so　long　as　coal；　iron；

machinery；　and　strong　men　full　of　skill　and　industry；　were

procurable。　　The　trade　in　shipbuilding　returned　to　Britain；　where

iron　ships　are　now　made　and　exported　in　large　numbers；　the

mercantile　marine　of　this　country　exceeding　in　amount　and　tonnage

that　of　all　the　other　countries　of　the　world　put　together。　　The

〃wooden　walls〃＇3＇　of　England　exist　no　more；　for　iron　has

superseded　wood。　　Instead　of　constructing　vessels　from　the

forest；　we　are　now　digging　new　navies　out　of　the　bowels　of　the

earth；　and　our　〃walls；〃　instead　of　wood；　are　now　of　iron　and

steel。



The　attempt　to　propel　ships　by　other　means　than　sails　and　oars

went　on　from　century　to　century；　and　did　not　succeed　until　almost

within　our　own　time。　　It　is　said　that　the　Roman　army　under

Claudius　Codex　was　transported　into　Sicily　in　boats　propelled　by

wheels　moved　by　oxen。　　Galleys；　propelled　by　wheels　in　paddles；

were　afterwards　attempted。　　The　Harleian　MS。　contains　an　Italian

book　of　sketches；　attributed　to　the　15th　century；　in　which　there

appears　a　drawing　of　a　paddle…boat；　evidently　intended　to　be

worked　by　men。　　Paddle…boats；　worked　by　horse…power；　were　also

tried。　　Blasco　Garay　made　a　supreme　effort　at　Barcelona　in　1543。　

His　vessel　was　propelled　by　a　paddle…wheel　on　each　side；　worked

by　forty　men。　　But　nothing　came　of　the　experiment。



Many　other　efforts　of　a　similar　kind　were　made；by　Savery　among

others；＇4＇until　we　come　down　to　Patrick　Miller；　of　Dalswinton；

who；　in　1787；　invented　a　double…hulled　boat；　which　he　caused　to

be　propelled　on　the　Firth　of　Forth　by　men　working　a　capstan　which

drove　the　paddles　on　each　side。　　The　men　soon　became　exhausted；

and　on　Miller　mentioning　the　subject　to　William　Symington；　who

was　then　exhibiting　his　road　locomotive　in　Edinburgh；　Symington

at　once　said；　〃Why　don't　you　employ　steam…power？〃



There　were　many　speculations　in　early　times　as　to　the　application

of　steam…power　for　propelling　vessels　through　the　water。　　David

Ramsay　in　1618；　Dr。　Grant　in　1632；　the　Marquis　of　Worcester　in

1661；　were　among　the　first　in　England　to　publish　their　views　upon

the　subject。　　But　it　is　probable　that　Denis　Papin；　the　banished

Hugnenot　physician；　for　some　time　Curator　of　the　Royal　Society；

was　the　first　who　made　a　model　steam…boat。　　Daring　his　residence

in　England；　he　was　elected　Professor　of　Mathematics　in　the

University　of　Marburg。　　It　was　while　at　that　city　that　he

constructed；　in　1707；　a　small　steam…engine；　which　he　fitted　in　a

boatune　petite　machine　d'un；　vaisseau　a　rouesand　despatched

it　to　England　for　the　purpose　of　being　tried　upon　the　Thames。　

The　little　vessel　never　reached　England。　　At　Munden；　the　boatmen

on　the　River　Weser；　thinking　that；　if　successful；　it　would

destroy　their　occupation；　seized　the　boat；　with　its　machine；　and

barbarously　destroyed　it。　　Papin　did　not　repeat　his　experiment；

and　died　a　few　years　later。



The　next　inventor　was　Jonathan　Hulls；　of　Campden；　in

Gloucestershire。　　He　patented　a　steamboat　in　1736；　and　worked　the

paddle…wheel　placed　at　the　stern　of　the　vessel　by　means　of　a

Newcomen　engine。　　He　tried　his　boat　on　the　River　Avon；　at

Evesham；　but　it　did　not　succeed；　and　the　engine　was　taken　on

shore　again。　　A　local　poet　commemorated　his　failure　in　the

following　lines；　which　were　remembered　long　after　his　steamboat

experiment　had　been　forgotten：



〃Jonathan　Hull；　

With　his　paper　skull；　

Tried　hard　to　make　a　machine　

That　should　go　against　wind　and　tide；　

But　he；　like　an　ass；　

Couldn't　bring　it　to　pass；　

So　at　last　was　ashamed　to　be　seen。〃



Nothing　of　importance　was　done　in　the　direction　of　a　steam…engine

able　to　drive　paddles；　until　the　invention　by　James　Watt；　in

1769；　of　his　double…acting　enginethe　first　step　by　which　steam

was　rendered　capable　of　being　successfully　used　to　impel　a

vessel。　　But　Watt　was　indifferent　to　taking　up　the　subject　of

steam　navigation；　as　well　as　of　steam　locomotion。　　He　refused

many　invitations　to　make　steam…engines　for　the　propulsion　of

ships；　preferring　to　confine　himself　to　his　〃regular　established

trade　and　manufacture；〃　that　of　making　condensing　steam…engines；

which　had　become　of　great　importance　towards　the　close　of　his

life。



Two　records　exist　of　paddle…wheel　steamboats　having　been　early

tried　in　Franceone　by　the　Comte　d'Auxiron　and　M。　Perrier　in

1774；　the　other　by　the　Comte　de　Jouffroy　in　1783but　the　notices

of　their　experiments　are　very　vague；　and　rest　on　somewhat

doubtful　authority。



The　idea；　however；　had　been　born；　and　was　not　allowed　to　die。　

When　Mr。　Miller　of　Dalswinton　had　revived　the　notion　of

propelling　vessels　by　means　of　paddle…wheels；　worked；　as　Savery

had　before　worked　them；　by　means　of　a　capstan　placed　in　the

centre　of　the　vessel；　and　when　he　complained　to　Symington　of　the

fatigue　caused　to　the　men　by　working　the　capstan；　and　Symington

had　suggested　the　use　of　steam；　Mr。　Miller　was　impressed　by　the

idea；　and　proceeded　to　order　a　steam…engine　for　the　purpose　of

trying　the　experiment。　　The　boat　was　built　at　Edinburgh；　and

removed　to　Dalswinton　Lake。　　It　was　there　fitted　with　Symington's

steam…engine；　and　first　tried　with　success　on　the　14th　of

October；　1788；　as　has　been　related　at　length　in　Mr。　Nasmyth's

'Autobiography。'　The　experiment　was　repeated　with　even　greater

success　in　the　charlotte　Dundas　in　1801；　which　was　used　to　tow

vessels　along　the　Forth　and　Clyde　Canal；　and　to　bring　ships　up

the　Firth　of　Forth　to　the　canal　entrance　at　Grangemouth。



The　progress　of　steam　navigation　was　nevertheless　very　slow。　

Symington's　experiments　were　not　renewed。　　The　Charlotte　Dundas

was　withdrawn　from　use；　because　of　the　supposed　injury　to　the

banks　of　the　Canal；　caused　by　the　swell　from　the　wheel。　　The

steamboat　was　laid　up　in　a　creek　at　Bainsford；　where　it　went　to

ruin；　and　the　inventor　himself　died　in　poverty。　　Among　those　who

inspected　the　vessel　while　at　work　were　Fulton；　the　American

artist；　and　Henry　Bell；　the　Glasgow　engineer。　　The　former　had

already　occupied　himself　with　model　steamboats；　both　at　Paris　and

in　London；　and　in　1805　he　obtained　from　Boulton　and　Watt；　of

Birmingham；　the　steam…engine　required　for　propelling　his　paddle

steamboat　on　the　Hudson。　　The　Clermont　was　first　started　in

August；　1807；　and　attained　a　speed　of　nearly　five　miles　an　hour。　

Five　years　later；　Henry　Bell　constructed　and　tried　his　first

steamer　on　the　Clyde。



It　was　not　until　1815　that　the　first　steamboat　was　seen　on　the

Thames。　　This　was　the　Richmond　packet；　which　plied　between　London

and　Richmond。　　The　vessel　was　fitted　with　the　first　marine　engine

Henry　Maudslay　ever　made。　　During　the　same　year；　the　Margery；

formerly　employed　on　the　Firth　of　Forth；　began　plying　between

Gravesend　and　London；　and　the　Thames；　formerly　the　Argyll；　came

round　from　the　Clyde；　encountering　rough　seas；　and　making　the

voyage　of　758　miles　in　five　days　and　two　hours。　　This　was　thought

extraordinarily　rapidthough　the　voyage　of　about　3000　miles；

from　Liverpool　to　New　York；　can　now　be　made　in　only　about　two

days'　more　time。



In　nearly　all　seagoing　vessels；　the　Paddle　has　now　almost

entirely　given　place　to　the　Screw。　　It　was　long　before　this

invention　was　perfected　and　brought　into　general　use。　　It　was　not

the　production　of　one　man；　but　of　several　generations　of

mechanical　inventors。　　A　perfected　invention　does　not　burst　forth

from　the　brain　like　a　poetic　thought　or　a　fine　resolve。　　It　has

to　be　initiated；　laboured　over；　and　pursued　in　the　face　of

disappointments；　difficulties；　and　discouragements。



Sometimes　the　idea　is　born　in　one　generation；　followed　out　in　the

next；　and　perhaps　perfected　in　the　third。　　In　an　age　of　progress；

one　invention　merely　paves　the　way　for　another。　　What　was　the

wonder　of　yesterday；　becomes　the　common　and　unnoticed　thing　of

to…day。



The　first　idea　of　the　screw　was　thrown　out　by　James　Watt　more

than　a　century　ago。　　Matthew　Boulton；　of　Birmingham；　had　proposed

to　move　canal　boats　by　means　of　the　steam…engine；　and　Dr。　Small；

his　friend；　was　in　communication　with　James　Watt；　then　residing

at　Glasgow；　on　the　subject。　　In　a　letter　from　Watt　to　Small；

dated　the　30th　September；　1770；　the　former；　after　speaking　of　the

condenser；　and　saying　that　it　cannot　be　dispensed　with；　proceeds：

〃Have　you　ever　considered　a　spiral　oar　for　that　purpose

＇propulsion　of　canal　boats＇；　or　are　you　for　two　wheels？〃　　Watt

added　a　pen…and…ink　drawing　of　his　spiral　oar；　greatly　resembling

the　form　of　screw　afterwards　patented。　　Nothing；　however；　was

actually　done；　and　the　idea　slept。



It　was　revived　again　in　1785；　by　Joseph　Bramah；　a　wonderful

projector　and　inventor。＇5＇　　He　took　out　a　patent；　which　included

a　rotatory　steam…engine；　and　a　mode　of　propelling　vessels　by

means　either　of　a　paddle…wheel　or　a　〃screw　propeller。〃　　This

propeller　was　〃similar　to　the　fly　of　a　smoke…jack〃；　but　there　is

no　account　of　Bramah　having　practically　tried　this　method　of

propulsion。



Austria；　also；　claims　the　honour　of　the　invention　of　the　screw

steamer。　　At　Trieste　and　Vienna　are　statues　erected　to　Joseph

Ressel；　on　whose　behalf　his　countrymen　lay　claim　to　the

invention；　and　patents　for　some　sort　of　a　screw　date　back　as　far

as　1794。



Patents　were　also　taken　out　in　England　and　Americaby　W。

Lyttleton　in　1794；　by　E。　Shorter　in　1799；　by　J。　C。　Stevens；　of

New　Jersey；　in　1804；　by　Henry　James　in　1811but　nothing

practical　was　accomplished。　　Richard　Trevethick；　the　anticipator

of　many　things；　also　took　out　a　patent　in　1815；　and　in　it　he

describes　the　screw　propeller　with　considerable　minuteness。　

Millington；　Whytock；　Perkins；　Marestier；　and　Brown　followed；　with

no　better　results。



The　late　Dr。　Birkbeck；　in　a　letter　addressed　to　the　'Mechanics'

Register；'　in　the　year　1824；　claimed　that　John　Swan；　of　82；

Mansfield　Street；　Kingsland　Road；　London；　was　the　practical

inventor　of　the　screw　propeller。　　John　Swan　was　a　native　of

Coldingham；　Berwickshire。　　He　had　removed　to　London；　and　entered

the　employment　of　Messrs。　Gordon；　of　Deptford。　　Swan　fitted　up　a

boat　with　his　propeller；　and　tried　it　on　a　sheet　of　water　in　the

grounds　of　Charles　Gordon；　Esq。；　of　Dulwich