an autobiography-第74章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


none　have　been　required；　so　I　cannot　compare　this　with　the　Clutch　systems。　　In　respect　of　steam　used；　the　direct　acting　engines　compare　favourably　with　an　expansion　beam　condensing　engine　doing　similar　but　lighter　work。　Should　it　ever　be　your　wish　to　see　this　mill　at　work；　I　should　be　much　pleased　to　have　the　opportunity　of　showing　it　to　you。　I　am；　dear　sir；　your　obedient　servant；

〃THOMAS　GILLOTT。〃


1854。　Drilling　Tunnels　through　Hard　Rock。

Besides　these　contrivances　and　methods　of　accomplishing　mechanical　objects；　I　have　on　several　occasions　read　papers；　prepared　drawings；　and　given　suggestions；　out　of　which　have　come　so…called　〃inventions〃　made　by　others。　　For　instance；　at　the　meeting　of　the　British　Association　in　Liverpool　in　1854；　I　read　a　paper　and　exhibited　drawings　before　the　Mechanical　Science　Section；　on　my　method　of　drilling　tunnels　through　hard　rock。　　The　paper　and　drawings　excited　considerable　interest　among　the　railway　engineers　who　were　present。　　I　afterwards　met　Mr。　George　Newmann；　C。E。；　who　consulted　me　on　the　same　subject。　　Several　years　after　（21st　April　1863）　I　received　the　following　letter　from　him：

〃DEAR　SirSome　few　years　ago；　I　had　the　pleasure　of　spending　an　evening　in　your　company　at　my　relative's　（Mr。　G。　Withington）　house　at　Pendleton。　　As　I　was　then　Engineer　to　the　Victor　Emmanuel　Railway；　and　had　made　a　survey　of　the　Mout　Cenis　for　the　purpose　of　the　Tunnel；　I　consulted　you　as　to　the　application　of　the　machinery　for　that　work。　You　suggested　the　driving　of　drills　in　a　manner　similar　to　a　piston…rod；　with　other　details。　　On　my　return　to　Savoy；　I　communicated　these　ideas　to　Mr。　Bartlett；　the　contractor's　agent；　and　I　recommended　him　to　get　a　small　trial　machine　made。　　This　he　had　done　in　a　few　months；　and　then　he　claimed　the　whole　idea　as　his　own。　　The　system　has　since　been　carried　out　（see　Times；　4th　April　1863）　by　compressed　air　instead　of　steam。　I　call　your　attention　to　this；　as　you　may　contradict；　if　you　think　proper；　the　assertion　in　the　article　above　mentioned；　that　the　idea　originated　with　Bartlett。〃

I　did　not；　however；　contradict　the　assertion。　　I　am　glad　that　my　description　and　drawings　proved　in　any　way　useful　towards　the　completion　of　that　magnificent　work；　the　seven…mile　tunnel　under　Mont　Cenis。

1862。　　Chilled　Cast…iron　Shot。

In　like　manner；　I　proposed　the　use　of　Chilled　Cast…Iron　Shot　at　a　meeting　of　the　Mechanical　Science　Section　of　the　British　Association；　held　at　Cambridge　in　October　1862。　　Up　to　that　time　hardened　steel　shot　had　been　used　to　penetrate　thick　iron　plates；　but　the　cost　was　excessive；　about　#30　a　ton。　　I　proposed　that　Chilled　Cast…Iron　should　be　substituted；　it　was　more　simple　and　inexpensive。　　Considerable　discussion　took　place　on　the　subject；　and　Sir　William　Fairbairn；　who　was　President　of　the　Section；　said　that　〃he　would　have　experiments　made；　and　he　hoped　that　before　the　next　meeting　of　the　Association；　the　matter　would　be　proved　experimentally。　　A　brief　report　of　the　discussion　is　given　in　the　Times　of　the　7th　October；　and　in　the　Athenaeum　of　the　18th　October；　1862。　　Before；　however；　the　matter　could　be　put　to　the　test　of　experiment；　Major　Palliser　had　taken　out　his　Patent　for　the　invention　of　Chilled　Cast…Iron　Shot；　in　May　1863；　for　which　he　was　afterwards　handsomely　rewarded。

I　do　not　wish　to　〃grasp〃　at　any　man's　inventions；　but　it　is　right　to　claim　my　own；　and　to　state　the　facts。　　The　discussion　above　mentioned　took　place　upon　a　paper　read　by　J。　Aston；　Esq。；　Q。C。；　who　thus　refers　to　the　subject　in　his　letter　to　me；　dated　the　7th　January　1867：

〃I　perfectly　remember　the　discussion　which　took　place　at　the　meeting　of　the　British　Association　at　Cambridge　in　1862；　upon　the　material　proper　to　be　used　as　projectiles。　　The　discussion　arose　after　a　paper　had　been　read　by　me　in　the　Mechanical　Section　upon　'Rifled　guns　and　projectiles　adapted　for　attacking　armour　plates。'　The　paper　was；　I　think；　printed　by　the　Association　in　their　Report　for　1862。　　You　spoke；　I　believe；　at　some　length　on　the　occasion；　and　I　recollect　that　you　surprised　and　much　interested　all　who　were　present；　by　strenuously　urging　the　use　of　Chilled　Cast…iron　for　shot　and　shell；　intended　for　penetrating　armour　plates。

〃Having　embraced　all　opportunities；　and　I　had　many　at　that　time；　of　ascertaining　all　that　was　done　in　the　way　of　improving　rifled　projectiles；　I　entertained　a　very　strong　opinion　that　experiments　had　shown　that　ordinary　cast…iron　was；　as　compared　with　steel；　of　very　little　value　for　shot　and　shell　to　be　used　against　iron　plates。　For　that　reason；　I　remember　I　took　an　opportunity；　after　the　termination　of　the　discussion；　in　which　you　held　your　own　against　all　comers　in　favour　of　chilled　cast…iron；　of　questioning　you　closely　on　the　subject；　and　you　gave　me；　I　admitted；　good　reason　for　the　opinion　you　expressed。　　You　also　urged　me　to　cause　a　trial　to　be　made　of　chilled　cast…iron　for　shell；　such　as　I　had　shown　to　the　section；　and　which　（in　hardened　steel　shot）　had　been　fired　by　Mr。　Whitworth　through　thick　iron　plates。　　This　I　had　not　an　opportunity　of　doing。　　Term　began　soon　after；　and　Temple　occupations　then　took　up　all　my　time。　　〃There　can　be　no　doubt　whatever　that　any　one　who　may　claim　to　have　been　before　you　in　teaching　the　public　the　use　of　Chilled　Cast　Iron　for　projectiles　intended　to　penetrate　iron　plates；　must　give　proof　of　having　so　done　prior　to　your　vigorous　advocacy　of　that　material　at　the　Cambridge　Meeting　in　1862。　Yours　very　sincerely；　〃J。Aston。〃

In　another　letter　Mr。　Aston　says〃It　is　quite　right　of　you　to　assert　your　claim　to　that　which　in　fact　belongs　to　you。〃　　I　did　not；　however；　assert　my　claim；　and；　with　these　observations　and　extracts；　I　leave　the　matter；　stating　again　the　fact　that　my　public　communication　of　the　invention　was　made　in　October　1862；　and　that　the　patent　for　the　invention　was　taken　out　by　Major　Palliser　in　May　1863。


Mr　Nasmyth's　final　comments　on　his　inventions　and　contrivances。

I　have　only　mentioned　the　more　prominent　of　my　inventions　and　contrivances。　　Had　I　described　them　fully　I　should　have　required　another　volume。　　I　have　the　satisfaction　to　know　that　many　of　them　have　greatly　advanced　the　progress　of　the　mechanical　arts；　though　they　may　not　be　acknowledged　as　mine。　　I　patented　very　few　of　my　inventions。　　The　others　I　sowed　broadcast　over　the　world　of　practical　mechanics。　　My　reward　is　in　the　knowledge　that　these　〃children　of　my　brain〃　are　doing；　and　will　continue　to　do；　good　service　in　time　present　and　in　time　to　come。

In　mechanical　structures　and　contrivances；　I　have　always　endeavoured　to　attain　the　desired　purpose　by　the　employment　of　the　Fewest　Parts；　casting　aside　every　detail　not　absolutely　necessary；　and　guarding　carefully　against　the　intrusion　of　mere　traditional　forms　and　arrangements。　　The　latter　are　apt　to　insinuate　themselves；　and　to　interfere　with　that　simplicity　and　directness　of　action　which　is　in　all　cases　so　desirable　a　quality　in　mechanical　structures。　PLAIN　COMMON　SENSE　should　be　apparent　in　the　general　design；　as　in　the　form　and　arrangement　of　the　details；　and　a　general　character　of　severe　utility　pervade　the　whole；　accompanied　with　as　much　attention　to　gracefulness　of　form　as　is　consistent　with　the　nature　and　purpose　of　the　structure。


THE　SUN…RAY　ORIGIN　OF　THE　PYRAMIDS　AND　CUNEIFORM　　CHARACTER。

Before　I　take　my　leave　of　the　public；　I　wish　to　put　on　record　my　speculations　as　to　the　origin　of　two　subjects　of　remote　antiquity；　viz。　the　Sun…ray　origin　of　the　Pyramids；　and　the　origin　of　the　Arrow…head　or　Cuneiform　Character。

First；　with　respect　to　the　Sun…ray　origin　of　the　Egyptian　Pyramids。

In　pursuing　a　very　favourite　subject　of　inquiry；　namely　the　origin　of　forms；　no　portion　of　it　appears　to　me　to　be　invested　with　so　deep　an　interest　as　that　of　the　Worship　of　the　Sun；　one　of　the　most　primitive　and　sacred　foundations　of　adorative　religion；affecting　as　it　has　done；　architectural　structures　and　numerous　habits　and　customs　which　have　come　clown　to　us　from　remote　antiquity；　and　which　owe　their　origin　to　its　influence。

On　many　occasions；　while　beholding　the　sublime　effects　of　the　Sun's　Rays　streaming　down　on　the　earth　through　openings　in　the　clouds　near　the　horizon；　I　have　been　forcibly　impressed　with　the　analogy　they　appear　to　suggest　as　to　the　form　of　the　Pyramid；　while　the　single　vertical　ray　suggests　that　of　the　Obelisk。

In　following　up　this　subject；　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　find　what　appears　to　me　a　strong　confirmation　of　my　views；　namely；　that　the　Pyramid；　as　such；　was　a　sacred　form。　　I　met　with　many　examples　of　this　in　the　Egyptian　Collection　at　the　Louvre　at　Paris；　especially　in　small　pyramids；　which　were　probably　the　objects　of　household　worship。　In　one　case　I　found　a　small　pyramid；　on　the　upper　part　of　which　appeared　the　disc　of　the　Sun；　with　pyramidal　rays　descending　from　it　on　to　figures　in　the　Egyptian　attitude　of　adoration。　　This　consists　in　the　hands　held　up　before　the　eyesan　attitude　expressive　of　the　brightness　of　the　object　adored。　　It　is　associated　with　the　brightness　of　the　Sun；　and　it　still　survives　in　the　Salaam；　which　expresses　profound　reverence　and　respect　among　Eastern　nations。　　It　also　survives　in　the　disc　of　the　Sun；　which　has　for　ages　been　placed　like　a　halo　behind　the　heads　of　sacred　and　exalted　personages；　as　may　be　seen　in　Eastern　and　early　paintings；　as　well　as　in　church　windows　at　the　present　day。

This　is　also　intimately　connected　with　lighted　lamps　and　candles；　which　latter　may　often　be　met　with　in　Continental　churches；　as　well　as　in　English　Ritualist　Churches　at　the　present　day。　　In　Romish　Continental　churches　they　are　stuck　on　to　pyramidal　stands；　and　placed　before　pictures　and　images　of　sacred　personages。　　All　such　lighted　lamps　or　candles　are　survivals　of　that　most　ancient　form　of　worship；　that　of　THE　SUN！

The　accompanying　illustrations　will　serve　in　some　degree　to　confirm　the　correctness　of　my　views　as　to　this　very。　　interesting　subject。

＇Image＇　　Fig。　1　is　from　a　〃rubbing〃　of　one　of　the　many　small　or　　　　　　　　　　〃Household〃　pyramids　in　the　Louvre　Collection　at　Paris；

＇Image＇　while　Fig。　2　is　an　attempt　to　illustrate　in　a　graphic　manner　　　　　　　　　the　derivation　of　the　form　of　the　Pyramid　and　Obelisk　from　the　　　　　　　　　Sun's　Rays。

In　connection　with　the　worship　of　the　Sun　and　other　heavenly　bodies；　as　practised　in　ancient　times　by　Eastern　nations；　it　may　be　mentioned　that　their　want　of　knowledge　of　the　vast　distances　that　separate　them　from　the　earth　led　them　to　the　belief　that　these　bodies　were　so　near　as　to　exert　a　direct　influence　upon　man　and　his　affairs。　　Hence　the　origin　of　Astrology；　with　all　its　accompanying　mystifications；　this　was　practised　under　the　impression　that　the　Sun；　Moon；　and　planets　were　near　to　the　earth。　　The　summits　of　mountains　and　〃High　Places〃　thus　became　〃sacred；〃　and　were　for　this　reason　resorted　to　for　the　performance　of　the　most　important　religious　ceremonies。

As　the　〃High　Places〃　could　not　be　transported　to　the　Temples；　the　cone…bearing　trees；　which　were　naturally　associated　with　these　elevated　places；　in　a　manner　partook　of　their　sacred　character；　and　the　fruit　of　the　trees　became　in　a　like　manner　sacred。　　Hence　the　Fir　Cone　became　a　portable　emblem　of　their　sacredness；　and；　accordingly　in　the　Assyrian　Worship；　so　clearly　repr