industrial biography-第26章

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the　several　processes　therein　described　had　been　practised　before　his

time；　his　merit　chiefly　consisting　in　the　skilful　manner　in　which　he

combined　and　applied　them。　　Thus；　like　the　Craneges；　he　employed　the

reverberatory　or　air　furnace；　without　blast；　and；　like　Onions；　he

worked　the　fused　metal　with　iron　bars　until　it　was　brought　into

lumps；　when　it　was　removed　and　forged　into　malleable　iron。　　Cort；

however；　carried　the　process　further；　and　made　it　more　effectual　in

all　respects。　　His　method　may　be　thus　briefly　described：　　the　bottom　of

the　reverberatory　furnace　was　hollow；　so　as　to　contain　the　fluid

metal；　introduced　into　it　by　ladles；　the　heat　being　kept　up　by

pit…coal　or　other　fuel。　　When　the　furnace　was　charged；　the　doors　were

closed　until　the　metal　was　sufficiently　fused；　when　the　workman

opened　an　aperture　and　worked　or　stirred　about　the　metal　with　iron

bars；　when　an　ebullition　took　place；　during　the　continuance　of　which

a　bluish　flame　was　emitted；　the　carbon　of　the　cast…iron　was　burned

off；　the　metal　separated　from　the　slag；　and　the　iron；　becoming

reduced　to　nature；　was　then　collected　into　lumps　or　loops　of　sizes

suited　to　their　intended　uses；　when　they　were　drawn　out　of　the　doors

of　the　furnace。　　They　were　then　stamped　into　plates；　and　piled　or

worked　in　an　air　furnace；　heated　to　a　white　or　welding　heat；　shingled

under　a　forge　hammer；　and　passed　through　the　grooved　rollers　after

the　method　described　in　the　first　patent。



The　processes　described　by　Cort　in　his　two　patents　have　been　followed

by　iron　manufacturers；　with　various　modifications；　the　results　of

enlarged　experience；　down　to　the　present　time。　　After　the　lapse　of

seventy…eight　years；　the　language　employed　by　Cort　continues　on　the

whole　a　faithful　description　of　the　processes　still　practised：　　the

same　methods　of　manufacturing　bar　from　cast…iron；　and　of　puddling；

piling；　welding；　and　working　the　bar…iron　through　grooved

rollersall　are　nearly　identical　with　the　methods　of　manufacture

perfected　by　Henry　Cort　in　1784。　　It　may　be　mentioned　that　the

development　of　the　powers　of　the　steam…engine　by　Watt　had　an

extraordinary　effect　upon　the　production　of　iron。　　It　created　a

largely　increased　demand　for　the　article　for　the　purposes　of　the

shafting　and　machinery　which　it　was　employed　to　drive；　while　at　the

same　time　it　cleared　pits　of　water　which　before　were　unworkable；　and

by　being　extensively　applied　to　the　blowing　of　iron…furnaces　and　the

working　of　the　rolling…mills；　it　thus　gave　a　still　further　impetus　to

the　manufacture　of　the　metal。　　It　would　be　beside　our　purpose　to　enter

into　any　statistical　detail　on　the　subject；　but　it　will　be　sufficient

to　state　that　the　production　of　iron；　which　in　the　early　part　of　last

century　amounted　to　little　more　than　12；000　tons；　about　the　middle　of

the　century　to　about　18；000　tons；　and　at　the　time　of　Cort's

inventions　to　about　90；000　tons；　was　found；　in　1820；　to　have

increased　to　400；000　tons；　and　now　the　total　quantity　produced　is

upwards　of　four　millions　of　tons　of　pig…iron　every　year；　or　more　than

the　entire　production　of　all　other　European　countries。　　There　is

little　reason　to　doubt　that　this　extraordinary　development　of　the

iron　manufacture　has　been　in　a　great　measure　due　to　the　inventions　of

Henry　Cort。　　It　is　said　that　at　the　present　time　there　are　not　fewer

than　8200　of　Cort's　furnaces　in　operation　in　Great　Britain　alone。*

　＇footnote。。。

Letter　by　Mr。　Truran　in　Mechanic's　Magazine。

　。。。＇



Practical　men　have　regarded　Cort's　improvement　of　the　process　of

rolling　the　iron　as　the　most　valuable　of　his　inventions。　　A　competent

authority　has　spoken　of　Cort's　grooved　rollers　as　of　〃high

philosophical　interest；　being　scarcely　less　than　the　discovery　of　a

new　mechanical　Power；　in　reversing　the　action　of　the　wedge；　by　the

application　of　force　to　four　surfaces；　so　as　to　elongate　a　mass；

instead　of　applying　force　to　a　mass　to　divide　the　four　surfaces。〃　　One

of　the　best　authorities　in　the　iron　trade　of　last　century；　Mr。

Alexander　Raby　of　Llanelly；　like　many　others；　was　at　first　entirely

sceptical　as　to　the　value　of　Cort's　invention；　but　he　had　no　sooner

witnessed　the　process　than　with　manly　candour　he　avowed　his　entire

conversion　to　his　views。



We　now　return　to　the　history　of　the　chief　author　of　this　great　branch

of　national　industry。　　As　might　naturally　be　expected；　the　principal

ironmasters；　when　they　heard　of　Cort's　success；　and　the　rapidity　and

economy　with　which　he　manufactured　and　forged　bar…iron；　visited　his

foundry　for　the　purpose　of　examining　his　process；　and；　if　found

expedient；　of　employing　it　at　their　own　works。　　Among　the　first　to　try

it　were　Richard　Crawshay　of　Cyfartha；　Samuel　Homfray　of　Penydarran

（both　in　South　Wales）；　and　William　Reynolds　of　Coalbrookdale。　　Richard

Crawshay　was　then　（in　1787）　forging　only　ten　tons　of　bar…iron　weekly

under　the　hammer；　and　when　he　saw　the　superior　processes　invented　by

Cort　he　readily　entered　into　a　contract　with　him　to　work　under　his

patents　at　ten　shillings　a　ton　royalty；　In　1812　a　letter　from　Mr。

Crawshay　to　the　Secretary　of　Lord　Sheffield　was　read　to　the　House　of

Commons；　descriptive　of　his　method　of　working　iron；　in　which　he　said；

〃I　took　it　from　a　Mr。　Cort；　who　had　a　little　mill　at　Fontley　in

Hampshire：　　I　have　thus　acquainted　you　with　my　method；　by　which　I　am

now　making　more　than　ten　thousand　tons　of　bar…iron　per　annum。〃　　Samuel

Homfray　was　equally　prompt　in　adopting　the　new　process。　　He　not　only

obtained　from　Cort　plans　of　the　puddling…furnaces　and　patterns　of　the

rolls；　but　borrowed　Cort's　workmen　to　instruct　his　own　in　the

necessary　operations；　and　he　soon　found　the　method　so　superior　to

that　invented　by　Onions　that　he　entirely　confined　himself　to

manufacturing　after　Cort's　patent。　　We　also　find　Mr。　Reynolds　inviting

Cort　to　conduct　a　trial　of　his　process　at　Ketley；　though　it　does　not

appear　that　it　was　adopted　by　the　firm　at　that　time。*

　＇footnote。。。

In　the　memorandum…book　of　Wm。　　Reynolds　appears　the　following　entry　on

the　subject：　　

　〃Copy　of　a　paper　given　to　H。　　Cort；　Esq。

〃W。　Reynolds　saw　H。　C。　in　a　trial　which　he　made　at　Ketley；

Dec。　17；　1784；　produce　from　the　same　pig　both　cold　short　and　tough　iron

by　a　variation　of　the　process　used　in　reducing　them　from　the　state　of

cast…iron　to　that　of　malleable　or　bar…iron；　and　in　point　of　yield　his

processes　were　quite　equal　to　those　at　Pitchford；　which　did　not

exceed　the　proportion　of　31　cwt。　　to　the　ton　of　bars。　　The　experiment

was　made　by　stamping　and　potting　the　blooms　or　loops　made　in　his

furnace；　which　then　produced　a　cold　short　iron；　but　when　they　were

immediately　shingled　and　drawn；　the　iron　was　of　a　black　tough。〃



The　Coalbrookdale　ironmasters　are　said　to　have　been　deterred　from

adopting　the　process　because　of　what　was　considered　an　excessive

waste　of　the　metalabout　25　per　cent；though；　with　greater

experience；　this　waste　was　very　much　diminished。

　。。。＇



The　quality　of　the　iron　manufactured　by　the　new　process　was　found

satisfactory；　and　the　Admiralty　having；　by　the　persons　appointed　by

them　to　test　it　in　1787；　pronounced　it　to　be　superior　to　the　best

Oregrounds　iron；　the　use　of　the　latter　was　thenceforward

discontinued；　and　Cort's　iron　only　was　directed　to　be　used　for　the

anchors　and　other　ironwork　in　the　ships　of　the　Royal　Navy。　　The　merits

of　the　invention　seem　to　have　been　generally　conceded；　and　numerous

contracts　for　licences　were　entered　into　with　Cort　and　his　partner　by

the　manufacturers　of　bar…iron　throughout　the　country。*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Webster；　in　the　'Case　of　Henry　Cort；'　published　in　the　Mechanic's

Magazine　（2　Dec。　1859）；　states　that　〃licences　were　taken　at　royalties

estimated　to　yield　27；500L。　to　the　owners　of　the　patents。〃　　。。。＇

Cort　himself　made　arrangements　for　carrying　on　the　manufacture　on　a

large　scale；　and　with　that　object　entered　upon　the　possession　of　a

wharf　at　Gosport；　belonging　to　Adam　Jellicoe；　his　partner's　father；

where　he　succeeded　in　obtaining　considerable　Government　orders　for

iron　made　after　his　patents。　　To　all　ordinary　eyes　the　inventor　now

appeared　to　be　on　the　high　road　to　fortune；　but　there　was　a　fatal

canker　at　the　root　of　this　seeming　prosperity；　and　in　a　few　years　the

fabric　which　he　had　so　laboriously　raised　crumbled　into　ruins。　　On　the

death　of　Adam　Jellicoe；　the　father　of　Cort's　partner；　in　August；

1789；*

　＇footnote。。。

In　the　'Case　of　Henry　Cort；'　by　Mr。　Webster；　above　referred　to

（Mechanic's　Magazine；　2　Dec。　1859）；　it　is　stated　that　Adam　Jellicoe

〃committed　suicide　under　the　pressure　of　dread　of　exposure；〃　but　this

does　not　appear　to　be　confirmed　by　the　accounts　in　the　newspapers　of

the　day。　　He　died　at　his　private　dwelling…house；　No。14；　Highbury

Place；　Islingtonn；　on　the　30th　August；1789；　after　a　fortnight's

illness。

　。。。＇

defalcations　were　discovered　in　his　public　accounts　to　the　extent　of

39；676l。；　and　his　books　and　papers　were　immediately　taken　possession

of　by　the　Government。　　On　examination　it　was　found　that　the　debts　due

to　Jellicoe　amounted　to　89；657l；　included　in　which　was　a　sum　of　not

less　than　54；853l。　　owing　to　him　by　the　Cort　partnership。　　In　the

public　investigation　which　afterwards　took　place；　it　appeared　that

the　capital　possessed　by　Cort　being　insufficient　to　enable　him　to

pursue　his　experiments；　which　were　of　a　very　expensive　character；

Adam　Jellicoe　had　advanced　money　from　time　to　time　for　the　purpose；

securing　himself　by　a　deed　of　agreement　entitling　him　to　one…half　the

stock　and　profits　of　all　his　contracts；　and　in　further　consideration

of　the　capital　advanced　by　Jellicoe　beyond　his　equal　share；　Cort

subsequently　assigned　to　him　all　his　patent　rights　as　collateral

security。　　As　Jellicoe　had　the　reputation　of　being　a　rich　man；　Cort

had　not　the　slightest　suspicion　of　the　source　from　which　he　obtained

the　advances　made　by　him　to　the　firm；　nor　has　any　connivance　whatever

on　the　part　of　Cort　been　suggested。　　At　the　same　time　it　must　be

admitted　that　the　connexion　was　not　free　from　suspicion；　and；　to　say

the　least；　it　was　a　singularly　unfortunate　one。　　It　was　found　that

among　the　moneys　advanced　by　Jellicoe　to　Cort　there　was　a　sum　of

27；500L。　entrusted　to　him　for　the　payment　of　seamen's　and　officers'

wages。　　How　his　embarrassments　had　tempted　him　to　make　use　of　the

public　funds　for　the　purpose　of　carrying　on　his　speculations；　appears

from　his　own　admissions。　　In　a　memorandum　dated　the　11th　November；

l782；　found　in　his　strong　box　after　his　death；　he　set　forth　that　he

had　always　had　much　more　than　his　proper　balance　in　hand；　until　his

engagement；　about　two　years　before；　with　Mr。　Cort；　〃which　by　degrees

has　so　reduced　me；　and　employed　so　much　more　of　my　money　than　I

expected；　that　I　have　been　obliged　to　turn　most　of　my　Navy　bills　into

cash；　and　at　the　same　time；　to　my　great　concern；　am　very　deficient　in

my　balance。　　This　gives　me　great　uneasiness；　nor　shall　I　live　or　die