men of invention and industry-第12章

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power　being　applied　at　the　stern；　it　would　be　absolutely

impossible　to　make　the　vessel　steer！〃　　It　will　be　remembered　that

Francis　Pettit　Smith's　screw　vessel　went　to　sea　in　the　course　of

the　same　year；　and　not　only　faced　the　waves；　but　was　made　to

steer　in　a　perfectly　successful　manner。



Although　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　would　not　further　encourage

the　screw　propeller　of　Ericsson；　an　officer　of　the　United　States

Navy；　Capt。　R。　F。　Stockton；　was　so　satisfied　of　its　success；　that

after　making　a　single　trip　in　the　experimental　steamboat　from

London　Bridge　to　Greenwich；　he　ordered　the　inventor　to　build　for

him　forthwith　two　iron　boats　for　the　United　States；　with　steam

machinery　and　a　propeller　on　the　same　plan。　　One　of　these

vesselsthe　Robert　F。　Stocktonseventy　feet　in　length；　was

constructed　by　Laird　and　Co。；　of　Birkenhead；　in　1838；　and　left

England　for　America　in　April　1839。　　Capt。　Stockton　so　fully

persuaded　Ericsson　of　his　probable　success　in　America；　that　the

inventor　at　once　abandoned　his　professional　engagements　in

England；　and　set　out　for　the　United　States。　　It　is　unnecessary　to

mention　the　further　important　works　of　this　great　engineer。



We　may；　however；　briefly　mention　that　in　1844；　Ericsson

constructed　for　the　United　States　Government　the　Princeton　screw

steamerthough　he　was　never　paid　for　his　time；　labour；　and

expenditure。＇6＇　　Undeterred　by　their　ingratitude；　Ericsson

nevertheless　constructed　for　the　same　government；　when　in　the

throes　of　civil　war；　the　famous　Monitor；　the　iron…clad　cupola

vessel；　and　was　similarly　rewarded！　　He　afterwards　invented　the

torpedo　shipthe　Destroyerthe　use　of　which　has　fortunately　not

yet　been　required　in　sea　warfare。　　Ericsson　still

livesconstantly　planning　and　schemingin　his　house　in　Beach

Street；　New　York。　　He　is　now　over　eighty　years　old　having　been

born　in　1803。　　He　is　strong　and　healthy。　　How　has　he　preserved

his　vigorous　constitution？　　The　editor　of　Scribner　gives　the

answer：　〃The　hall　windows　of　his　house　are　open；　winter　and

summer；　and　none　but　open　grate…fires　are　allowed。　　Insomnia

never　troubles　him；　for　he　falls　asleep　as　soon　as　his　head

touches　the　pillow。　　His　appetite　and　digestion　are　always　good；

and　he　has　not　lost　a　meal　in　ten　years。　　What　an　example　to　the

men　who　imagine　it　is　hard　work　that　is　killing　them　in　this

career　of　unremitting　industry！〃



To　return　to　〃Screw〃　Smith；　after　the　successful　trial　of　his

little　vessel　at　sea　in　the　autumn　of　1837。　　He　had　many

difficulties　yet　to　contend　with。　　There　was；　first；　the

difficulty　of　a　new　invention；　and　the　fact　that　the　paddle…boat

had　established　itself　in　public　estimation。　　The　engineering　and

shipbuilding　world　were　dead　against　him。　　They　regarded　the

project　of　propelling　a　vessel　by　means　of　a　screw　as　visionary

and　preposterous。　　There　was　also　the　official　unwillingness　to

undertake　anything　novel；　untried；　and　contrary　to　routine。　

There　was　the　usual　shaking　of　the　head　and　the　shrugging　of　the

shoulders；　as　if　the　inventor　were　either　a　mere　dreamer　or　a

projector　eager　to　lay　his　hands　upon　the　public　purse。　　The

surveyor　of　the　navy　was　opposed　to　the　plan；　because　of　the

impossibility　of　making　a　vessel　steer　which　was　impelled　from

the　stern。　　〃Screw〃　Smith　bided　his　time；　he　continued　undaunted；

and　was　determined　to　succeed。　　He　laboured　steadily　onward；

maintaining　his　own　faith　unshaken；　and　upholding　the　faith　of

the　gentlemen　who　had　become　associated　with　him　in　the

prosecution　of　the　invention。



At　the　beginning　of　1838　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　requested　Mr。

Smith　to　allow　his　vessel　to　be　tried　under　their　inspection。　

Two　trials　were　accordingly　made；　and　they　gave　so　much

satisfaction　that　the　adoption　of　the　propeller　for　naval

purposes　was　considered　as　a　not　improbable　contingency。　　Before

deciding　finally　upon　its　adoption；　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty

were　anxious　to　see　an　experiment　made　with　a　vessel　of　not　less

than　200　tons。　　Mr。　Smith　had　not　the　means　of　accomplishing　this

by　himself；　but　with　the　improved　prospects　of　the　invention；　

capitalists　now　came　to　his　aid。　　One　of　the　most　effective　and

energetic　of　these　was　Mr。　Henry　Currie；　banker；　and；　with　the

assistance　of　others；　the　〃Ship　Propeller　Company〃　was　formed；

and　proceeded　to　erect　the　test　ship　proposed　by　the　Admiralty。



The　result　was　the　Archimedes；　a　wooden　vessel　of　237　tons

burthen。　　She　was　designed　by　Mr。　Pasco；　laid　down　by　Mr。

Wimshurst　in　the　spring　of　1838；　was　launched　on　the　18th　of

October　following；　and　made　her　first　trip　in　May　1839。　　She　was

fitted　with　a　screw　of　one　turn　placed　in　the　dead　wood；　and

propelled　by　a　pair　of　engines　of　80…horse　power。　　The　vessel　was

built　under　the　persuasion　that　her　performance　would　be

considered　satisfactory　if　a　speed　was　attained　of　four　or　five

knots　an　hour；　where　as　her　actual　speed　was　nine　and　a　half

knots。　　The　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　were　invited　to　inspect　the

ship。　　At　the　second　trial　Sir　Edward　Parry；　Sir　William　Symonds；

Captain　Basil　Hall；　and　other　distinguished　persons　were　present。



The　results　were　again　satisfactory。　　The　success　of　the

Archimedes　astonished　the　engineering　world。　　Even　the　Surveyor

of　the　Royal　Navy　found　that　the　vessel　could　steer！　　The　Lords

of　the　Admiralty　could　no　longer　shut　their　eyes。　　But　the

invention　could　not　at　once　be　adopted。　　It　must　be　tested　by　the

best　judges。　　The　vessel　was　sent　to　Dover　to　be　tried　with　the

best　packets　between　Dover　and　Calais。　　Mr。　Lloyd；　the　chief

engineer　of　the　Navy；　conducted　the　investigation；　and　reported

most　favourably　as　to　the　manner　of　her　performance。　　Yet　several

years　elapsed　before　the　screw　was　introduced　into　the　service。



In　1840　the　Archimedes　was　placed　at　the　disposal　of　Captain

Chappell；　of　the　Royal　Navy；　who；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Smith；

visited　every　principal　port　in　Great　Britain。　　She　was　thus　seen

by　shipowners；　marine　engineers；　and　shipbuilders　in　every　part

of　the　kingdom。　　They　regarded　her　with　wonder　and　admiration；

yet　the　new　mode　of　navigation　was　not　speedily　adopted。　　The

paddle…wheel　still　held　its　own。　　The　sentiment；　if　not　the　plant

and　capital；　of　the　engineering　world；　were　against　the

introduction　of　the　screw。　　After　the　vessel　had　returned　from

her　circumnavigation　of　Great　Britain；　she　was　sent　to　Oporto；

and　performed　the　voyage　in　sixty…eight　and　a　half　hours；　then

held　to　be　the　quickest　voyage　on　record。　　She　was　then　sent　to

the　Texel　at　the　request　of　the　Dutch　Government。　　She　went

through　the　North　Holland　Canal；　visited　Amsterdam；　Antwerp；　and

other　ports；　and　everywhere　left　the　impression　that　the　screw

was　an　efficient　and　reliable　power　in　the　propulsion　of　vessels

at　sea。



Shipbuilders；　however；　continued　to　〃fight　shy〃　of　the　screw。　

The　late　Isambard　Kingdon　Brunel　is　entitled　to　the　credit　of

having　first　directed　the　attention　of　shipbuilders　to　this

important　invention。　　He　was　himself　a　man　of　original　views；

free　from　bias；　and　always　ready　to　strike　out　a　fresh　path　in

engineering　works。　　He　was　building　a　large　new　iron　steamer　at

Bristol；　the　Great　Britain；　for　passenger　traffic　between　England

and　America。　　He　had　intended　to　construct　her　as　a　paddle

steamer；　but　hearing　of　the　success　of　the　Archimedes；　he

inspected　the　vessel；　and　was　so　satisfied　with　the　performance

of　the　screw　that　he　recommended　his　directors　to　adopt　this

method　for　propelling　the　Great　Britain。　　His　advice　was　adopted；

and　the　vessel　was　altered　so　as　to　adapt　her　for　the　reception

of　the　screw。　　The　vessel　was　found　perfectly　successful；　and　on

her　first　voyage　to　London　she　attained　the　speed　of　ten　knots　an

hour；　though　the　wind　and　balance　of　tides　were　against　her。　　A

few　other　merchant　ships　were　built　and　fitted　with　the　screw；

the　Princess　Royal　at　Newcastle　in　1840；　the　Margaret　and　Senator

at　Hull；　and　the　Great　Northern　at　Londonderry；　in　1841。



The　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　made　slow　progress　in　adapting　the

screw　for　the　Royal　Navy。　　Sir　William　Symonds；　the　surveyor　and

principal　designer　of　Her　Majesty's　ships；　was　opposed　to　all　new

projects。　　He　hated　steam　power；　and　was　utterly　opposed　to　iron

ships。　　He　speaks　of　them　in　his　journal　as　〃monstrous。〃＇7＇　　So

long　as　he　remained　in　office　everything　was　done　in　a

perfunctory　way。　　A　small　vessel　named　the　Bee　was　built　at

Chatham　in　1841；　and　fitted　with　both　paddles　and　the　screw　for

the　purposes　of　experiment。　　In　the　same　year　the　Rattier；　the

first　screw　vessel　built　for　the　navy；　was　laid　down　at

Sheerness。　　Although　of　only　888　tons　burthen；　she　was　not

launched　until　the　spring　of　1843。　　She　was　then　fitted　with　the

same　kind　of　screw　as　the　Archimedes；that　is；　a　double…headed

screw　of　half　a　convolution。　　Experiments　went　on　for　about　three

years；　so　as　to　determine　the　best　proportions　of　the　screw；　and

the　proportions　then　ascertained　have　since　been　the　principal

guides　of　engineering　practice。



The　Rattler　was　at　length　tried　in　a　water　tournament　with　the

paddle…steamer　Alecto；　and　signally　defeated　her。　　Francis　Pettit

Smith；　like　Gulliver；　may　be　said　to　have　dragged　the　whole

British　fleet　after　him。　　Were　the　paddle　our　only　means　of

propulsion；　our　whole　naval　force　would　be　reduced　to　a　nullity。　

Hostile　gunners　would　wing　a　paddle…steamer　as　effectuaily　as　a

sportsman　wings　a　bird；　and　all　the　plating　in　the　world　would

render　such　a　ship　a　mere　helpless　log　on　the　water。



The　Admiralty　could　no　longer　defer　the　use　of　this　important

invention。　　Like　all　good　things；　it　made　its　way　slowly　and　by

degrees。　　The　royal　naval　authorities；　who　in　1833　backed　the

side　paddles；　have　since　adopted　the　screw　in　most　of　the

ships…of…war。　　In　all　long　sea…going　voyages；　also；　the　screw　is

now　the　favourite　mode　of　propulsion。　　Screw　ships　of　prodigious

size　are　now　built　and　launched　in　all　the　ship…building　ports　of

Britain；　and　are　sent　out　to　navigate　in　every　part　of　the　world。



The　introduction　of　iron　as　the　material　for　shipbuilding　has

immensely　advanced　the　interests　of　steam　navigation；　as　it

enables　the　builders　to　construct　vessels　of　great　size　with　the

finest　lines；　so　as　to　attain　the　highest　rates　of　speed。



One　might　have　supposed　that　Francis　Pettit　Smith　would　derive

some　substantial　benefit　from　his　invention；　or　at　least　that　the

Ship　Propeller　Company　would　distribute　large　dividends　among

their　proprietors。　　Nothing　of　the　kind。　　Smith　spent　his　money；

his　labour；　and　his　ingenuity　in　conferring　a　great　public

benefit　without　receiving　any　adequate　reward；　and　the　company；

instead　of　distributing　dividends；　lost　about　50；000L。　in

introducing　this　great　invention；　after　which；　in　1856；　the

patent…right　expired。　　Three　hundred　and　twenty…seven　ships　and

vessels　of　all　classes　in　the　Royal　Navy　had　then