men of invention and industry-第49章

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a　revolving　surface　condenser　for　reducing　the　steam　to　water

again；　by　means　of　its　exposure　to　the　cold　draught　of　the

atmosphere　through　the　interstices　of　extremely　thin　laminations

of　copper　plates。　　The　entire　machinery；　placed　under　the　bottom

of　the　carriage；　was　borne　on　springs；　the　whole　being　of　an

elegant　form。　　This　model　steam…carriage　ascended　with　perfect

ease　the　steepest　roads。　　Its　success　was　so　complete　that　Dr。

Harland　designed　a　full…sized　carriage；　but　the　demands　upon　his

professional　skill　were　so　great　that　he　was　prevented　going

further　than　constructing　the　pair　of　engines；　the　wheels；　and　a

part　of　the　boiler；all　of　which　remnants　I　still　preserve；　as

valuable　links　in　the　progress　of　steam　locomotion。



Other　branches　of　practical　sciencesuch　as　electricity；

magnetism；　and　chemical　cultivation　of　the　soilreceived　a　share

of　his　attention。　　He　predicted　that　three　or　four　powerful

electric　lamps　would　yet　light　a　whole　city。　　He　was　also

convinced　of　the　feasibility　of　an　electric　cable　to　New　York；

and　calculated　the　probable　cost。　　As　an　　example　to　the

neighbourhood；　he　successfully　cultivated　a　tract　of　moorland；

and　overcame　difficulties　which　before　then　were　thought

insurmountable。



When　passing　through　Newcastle；　while　still　a　young　man；　on　one

of　his　journeys　to　the　University　at　Edinburgh；　and　being

desirous　of　witnessing　the　operations　in　a　coal…mine；　a　friend

recommended　him　to　visit　Killingworth　pit；　where　he　would　find

one　George　Stephenson；　a　most　intelligent　workman；　in　charge。　　My

father　was　introduced　to　Mr。　Stephenson　accordingly；　and　after

rambling　over　the　underground　workings；　and　observing　the　pumping

and　winding　engines　in　full　operation；　a　friendship　was　made；

which　afterwards　proved　of　the　greatest　service　to　myself；　by

facilitating　my　being　placed　as　a　pupil　at　the　great　engineering

works　of　Messrs。　Robert　Stephenson　and　Co。；　at　Newcastle。



My　mother　was　the　daughter　of　Gawan　Pierson；　a　landed　proprietor

of　Goathland；　near　Rosedale。　　She；　too；　was　surprisingly

mechanical　in　her　tastes；　and　assisted　my　father　in　preparing

many　of　his　plans；　besides　attaining　considerable　proficiency　in

drawing；　painting；　and　modelling　in　wax。　　Toys　in　those　days　were

poor；　as　well　as　very　expensive　to　purchase。　　But　the　nursery

soon　became　a　little　workshop　under　her　directions；　and　the　boys

were　usually　engaged；　one　in　making　a　cart；　another　in　carving

out　a　horse；　and　a　third　in　cutting　out　a　boat；　while　the　girls

were　making　harness；　or　sewing　sails；　or　cutting　out　and　making

perfect　dresses　for　their　dollswhose　houses　were　completely

furnished　with　everything；　from　the　kitchen　to　the　attic；　all

made　at　home。



It　was　in　a　house　of　such　industry　and　mechanism　that　I　was

brought　up。　　As　a　youth；　I　was　slow　at　my　lessons；　preferring　to

watch　and　assist　workmen　when　I　had　an　opportunity　of　doing　so；

even　with　the　certainty　of　having　a　thrashing　from　the

schoolmaster　for　my　neglect。　　Thus　I　got　to　know　every　workshop

and　every　workman　in　the　town。　　At　any　rate　I　picked　up　a

smattering　of　a　variety　of　trades；　which　afterwards　proved　of　the

greatest　use　to　me。　　The　chief　of　these　was　wooden　shipbuilding；

a　branch　of　industry　then　extensively　carried　on　by　Messrs。

William　and　Robert　Tindall；　the　former　of　whom　resided　in　London；

he　was　one　of　the　half…dozen　great　shipbuilders　and　owners　who

founded　〃Lloyd's。〃　　Splendid　East　Indiamen；　of　some　1000　tons

burden；　were　then　built　at　Scarborough；　and　scarcely　a　timber　was

moulded；　a　plank　bent；　a　spar　lined　off；　or　launching　ship…ways

laid；　without　my　being　present　to　witness　them。　　And　thus；　in

course　of　time；　I　was　able　to　make　for　myself　the　neatest　and

fastest　of　model　yachts。



At　that　time；　I　attended　the　Grammar　School。　　Of　the　rudiments

taught；　I　was　fondest　of　drawing；　geometry；　and　Euclid。　　Indeed；

I　went　twice　through　the　first　two　books　of　the　latter　before　I

was　twelve　years　old。　　At　this　age　I　was　sent　to　the　Edinburgh

Academy；　my　eldest　brother　William　being　then　a　medical　student

at　the　University。　　I　remained　at　Edinburgh　two　years。　　My　early

progress　in　mathematics　would　have　been　lost　in　the　classical

training　which　was　then　insisted　upon　at　the　academy；　but　for　my

brother　who　was　not　only　a　good　mathematician　but　an　excellent

mechanic。　　He　took　care　to　carry　on　my　instruction　in　that　branch

of　knowledge；　as　well　as　to　teach　me　to　make　models　of　machines

and　buildings；　in　which　he　was　himself　proficient。　　I　remember；

in　one　of　my　journeys　to　Edinburgh；　by　coach　from　Darlington；

that　a　gentleman　expressed　his　wonder　what　a　screw　propeller

could　be　like；　for　the　screw；　as　a　method　of　propulsion；　was　then

being　introduced。　　I　pointed　out　to　him　the　patent　tail　of　a

windmill　by　the　roadside；　and　said；　〃It　is　just　like　that！〃



In　1844　my　mother　died；　and　shortly　after；　my　brother　having

become　M。D。；　and　obtained　a　prize　gold　medal；　we　returned　to

Scarborough。　　It　was　intended　that　he　should　assist　my　father；

but　he　preferred　going　abroad　for　a　few　years。　　I　may　mention

further；　with　relation　to　him；　that　after　many　years　of

scientific　research　and　professional　practice；　he　died　at　Hong

Kong　in　1858；　when　a　public　monument　was　erected　to　his　memory；

in　what　is　known　as　the　〃Happy　Valley。〃



I　remained　for　a　short　time　under　the　tuition　of　my　old　master。　

But　as　the　time　was　rapidly　approaching　when　I　too　must　determine

what　I　was　〃to　be〃　in　life。　　I　had　no　hesitation　in　deciding　to

be　an　engineer；　though　my　father　wished　me　to　be　a　barrister。　

But　I　kept　constant　to　my　resolution；　and　eventually　he

succeeded；　through　his　early　acquaintance　with　George　Stephenson；

in　gaining　for　me　an　entrance　to　the　engineering　works　of　Robert

Stephenson　and　Co。；　at　Newcastle…upon…Tyne。　　I　started　there　as　a

pupil　on　my　fifteenth　birthday；　for　an　apprenticeship　of　five

years。　　I　was　to　spend　the　first　four　years　in　the　various

workshops；　and　the　last　year　in　the　drawing…office。



I　was　now　in　my　element。　　The　working　hours；　it　is　true；　were

very　long；being　from　six　in　the　morning　until　8。15　at　night；

excepting　on　Saturday；　when　we　knocked　off　at　four。　　However；　all

this　gave　me　so　much　the　more　experience；　and；　taking　advantage

of　it；　I　found　that；　when　I　had　reached　the　age　of　eighteen；　I

was　intrusted　with　the　full　charge　of　erecting　one　side　of　a

locomotive。　　I　had　to　accomplish　the　same　amount　of　work　as　my

mate　on　the　other　side；　one　Murray　Playfair；　a　powerful；

hard…working　Scotchman。　　My　strength　and　endurance　were　sometimes

taxed　to　the　utmost；　and　required　the　intervals　of　my　labour　to

be　spent　in　merely　eating　and　sleeping。



I　afterwards　went　through　the　machine…shops。　　I　was　fortunate

enough　to　get　charge　of　the　best　screw…cutting　and　brass…turning

lathe　in　the　shop；　the　former　occupant；　Jack　Singleton；　having

just　been　promoted　to　a　foreman's　berth　at　the　Messrs。

Armstrong's　factory。　　He　afterwards　became　superintendent　of　all

the　hydraulic　machinery　of　the　Mersey　Dock　Trust　at　Liverpool。　

After　my　four　years　had　been　completed；　I　went　into　the

drawing…office；　to　which　I　had　looked　forward　with　pleasure；　and；

having　before　practised　lineal　as　well　as　free…hand　drawing；　I

soon　succeeded　in　getting　good　and　difficult　designs　to　work　out；

and　eventually　finished　drawings　of　the　engines。　　Indeed；　on

visiting　the　works　many　years　after；　one　of　these　drawings　was

shown　to　me　as　a　〃specimen；〃　the　person　exhibiting　it　not　knowing

that　it　was　my　own　work。



In　the　course　of　my　occasional　visits　to　Scarborough；　my

attention　was　drawn　to　the　imperfect　design　of　the　lifeboats　of

the　period；　the　frequent　shipwrecks　along　the　coast　indicating

the　necessity　for　their　improvement。　　After　considerable

deliberation；　I　matured　a　plan　for　a　metal　lifeboat；　of　a

cylindrico…conical　or　chrysalis　form；　to　be　propelled　by　a　screw

at　each　end；　turned　by　sixteen　men　inside；　seated　on

water…ballast　tanks；　sufficient　room　being　left　at　the　ends

inside　for　the　accommodation　of　ten　or　twelve　shipwrecked

persons；　while　a　mate　near　the　bow；　and　the　captain　near　the

stern　in　charge　of　the　rudder；　were　stationed　in　recesses　in　the

deck　about　three　feet　deep。　　The　whole　apparatus　was　almost

cylindrical；　and　watertight；　save　in　the　self…acting　ventilators；

which　could　only　give　access　to　the　smallest　portion　of　water。　　I

considered　that；　if　the　lifeboat　fully　manned　were　launched　into

the　roughest　seas；　or　off　the　deck　of　a　vessel；　it　would；　even　if

turned　on　its　back；　immediately　right　itself；　without　any　of　the

crew　being　disturbed　from　their　positions；　to　which　they　were　to

have　been　strapped。



It　happened　that　at　this　time　（the　summer　of　1850）　his　Grace　the

late　Duke　of　Northumberland；　who　had　always　taken　a　deep　interest

in　the　Lifeboat　Institution；　offered　a　prize　of　one　hundred

guineas　for　the　best　model　and　design　of　such　a　craft；　so　I

determined　to　complete　my　plans　and　make　a　working　model　of　my

lifeboat。　　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　cylindrico…conical

form；　with　the　frames　to　be　carried　completely　round　and　forming

beams　as　well；　and　the　two　screws；　one　at　each　end；　worked　off

the　same　power；　by　which　one　or　other　of　them　would　always　be

immersed；　were　worth　registering　in　the　Patent　Office。　　I

therefore　entered　a　caveat　there；　and　continued　working　at　my

model　in　the　evenings。　　I　first　made　a　wooden　block　model；　on　the

scale　of　an　inch　to　the　foot。　　I　had　some　difficulty　in　procuring

sheets　of　copper　thin　enough；　so　that　the　model　should　draw　only

the　correct　amount　of　water；　but　at　last　I　succeeded；　through

finding　the　man　at　Newcastle　who　had　supplied　my　father　with

copper　plates　for　his　early　road　locomotive。



The　model　was　only　32　inches　in　length；　and　8　inches　in　beam；　and

in　order　to　fix　all　the　internal　fittings；　of　tanks；　seats；　crank

handles；　and　pulleys；　I　had　first　to　fit　the　shell　plating；　and

then；　by　finally　securing　one　strake　of　plates　on；　and　then

another；　after　all　inside　was　complete；　I　at　last　finished　for

good　the　last　outside　plate。　　In　executing　the　job；　my　early

experience　of　all　sorts　of　handiwork　came　serviceably　to　my　aid。　

After　many　a　whole　night's　workfor　the　evenings　alone　were　not

sufficient　for　the　purposeI　at　length　completed　my　model；　and

triumphantly　and　confidently　took　it　to　sea　in　an　open　boat；　and

then　cast　it　into　the　waves。　　The　model　either　rode　over　them　or

passed　through　them；　if　it　was　sometimes　rolled　over；　it　righted

itself　at　once；　and　resumed　its　proper　attitude　in　the　waters。　

After　a　considerable　trial　I　found　scarcely　a　trace　of　water

inside。　　Such　as　had　got　there　was　merely　through　the　joints　in

the　sliding　hatches；　though　the　ventilators　were　free　to　work

during　the　experiments。



I　completed　the　prescribed　drawings　and　specifications；　and　sent

them；　together　with　the