industrial biography-第34部分

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！



to　be　present　in　the　office　at　six。　　But　these　praiseworthy

experiments　were　brought　to　a　sudden　end；　as　thus　described　by

himself：　　



〃In　the　midst　of　my　career　of　investigation；〃　says　he；*

　＇footnote。。。

Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel。　　By　David　Mushet。　　London；　1840。

　。。。＇

〃and　without　a　cause　being　assigned；　I　was　stopped　short。　　My

furnaces；　at　the　order　of　the　manager；　were　pulled　in　pieces；　and　an

edict　was　passed　that　they　should　never　be　erected　again。　　Thus

terminated　my　researches　at　the　Clyde　Iron　Works。　　It　happened　at　a

time　when　I　was　interestedand　I　had　been　two　years　previously

occupiedin　an　attempt　to　convert　cast…iron　into　steel；　without

fusion；　by　a　process　of　cementation；　which　had　for　its　object　the

dispersion　or　absorption　of　the　superfluous　carbon　contained　in　the

cast…iron；an　object　which　at　that　time　appeared　to　me　of　so　great

importance；　that；　with　the　consent　of　a　friend；　I　erected　an　assay

and　cementing　Furnace　at　the　distance　of　about　two　miles　from　the

Clyde　Works。　　Thither　I　repaired　at　night；　and　sometimes　at　the

breakfast　and　dinner　hours　during　the　day。　　This　plan　of　operation　was

persevered　in　for　the　whole　of　one　summer；　but　was　found　too

uncertain　and　laborious　to　be　continued。　　At　the　latter　end　of　the

year　1798　I　left　my　chambers；　and　removed　from　the　Clyde　Works　to　the

distance　of　about　a　mile；　where　I　constructed　several　furnaces　for

assaying　and　cementing；　capable　of　exciting　a　greater　temperature

than　any　to　which　I　before　had　access；　and　thus　for　nearly　two　years

I　continued　to　carry　on　my　investigations　connected　with　iron　and　the

alloys　of　the　metals。



〃Though　operating　in　a　retired　manner；　and　holding　little

communication　with　others；　my　views　and　opinions　upon　the　RATIONALE

of　iron…making　spread　over　the　establishment。　　I　was　considered

forward　in　affecting　to　see　and　explain　matters　in　a　different　way

from　others　who　were　much　my　seniors；　and　who　were　content　to　be

satisfied　with　old　methods　of　explanation；　or　with　no　explanation　at

all。。。。。　　Notwithstanding　these　early　reproaches；　I　have　lived　to　see

the　nomenclature　of　my　youth　furnish　a　vocabulary　of　terms　in　the　art

of　iron…making；　which　is　used　by　many　of　the　ironmasters　of　the

present　day　with　freedom　and　effect；　in　communicating　with　each　other

on　the　subject　of　their　respective　manufactures。　　Prejudices　seldom

outlive　the　generation　to　which　they　belong；　when　opposed　by　a　more

rational　system　of　explanation。　　In　this　respect；　Time　（as　my　Lord

Bacon　says）　is　the　greatest　of　all　innovators。



〃In　a　similar　manner；　Time　operated　in　my　favour　in　respect　to　the

Black　Band　Ironstone。*

　＇footnote。。。

This　valuable　description　of　iron　ore　was　discovered　by　Mr。　Mushet；

as　he　afterwards　informs　us　（Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel；　121）；in　the

year　1801；　when　crossing　the　river　Calder；　in　the　parish　of　Old

Monkland。　　Having　subjected　a　specimen　which　he　found　in　the　river…bed

to　the　test　of　his　crucible；　he　satisfied　himself　as　to　its

properties；　and　proceeded　to　ascertain　its　geological　position　and

relations。　　He　shortly　found　that　it　belonged　to　the　upper　part　of　the

coal…formation；　and　hence　he　designated　it　carboniferous　ironstone。

He　prosecuted　his　researches；　and　found　various　rich　beds　of　the

mineral　distributed　throughout　the　western　counties　of　Scotland。　　On

analysis；　it　was　found　to　contain　a　little　over　50　per　cent。　　of

protoxide　of　iron。　　The　coaly　　matter　it　contained　was　not　its　least

valuable　ingredient；　for　by　the　aid　of　the　hot　blast　it　was

afterwards　found　practicable　to　smelt　it　almost　without　any　addition

of　coal。　　Seams　of　black　band　have　since　been　discovered　and

successfully　worked　in　Edinburghshire；　Staffordshire；　and　North

Wales。

　。。。＇

The　discovery　of　this　was　made　in　1801；　when　I　was　engaged　in

erecting　for　myself　and　partners　the　Calder　Iron　Works。　　Great

prejudice　was　excited　against　me　by　the　ironmasters　and　others　of

that　day　in　presuming　to　class　the　WILD　COALS　of　the　country　（as

Black　Band　was　called）　with　ironstone　fit　and　proper　for　the　blast

furnace。　　Yet　that　discovery　has　elevated　Scotland　to　a　considerable

rank　among　the　iron…making　nations　of　Europe；　with　resources　still　in

store　that　may　be　considered　inexhaustible。　　But　such　are　the

consolatory　effects　of　Time；　that　the　discoverer　of　1801　is　no　longer

considered　the　intrusive　visionary　of　the　laboratory；　but　the

acknowledged　benefactor　of　his　country　at　large；　and　particularly　of

an　extensive　class　of　coal　and　mine　proprietors　and　iron　masters；　who

have　derived；　and　are　still　deriving；　great　wealth　from　this

important　discovery；　and　who；　in　the　spirit　of　grateful

acknowledgment；　have　pronounced　it　worthy　of　a　crown　of　gold；　or　a

monumental　record　on　the　spot　where　the　discovery　was　first　made。



〃At　an　advanced　period　of　life；　such　considerations　are　soothing　and

satisfactory。　　Many　under　similar　circumstances　have　not；　in　their　own

lifetime；　had　that　measure　of　justice　awarded　to　them　by　their

country　to　which　they　were　equally　entitled。　　I　accept　it；　however；　as

a　boon　justly　due　to　me；　and　as　an　equivalent　in　some　degree　for　that

laborious　course　of　investigation　which　I　had　prescribed　for　myself；

and　which；　in　early　life；　was　carried　on　under　circumstances　of

personal　exposure　and　inconvenience；　which　nothing　but　a　frame　of

iron　could　have　supported。　　They　atone　also　；in　part；　for　that

disappointment　sustained　in　early　life　by　the　speculative　habits　of

one　partner；　and　the　constitutional　nervousness　of　another；　which

eventually　occasioned　my　separation　from　the　Calder　Iron　Works；　and

lost　me　the　possession　of　extensive　tracts　of　Black　Band　iron…stone；

which　I　had　secured　while　the　value　of　the　discovery　was　known　only

to　myself。〃



Mr。　Mushet　published　the　results　of　his　laborious　investigations　in　a

series　of　papers　in　the　Philosophical　Magazine；afterwards　reprinted

in　a　collected　form　in　1840　under　the　title　of　〃Papers　on　Iron　and

Steel。〃　　These　papers　are　among　the　most　valuable　original

contributions　to　the　literature　of　the　iron…manufacture　that　have　yet

been　given　to　the　world。　　They　contain　the　germs　of　many　inventions

and　discoveries　in　iron　and　steel；　some　of　which　were　perfected　by

Mr。　Mushet　himself；　while　others　were　adopted　and　worked　out　by

different　experimenters。　　In　1798　some　of　the　leading　French　chemists

were　endeavouring　to　prove　by　experiment　that　steel　could　be　made　by

contact　of　the　diamond　with　bar…iron　in　the　crucible；　the　carbon　of

the　diamond　being　liberated　and　entering　into　combination　with　the

iron；　forming　steel。　　In　the　animated　controversy　which　occurred　on

the　subject；　Mr。　Mushet's　name　was　brought　into　considerable　notice；

one　of　the　subjects　of　his　published　experiments　having　been　the

conversion　of　bar…iron　into　steel　in　the　crucible　by　contact　with

regulated　proportions　of　charcoal。　　The　experiments　which　he　made　in

connection　with　this　controversy；　though　in　themselves　unproductive

of　results；　led　to　the　important　discovery　by　Mr。　Mushet　of　the

certain　fusibility　of　malleable　iron　at　a　suitable　temperature。



Among　the　other　important　results　of　Mr。　Mushet's　lifelong　labours；

the　following　may　be　summarily　mentioned：　　The　preparation　of　steel

from　bar…iron　by　a　direct　process；　combining　the　iron　with　carbon；

the　discovery　of　the　beneficial　effects　of　oxide　of　manganese　on　iron

and　steel；　the　use　of　oxides　of　iron　in　the　puddling…furnace　in

various　modes　of　appliance；　the　production　of　pig…iron　from　the

blast…furnace；　suitable　for　puddling；　without　the　intervention　of　the

refinery；　and　the　application　of　the　hot　blast　to　anthracite　coal　in

iron…smelting。　　For　the　process　of　combining　iron　with　carbon　for　the

production　of　steel；　Mr。　Mushet　took　out　a　patent　in　November；　1800；

and　many　years　after；　when　he　had　discovered　the　beneficial　effects

of　oxide　of　manganese　on　steel；　Mr。　Josiah　Heath　founded　upon　it　his

celebrated　patent　for　the　making　of　cast…steel；　which　had　the　effect

of　raising　the　annual　production　of　that　metal　in　Sheffield　from　3000

to　100；000　tons。　　His　application　of　the　hot　blast　to　anthracite　coal；

after　a　process　invented　by　him　and　adopted　by　the　Messrs。　Hill　of

the　Plymouth　Iron　Works；　South　Wales；　had　the　effect　of　producing

savings　equal　to　about　20；000L。　a　year　at　those　works；　and　yet；

strange　to　say；　Mr。　Mushet　himself　never　received　any　consideration

for　his　invention。



The　discovery　of　Titanium　by　Mr。　Mushet　in　the　hearth　of　a

blast…furnace　in　1794　would　now　be　regarded　as　a　mere　isolated　fact；

inasmuch　as　Titanium　was　not　placed　in　the　list　of　recognised　metals

until　Dr。　Wollaston；　many　years　later；　ascertained　its　qualities。　　But

in　connection　with　the　fact；　it　may　be　mentioned　that　Mr。　Mushet's

youngest　son；　Robert；　reasoning　on　the　peculiar　circumstances　of　the

discovery　in　question；　of　which　ample　record　is　left；　has　founded

upon　it　his　Titanium　process；　which　is　expected　by　him　eventually　to

supersede　all　other　methods　of　manufacturing　steel；　and　to　reduce

very　materially　the　cost　of　its　production。



While　he　lived；　Mr。　Mushet　was　a　leading　authority　on　all　matters

connected　with　Iron　and　Steel；　and　he　contributed　largely　to　the

scientific　works　of　his　time。　　Besides　his　papers　in　the　Philosophical

Journal；　he　wrote　the　article　〃Iron〃　for　Napiers　Supplement　to　the

Encyclopaedia　Britannica；　and　the　articles　〃Blast　Furnace〃　and

〃Blowing　Machine〃　for　Rees's　Cyclopaedia。　　The　two　latter　articles　had

a　considerable　influence　on　the　opposition　to　the　intended　tax　upon

iron　in　1807；　and　were　frequently　referred　to　in　the　discussions　on

the　subject　in　Parliament。　　Mr。　Mushet　died　in　1847。







CHAPTER　IX。



INVENTION　OF　THE　HOT　BLASTJAMES　BEAUMONT　NEILSON。



〃Whilst　the　exploits　of　the　conqueror　and　the　intrigues　of　the

demagogue　are　faithfully　preserved　through　a　succession　of　ages；　the

persevering　and　unobt