industrial biography-第59部分

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manufacture；*

　＇footnote。。。

We　are　informed　in　Mr。　Longstaffe's　Annals　and　Characteristics　of

Darlington；　that　the　spinning　of　flax　by　machinery　was　first　begun　by

one　John　Kendrew；　an　ingenious　self…taught　mechanic　of　that　town；　who

invented　a　machine　for　the　purpose；　for　which　he　took　out　a　patent　in

1787。　　Mr。　Marshall　went　over　from　Leeds　to　see　his　machine；　and

agreed　to　give　him　so　much　per　spindle　for　the　right　to　use　it。　　But

ceasing　to　pay　the　patent　right；　Kendrew　commenced　an　action　against

him　for　a　sum　of　nine　hundred　pounds　alleged　to　be　due　under　the

agreement。　　The　claim　was　disputed；　and　Kendrew　lost　his　action；　and

it　is　added　in　Longstaffe's　Annals；　that　even　had　he　succeeded；　it

would　have　been　of　no　use；　for　Mr。　Marshall　declared　that　he　had　not

then　the　money　wherewith　to　pay　him。　　It　is　possible　that　Matthew

Murray　may　have　obtained　some　experience　of　flax…machinery　in　working

for　Kendrew；　which　afterwards　proved　of　use　to　him　in　Mr。　Marshall's

establishment。

　。。。＇

and　the　young　blacksmith　was　so　fortunate　or　rather　so　dexterous　as

to　be　able　to　suggest　several　improvements　in　the　machinery　which

secured　the　approval　of　his　employer；　who　made　him　a　present　of　20L。；

and　very　shortly　promoted　him　to　be　the　first　mechanic　in　the

workshop。　　On　this　stroke　of　good　fortune　Murray　took　a　house　at　the

neighbouring　village　of　Beeston；　sent　to　Stockton　for　his　wife；　who

speedily　joined　him；　and　he　now　felt　himself　fairly　started　in　the

world。　　He　remained　with　Mr。　Marshall　for　about　twelve　years；　during

which　he　introduced　numerous　improvements　in　the　machinery　for

spinning　flax；　and　obtained　the　reputation　of　being　a　first…rate

mechanic。　　This　induced　Mr。　James　Fenton　and　Mr。　David　Wood　to　offer

to　join　him　in　the　establishment　of　an　engineering　and　machine…making

factory　at　Leeds；　which　he　agreed　to；　and　operations　were　commenced

at　Holbeck　in　the　year　1795。



As　Mr。　Murray　had　obtained　considerable　practical　knowledge　of　the

steam…engine　while　working　at　Mr。　Marshall's；　he　took　principal

charge　of　the　engine…building　department；　while　his　partner　Wood

directed　the　machine…making。　　In　the　branch　of　engine…building　Mr。

Murray　very　shortly　established　a　high　reputation；　treading　close

upon　the　heels　of　Boulton　and　Wattso　close；　indeed；　that　that　firm

became　very　jealous　of　him；　and　purchased　a　large　piece　of　ground

close　to　his　works　with　the　object　of　preventing　their　extension。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　purchase　of　this　large　piece　of　ground；　known　as　Camp　Field；　had

the　effect　of　〃plugging　up〃　Matthew　Murray　for　a　time；　and　it

remained　disused；　except　for　the　deposit　of　dead　dogs　and　other

rubbish；　for　more　than　half　a　century。　　It　has　only　been　enclosed

during　the　present　year；　and　now　forms　part　of　the　works　of　Messrs。

Smith；　Beacock；　and　Tannet；　the　eminent　tool…makers。

　。。。＇

His　additions　to　the　steam…engine　were　of　great　practical　value；　one

of　which；　the　self…acting　apparatus　attached　to　the　boiler　for　the

purpose　of　regulating　the　intensity　of　fire　under　it；　and

consequently　the　production　of　steam；　is　still　in　general　use。　　This

was　invented　by　him　as　early　as　1799。　　He　also　subsequently　invented

the　D　slide　valve；　or　at　least　greatly　improved　it；　while　he　added　to

the　power　of　the　air…pump；　and　gave　a　new　arrangement　to　the　other

parts；　with　a　view　to　the　simplification　of　the　powers　of　the　engine。

To　make　the　D　valve　work　efficiently；　it　was　found　necessary　to　form

two　perfectly　plane　surfaces；　to　produce　which　he　invented　his

planing　machine。　　He　was　also　the　first　to　adopt　the　practice　of

placing　the　piston　in　a　horizontal　position　in　the　common　condensing

engine。　　Among　his　other　modifications　in　the　steam…engine；　was　his

improvement　of　the　locomotive　as　invented　by　Trevithick；　and　it　ought

to　be　remembered　to　his　honour　that　he　made　the　first　locomotive　that

regularly　worked　upon　any　railway。



This　was　the　engine　erected　by　him　for　Blenkinsop；　to　work　the

Middleton　colliery　railway　near　Leeds；　on　which　it　began　to　run　in

1812；　and　continued　in　regular　use　for　many　years。　　In　this　engine　he

introduced　the　double　cylinderTrevithick's　engine　being　provided

with　only　one　cylinder；　the　defects　of　which　were　supplemented　by　the

addition　of　a　fly…wheel　to　carry　the　crank　over　the　dead　points。



But　Matthew　Murray's　most　important　inventions；　considered　in　their

effects　on　manufacturing　industry；　were　those　connected　with　the

machinery　for　heckling　and　spinning　flax；　which　he　very　greatly

improved。　　His　heckling　machine　obtained　for　him　the　prize　of　the　gold

medal　of　the　Society　of　Arts；　and　this　as　well　as　his　machine　for　wet

flax…spinning　by　means　of　sponge　weights　proved　of　the　greatest

practical　value。　　At　the　time　when　these　inventions　were　made　the　flax

trade　was　on　the　point　of　expiring；　the　spinners　being　unable　to

produce　yarn　to　a　profit；　and　their　almost　immediate　effect　was　to

reduce　the　cost　of　production；　to　improve　immensely　the　quality　of

the　manufacture；　and　to　establish　the　British　linen　trade　on　a　solid

foundation。　　The　production　of　flax…machinery　became　an　important

branch　of　manufacture　at　Leeds；　large　quantities　being　made　for　use

at　home　as　well　as　for　exportation；　giving　employment　to　an

increasing　number　of　highly　skilled　mechanics。*

　＇footnote。。。

Among　more　recent　improvers　of　flax…machinery；　the　late　Sir　Peter

Fairbairn　is　entitled　to　high　merit：　　the　work　turned　out　by　him　being

of　first…rate　excellence；　embodying　numerous　inventions　and

improvements　of　great　value　and　importance。

　。。。＇

Mr。　Murray's　faculty　for　organising　work；　perfected　by　experience；

enabled　him　also　to　introduce　many　valuable　improvements　in　the

mechanics　of　manufacturing。　　His　pre…eminent　skill　in　mill…gearing

became　generally　acknowledged；　and　the　effects　of　his　labours　are

felt　to　this　day　in　the　extensive　and　still　thriving　branches　of

industry　which　his　ingenuity　and　ability　mainly　contributed　to

establish。　　All　the　machine　tools　used　in　his　establishment　were

designed　by　himself；　and　he　was　most　careful　in　the　personal

superintendence　of　all　the　details　of　their　construction。　　Mr。　Murray

died　at　Leeds　in　1826；　in　his　sixty…third　year。



We　have　not　yet　exhausted　the　list　of　claimants　to　the　invention　of

the　Planing　Machine；　for　we　find　still　another　in　the　person　of

Richard　Roberts　of　Manchester；　one　of　the　most　prolific　of　modem

inventors。　　Mr。　Roberts　has　indeed　achieved　so　many　undisputed

inventions；　that　he　can　readily　afford　to　divide　the　honour　in　this

case　with　others。　　He　has　contrived　things　so　various　as　the

self…acting　mule　and　the　best　electro…magnet；　wet　gas…meters　and　dry

planing　machines；　iron　billard…tables　and　turret…clocks；　the

centrifugal　railway　and　the　drill　slotting…machine；　an　apparatus　for

making　cigars　and　machinery　for　the　propulsion　and　equipment　of

steamships；　so　that　he　may　almost　be　regarded　as　the　Admirable

Crichton　of　modem　mechanics。



Richard　Roberts　was　born　in　1789；　at　Carreghova　in　the　parish　of

Llanymynech。　　His　father　was　by　trade　a　shoemaker；　to　which　he

occasionally　added　the　occupation　of　toll…keeper。　　The　house　in　which

Richard　was　born　stood　upon　the　border　line　which　then　divided　the

counties　of　Salop　and　Montgomery；　the　front　door　opening　in　the　one

county；　and　the　back　door　in　the　other。　　Richard；　when　a　boy；　received

next　to　no　education；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　of　fitting　age　was　put　to

common　labouring　work。　　For　some　time　he　worked　in　a　quarry　near　his

father's　dwelling；　but　being　of　an　ingenious　turn；　he　occupied　his

leisure　in　making　various　articles　of　mechanism；　partly　for　amusement

and　partly　for　profit。　　One　of　his　first　achievements；　while　working

as　a　quarryman；　was　a　spinning…wheel；　of　which　he　was　very　proud；　for

it　was　considered　〃a　good　job。〃　　Thus　he　gradually　acquired　dexterity

in　handling　tools；　and　he　shortly　came　to　entertain　the　ambition　of

becoming　a　mechanic。



There　were　several　ironworks　in　the　neighbour　hood；　and　thither　he

went　in　search　of　employment。　　He　succeeded　in　finding　work　as　a

pattern…maker　at　Bradley；　near　Bilston；　under　John　Wilkinson；　the

famous　ironmastera　man　of　great　enterprise　as　well　as　mechanical

skill；　for　he　was　the　first　man；　as　already　stated；　that　Watt　could

find　capable　of　boring　a　cylinder　with　any　approach　to　truth；　for　the

purposes　of　his　steam…engines。　　After　acquiring　some　practical

knowledge　of　the　art　of　working　in　wood　as　well　as　iron；　Roberts

proceeded　to　Birmingham；　where　he　passed　through　different　shops；

gaining　further　experience　in　mechanical　practice。　　He　tried　his　hand

at　many　kinds　of　work；　and　acquired　considerable　dexterity　in　each。

He　was　regarded　as　a　sort　of　jack…of…all…trades；　for　he　was　a　good

turner；　a　tolerable　wheel…wright；　and　could　repair　mill…work　at　a

pinch。



He　next　moved　northward　to　the　Horsley　ironworks；　Tipton；　where　he

was　working　as　a　pattern…maker　when　he　had　the　misfortune　to　be　drawn

in　his　own　county　for　the　militia。　　He　immediately　left　his　work　and

made　his　way　homeward　to　Llanymynech；　determined　not　to　be　a　soldier

or　even　a　militiaman。　　But　home　was　not　the　place　for　him　to　rest　in；

and　after　bidding　a　hasty　adieu　to　his　father；　he　crossed　the　country

northward　on　foot　and　reached　Liverpool；　in　the　hope　of　finding　work

there。　　Failing　in　that；　he　set　out　for　Manchester　and　reached　it　at

dusk；　very　weary　and　very　miry　in　consequence　of　the　road　being　in

such　a　wretched　state　of　mud　and　ruts。　　He　relates　that；　not　knowing　a

person　in　the　town；　he　went　up　to　an　apple…stall　ostensibly　to　buy　a

pennyworth　of　apples；　but　really　to　ask　the　stall…keeper　if　he　knew

of　any　person　in　want　of　a　hand。　　Was　there　any　turner　in　the

neighbourhood？　Yes；　round　the　corner。　　Thither　he　went　at　once；　found

the　wood…turner　in；　and　was　promised　a　job　on　the　following　morning。

He　remained　with　the　turner　for　only　a　short　time；