heroes of the telegraph-第17部分

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　His　very　thought　is　in　itself　a　contradiction　to　the　idea　that　there　is　nothing　in　existence　but　dead　matter。　　Science　can　do　little　positively　towards　the　objects　of　this　society。　　But　it　can　do　something；　and　that　something　is　vital　and　fundamental。　　It　is　to　show　that　what　we　see　in　the　world　of　dead　matter　and　of　life　around　us　is　not　a　result　of　the　fortuitous　concourse　of　atoms。

'I　may　refer　to　that　old；　but　never　uninteresting　subject　of　the　miracles　of　geology。　　Physical　science　does　something　for　us　here。　　St。　Peter　speaks　of　scoffers　who　said　that　〃all　things　continue　as　they　were　from　the　beginning　of　the　creation；〃　but　the　apostle　affirms　himself　that　〃all　these　things　shall　be　dissolved。〃　It　seems　to　me　that　even　physical　science　absolutely　demonstrates　the　scientific　truth　of　these　words。　　We　feel　that　there　is　no　possibility　of　things　going　on　for　ever　as　they　have　done　for　the　last　six　thousand　years。　　In　science；　as　in　morals　and　politics；　there　is　absolutely　no　periodicity。　　One　thing　we　may　prophesy　of　the　future　for　certainit　will　be　unlike　the　past。　Everything　is　in　a　state　of　evolution　and　progress。　　The　science　of　dead　matter；　which　has　been　the　principal　subject　of　my　thoughts　during　my　life；　is；　I　may　say；　strenuous　on　this　point；　that　THE　AGE　OF　THE　EARTH　IS　DEFINITE。　　We　do　not　say　whether　it　is　twenty　million　years　or　more；　or　less；　but　me　say　it　is　NOT　INDEFINITE。　　And　we　can　say　very　definitely　that　it　is　not　an　inconceivably　great　number　of　millions　of　years。　　Here；　then；　we　are　brought　face　to　face　with　the　most　wonderful　of　all　miracles；　the　commencement　of　life　on　this　earth。　　This　earth；　certainly　a　moderate　number　of　millions　of　years　ago；　was　a　red…hot　globe；　all　scientific　men　of　the　present　day　agree　that　life　came　upon　this　earth　somehow。　　If　some　form　or　some　part　of　the　life　at　present　existing　came　to　this　earth；　carried　on　some　moss…grown　stone　perhaps　broken　away　from　mountains　in　other　worlds；　even　if　some　part　of　the　life　had　come　in　that　wayfor　there　is　nothing　too　far…fetched　in　the　idea；　and　probably　some　such　action　as　that　did　take　place；　since　meteors　do　come　every　day　to　the　earth　from　other　parts　of　the　universe；still；　that　does　not　in　the　slightest　degree　diminish　the　wonder；　the　tremendous　miracle；　we　have　in　the　commencement　of　life　in　this　world。'



CHAPTER　V。

CHARLES　WILLIAM　SIEMENS。

Charles　William　Siemens　was　born　on　April　4；　1823；　at　the　little　village　of　Lenthe；　about　eight　miles　from　Hanover；　where　his　father；　Mr。　Christian　　Ferdinand　Siemens；　was　'Domanen…pachter；'　and　farmed　an　estate　belonging　to　the　Crown。　　His　mother　was　Eleonore　Deichmann；　a　lady　of　noble　disposition；　and　William；　or　Carl　Wilhelm；　was　the　fourth　son　of　a　family　of　fourteen　children；　several　of　whom　have　distinguished　themselves　in　scientific　pursuits。　　Of　these；　Ernst　Werner　Siemens；　the　fourth　child；　and　now　the　famous　electrician　of　Berlin；　was　associated　with　William　in　many　of　his　inventions；　Fritz；　the　ninth　child；　is　the　head　of　the　well…known　Dresden　glass　works；　and　Carl；　the　tenth　child；　is　chief　of　the　equally　well…known　electrical　works　at　St。　Petersburg。　Several　of　the　family　died　young；　others　remained　in　Germany；　but　the　enterprising　spirit；　natural　to　them；　led　most　of　the　sons　abroad　Walter；　the　twelfth　child；　dying　at　Tiflis　as　the　German　Consul　there；　and　Otto；　the　fourteenth　child；　also　dying　at　the　same　place。　　It　would　be　difficult　to　find　a　more　remarkable　family　in　any　age　or　country。　Soon　after　the　birth　of　William；　Mr。　Siemens　removed　to　a　larger　estate　which　he　had　leased　at　Menzendorf；　near　Lubeck。

As　a　child　William　was　sensitive　and　affectionate；　the　baby　of　the　family；　liking　to　roam　the　woods　and　fields　by　himself；　and　curious　to　observe；　but　not　otherwise　giving　any　signs　of　the　engineer。　　He　received　his　education　at　a　commercial　academy　in　Lubeck；　the　Industrial　School　at　Magdeburg　（city　of　the　memorable　burgomaster；　Otto　von　Guericke）；　and　at　the　University　of　Gottingen；　which　he　entered　in　1841；　while　in　his　eighteenth　year。　　Were　he　attended　the　chemical　lectures　of　Woehler；　the　discoverer　of　organic　synthesis；　and　of　Professor　Himly；　the　well…known　physicist；　who　was　married　to　Siemens's　eldest　sister；　Mathilde。　　With　　a　year　at　Gottingen；　during　which　he　laid　the　basis　of　his　theoretical　knowledge；　the　academical　training　of　Siemens　came　to　an　end；　and　he　entered　practical　life　in　the　engineering　works　of　Count　Stolberg；　at　Magdeburg。　　At　the　University　he　had　been　instructed　in　mechanical　laws　and　designs；　here　he　learned　the　nature　and　use　of　tools　and　the　construction　of　machines。　　But　as　his　University　career　at　Gottingen　lasted　only　about　a　year；　so　did　his　apprenticeship　at　the　Stolberg　Works。　　In　this　short　time；　however；　he　probably　reaped　as　much　advantage　as　a　duller　pupil　during　a　far　longer　term。

Young　Siemens　appears　to　have　been　determined　to　push　his　way　forward。　　In　1841　his　brother　Werner　obtained　a　patent　in　Prussia　for　electro…silvering　and　gilding；　and　in　1843　Charles　William　came　to　England　to　try　and　introduce　the　process　here。　　In　his　address　on　'Science　and　Industry；'　delivered　before　the　Birmingham　and　Midland　Institute　in　1881；　while　the　Paris　Electrical　Exhibition　was　running；　Sir　William　gave　a　most　interesting　account　of　his　experiences　during　that　first　visit　to　the　country　of　his　adoption。

'When；'　said　he；　'the　electrotype　process　first　became　known；　it　excited　a　very　general　interest；　and　although　I　was　only　a　young　student　at　Gottingen；　under　twenty　years　of　age；　who　had　just　entered　upon　his　practical　career　with　a　mechanical　engineer；　I　joined　my　brother；　Werner　Siemens；　then　a　young　lieutenant　of　artillery　in　the　Prussian　service；　in　his　endeavours　to　accomplish　electro…gilding；　the　first　impulse　in　this　direction　having　been　given　by　Professor　C。　Himly；　then　of　Gottingen。　　After　attaining　some　promising　results；　a　spirit　of　enterprise　came　over　me；　so　strong　that　I　tore　myself　away　from　the　narrow　circumstances　surrounding　me；　and　landed　at　the　east　end　of　London　with　only　a　few　pounds　in　my　pocket　and　without　friends；　but　with　an　ardent　confidence　of　ultimate　success　within　my　breast。

'I　expected　to　find　some　office　in　which　inventions　were　examined　into；　and　rewarded　if　found　meritorious；　but　no　one　could　direct　me　to　such　a　place。　　In　walking　along　Finsbury　Pavement；　I　saw　written　up　in　large　letters；　〃So…and…so〃　（I　forget　the　name）；　〃Undertaker；〃　and　the　thought　struck　me　that　this　must　be　the　place　I　was　in　quest　of；　at　any　rate；　I　thought　that　a　person　advertising　himself　as　an　〃undertaker〃　would　not　refuse　to　look　into　my　invention　with　a　view　of　obtaining　for　me　the　sought…for　recognition　or　reward。　　On　entering　the　place　I　soon　convinced　myself；　however；　that　I　came　decidedly　too　soon　for　the　kind　of　enterprise　here　contemplated；　and；　finding　myself　confronted　with　the　proprietor　of　the　establishment；　I　covered　my　retreat　by　what　he　must　have　thought　a　very　lame　excuse。　　By　dint　of　perseverance　I　found　my　way　to　the　patent　office　of　Messrs。　Poole　and　Carpmael；　who　received　me　kindly；　and　provided　me　with　a　letter　of　introduction　to　Mr。　Elkington。　Armed　with　this　letter；　I　proceeded　to　Birmingham；　to　plead　my　cause　before　your　townsman。

'In　looking　back　to　that　time；　I　wonder　at　the　patience　with　which　Mr。　Elkington　listened　to　what　I　had　to　say；　being　very　young；　and　scarcely　able　to　find　English　words　to　convey　my　meaning。　　After　showing　me　what　he　was　doing　already　in　the　way　of　electro…plating；　Mr。　Elkington　sent　me　back　to　London　in　order　to　read　some　patents　of　his　own；　asking　me　to　return　if；　after　perusal；　I　still　thought　I　could　teach　him　anything。　　To　my　great　disappointment；　I　found　that　the　chemical　solutions　I　had　been　using　were　actually　mentioned　in　one　of　his　patents；　although　in　a　manner　that　would　hardly　have　sufficed　to　enable　a　third　person　to　obtain　practical　results。

On　my　return　to　Birmingham　I　frankly　stated　what　I　had　found；　and　with　this　frankness　I　evidently　gained　the　favour　of　another　townsman　of　yours；　Mr。　Josiah　Mason；　who　had　just　joined　Mr。　Elkington　in　business；　and　whose　name；　as　Sir　Josiah　Mason；　will　ever　be　remembered　for　his　munificent　endowment　of　education。　　It　was　agreed　that　I　should　not　be　judged　by　the　novelty　of　my　invention；　but　by　the　results　which　I　promised；　namely；　of　being　able　to　deposit　with　a　smooth　surface　30　dwt。　of　silver　upon　a　　dish…cover；　the　crystalline　structure　of　the　deposit　having　theretofore　been　a　source　of　difficulty。　　In　this　I　succeeded；　and　I　was　able　to　return　to　my　native　country　and　my　mechanical　engineering　a　comparative　Croesus。

'But　it　was　not　for　long；　as　in　the　following　year　（1844）　I　again　landed　in　the　Thames　with　another　invention；　worked　out　also　with　my　brother；　namely；　the　chronometric　governor；　which；　though　less　successful；　commercially　speaking；　than　the　first；　obtained　for　me　the　advantage　of　bringing　me　into　contact　with　the　engineering　world；　and　of　fixing　me　permanently　in　this　country。　　This　invention　was　in　course　of　time　applied　by　Sir　George　Airy；　the　then　Astronomer…Royal；　for　regulating　the　motion　of　his　great　transit　and　touch…recording　instrument　at　the　Royal　Observatory；　where　it　still　continues　to　be　employed。

'Another　early　subject　of　mine；　the　anastatic　printing　process；　found　favour　with　Faraday；　〃the　great　and　the　good；〃　who　made　it　the　subject　of　a　Friday　evening　lecture　at　the　Royal　Institution。　　These　two　circumstances；　combined；　obtained　for　me　an　entry　into　scientific　circles；　and　helped　to　sustain　me　in　difficulty；　until；　by　dint　of　a　certain　determination　to　win；　I　was　able　to　advance　step　by　step　up　to　this　place　of　honour；　situated　within　a　gunshot　of　the　scene　of　my　earliest　success　in　life；　but　separated　from　it　by　the　time　of　a　generation。　　But　notwithstanding　the　lapse　of　time；　my　heart　still　beats　quick　each　time　I　come　back　to　the　scene　of　this；　the　determining　incident　of　my　life。'

The　'anastatic'　process；　described　by　Faraday　in　1845；　and　partly　due　to　Werner　Siemens；　was　a　method　of　reproducing　printed　matter　by　transferring　the　print　from　paper　to　plates　of　zinc。　　Caustic　baryta　was　applied　to　the　printed　sheet　to　convert　the　resinous　ingredients　of　the　ink　i