heroes of the telegraph-第21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！


r；　a　few　days　before　his　death；　the　Council　of　the　Institution　of　Civil　Engineers　awarded　him　the　Howard　Quinquennial　prize　for　his　improvements　in　the　manufacture　of　iron　and　steel。　　At　the　request　of　his　widow；　it　took　the　form　of　a　bronze　copy　of　the　'Mourners；'　a　piece　of　statuary　by　J。　G。　Lough；　originally　exhibited　at　the　Great　Exhibition　of　1851；　in　the　Crystal　Palace。　　In　1869　the　University　of　Oxford　conferred　upon　him　the　high　distinction　of　D。C。L。　（Doctor　of　Civil　Law）；　and　besides　being　a　member　of　several　foreign　societies；　he　was　a　Dignitario　of　the　Brazilian　Order　of　the　Rose；　and　Chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　Honour。

Rich　in　honours　and　the　appreciation　of　his　contemporaries；　in　the　prime　of　his　working　power　and　influence　for　good；　and　at　the　very　climax　of　his　career；　Sir　William　Siemens　was　called　away。　　The　news　of　his　death　came　with　a　shock　of　surprise；　for　hardly　any　one　knew　he　had　been　ill。　　He　died　on　the　evening　of　Monday；　November　19；　1883；　at　nine　o'clock。　　A　fortnight　before；　while　returning　from　a　managers'　meeting　of　the　Royal　Institution；　in　company　with　his　friend　Sir　Frederick　Bramwell；　he　tripped　upon　the　kerbstone　of　the　pavement；　after　crossing　Hamilton　Place；　Piccadilly；　and　fell　heavily　to　the　ground；　with　his　left　arm　under　him。　　Though　a　good　deal　shaken　by　the　fall；　he　attended　at　his　office　in　Queen　Anne's　Gate；　Westminster；　the　next　and　for　several　following　days；　but　the　exertion　proved　too　much　for　him；　and　almost　for　the　first　time　in　his　busy　life　he　was　compelled　to　lay　up。　On　his　last　visit　to　the　office　he　was　engaged　most　of　the　time　in　dictating　to　his　private　secretary　a　large　portion　of　the　address　which　he　intended　to　deliver　as　Chairman　of　the　Council　of　the　Society　of　Arts。　　This　was　on　Thursday；　November　8；　and　the　following　Saturday　he　awoke　early　in　the　morning　with　an　acute　pain　about　the　heart　and　a　sense　of　coldness　in　the　lower　limbs。　　Hot　baths　and　friction　removed　the　pain；　from　which　he　did　not　suffer　much　afterwards。　　A　slight　congestion　of　the　left　lung　was　also　relieved；　and　Sir　William　had　so　far　recovered　that　he　could　leave　his　room。　　On　Saturday；　the　17th；　he　was　to　have　gone　for　a　change　of　air　to　his　country　seat　at　Sherwood；　but　on　Wednesday；　the　14th；　he　appears　to　have　caught　a　chill　which　affected　his　lungs；　for　that　night　he　was　seized　with　a　shortness　of　breath　and　a　difficulty　in　breathing。　　Though　not　actually　confined　to　bed；　he　never　left　his　room　again。　　On　the　last　day；　and　within　four　hours　of　his　death；　we　are　told；　his　two　medical　attendants；　after　consultation；　spoke　so　hopefully　of　the　future；　that　no　one　was　prepared　for　the　sudden　end　which　was　then　so　near。　　In　the　evening；　while　he　was　sitting　in　an　arm…chair；　very　quiet　and　calm；　a　change　suddenly　came　over　his　face；　and　he　died　like　one　who　falls　asleep。　　Heart　disease　of　long　standing；　aggravated　by　the　fall；　was　the　immediate　cause；　but　the　opinion　has　been　expressed　by　one　who　knew　him　well；　that　Siemens　'literally　immolated　himself　on　the　shrine　of　labour。'　At　any　rate　he　did　not　spare　himself；　and　his　intense　devotion　to　his　work　proved　fatal。

Every　day　was　a　busy　one　with　Siemens。　　His　secretary　was　with　him　in　his　residence　by　nine　o'clock　nearly　every　morning；　except　on　Sundays；　assisting　him　in　work　for　one　society　or　another；　the　correction　of　proofs；　or　the　dictation　of　letters　giving　official　or　scientific　advice；　and　the　preparation　of　lectures　or　patent　specifications。　　Later　on；　he　hurried　across　the　Park　'almost　at　racing　speed；'　to　his　offices　at　Westminster；　where　the　business　of　the　Landore…Siemens　Steel　Company　and　the　Electrical　Works　of　Messrs。　Siemens　Brothers　and　Company　was　transacted。　　As　chairman　of　these　large　undertakings；　and　principal　inventor　of　the　processes　and　systems　carried　out　by　them；　he　had　a　hundred　things　to　attend　to　in　connection　with　them；　visitors　to　see；　and　inquiries　to　answer。　　In　the　afternoon　and　evenings　he　was　generally　engaged　at　council　meetings　of　the　learned　societies；　or　directory　meetings　of　the　companies　in　which　he　was　interested。　　He　was　a　man　who　took　little　or　no　leisure；　and　though　he　never　appeared　to　over…exert　himself；　few　men　could　have　withstood　the　strain　so　long。

Siemens　was　buried　on　Monday；　November　26；　in　Kensal　Green　Cemetery。　The　interment　was　preceded　by　a　funeral　service　held　in　Westminster　Abbey；　and　attended　by　representatives　of　the　numerous　learned　societies　of　which　he　had　been　a　conspicuous　member；　by　many　leading　men　in　all　branches　of　science；　and　also　by　a　large　body　of　other　friends　and　admirers；　who　thus　united　in　doing　honour　to　his　memory；　and　showing　their　sense　of　the　loss　which　all　classes　had　sustained　by　his　death。

Siemens　was　above　all　things　a　'labourer。'　　Unhasting；　unresting　labour　was　the　rule　of　his　life；　and　the　only　relaxation；　not　to　say　recreation；　which　he　seems　to　have　allowed　himself　was　a　change　of　task　or　the　calls　of　sleep。　　This　natural　activity　was　partly　due　to　the　spur　of　his　genius；　and　partly　to　his　energetic　spirit。　　For　a　man　of　his　temperament　science　is　always　holding　out　new　problems　to　solve　and　fresh　promises　of　triumph。　　All　he　did　only　revealed　more　work　to　be　done；　and　many　a　scheme　lies　buried　in　his　grave。

Though　Siemens　was　a　man　of　varied　powers；　and　occasionally　gave　himself　to　pure　speculation　in　matters　of　science；　his　mind　was　essentially　practical；　and　it　was　rather　as　an　engineer　than　a　discoverer　that　he　was　great。　　Inventions　are　associated　with　his　name；　not　laws　or　new　phenomena。　　Standing　on　the　borderland　between　pure　and　applied　science；　his　sympathies　were　yet　with　the　latter；　and　as　the　outgoing　President　of　the　British　Association　at　Southport；　in　1882；　he　expressed　the　opinion　that　'in　the　great　workshop　of　nature　there　are　no　lines　of　demarcation　to　be　drawn　between　the　most　exalted　speculation　and　common…place　practice。'　The　truth　of　this　is　not　to　be　gain…said；　but　it　is　the　utterance　of　an　engineer　who　judges　the　merit　of　a　thing　by　its　utility。　　He　objected　to　the　pursuit　of　science　apart　from　its　application；　and　held　that　the　man　of　science　does　most　for　his　kind　who　shows　the　world　how　to　make　use　of　scientific　results。　　Such　a　view　was　natural　on　the　part　of　Siemens；　who　was　himself　a　living　representative　of　the　type　in　question；　but　it　was　not　the　view　of　such　a　man　as　Faraday　or　Newton；　whose　pure　aim　was　to　discover　truth；　well　knowing　that　it　would　be　turned　to　use　thereafter。　　In　Faraday's　eyes　the　new　principle　was　a　higher　boon　than　the　appliance　which　was　founded　upon　it。

Tried　by　his　own　standard；　however；　Siemens　was　a　conspicuous　benefactor　of　his　fellow…men；　and　at　the　time　of　his　decease　he　had　become　our　leading　authority　upon　applied　science。　　In　electricity　he　was　a　pioneer　of　the　new　advances；　and　happily　lived　to　obtain　at　least　a　Pisgah　view　of　the　great　future　which　evidently　lies　before　that　pregnant　force。

If　we　look　for　the　secret　of　Siemens's　remarkable　success；　we　shall　assuredly　find　it　in　an　inventive　mind；　coupled　with　a　strong　commercial　instinct；　and　supported　by　a　physical　energy　which　enabled　him　to　labour　long　and　incessantly。　　It　is　told　that　when　a　mechanical　problem　was　brought　to　him　for　solution；　he　would　suggest　six　ways　of　overcoming　the　difficulty；　three　of　which　would　be　impracticable；　the　others　feasible；　and　one　at　least　successful。　　From　this　we　gather　that　his　mind　was　fertile　in　expedients。　　The　large　works　which　he　established　are　also　a　proof　that；　unlike　most　inventors；　he　did　not　lose　his　interest　in　an　invention；　or　forsake　it　for　another　before　it　had　been　brought　into　the　market。　　On　the　contrary；　he　was　never　satisfied　with　an　invention　until　it　was　put　into　practical　operation。

To　the　ordinary　observer；　Siemens　did　not　betray　any　signs　of　the　untiring　energy　that　possessed　him。　　His　countenance　was　usually　serene　and　tranquil；　as　that　of　a　thinker　rather　than　a　man　of　action；　his　demeanour　was　cool　and　collected；　his　words　few　and　well…chosen。　　In　his　manner；　as　well　as　in　his　works；　there　was　no　useless　waste　of　power。

To　the　young　he　was　kind　and　sympathetic；　hearing；　encouraging；　advising；　a　good　master；　a　firm　friend。　　His　very　presence　had　a　calm　and　orderly　influence　on　those　about　him；　which　when　he　presided　at　a　Public　meeting　insensibly　introduced　a　gracious　tone。　　The　diffident　took　heart　before　him；　and　the　presumptuous　were　checked。　　The　virtues　which　accompanied　him　into　public　life　did　not　desert　him　in　private。　　In　losing　him；　we　have　lost　not　only　a　powerful　intellect；　but　a　bright　example；　and　an　amiable　man。



CHAPTER　VI

FLEEMING　JENKIN。

The　late　Fleeming　Jenkin；　Professor　of　Engineering　in　Edinburgh　University；　was　remarkable　for　the　versatility　of　his　talent。　　Known　to　the　world　as　the　inventor　of　Telpherage；　he　was　an　electrician　and　cable　engineer　of　the　first　rank；　a　lucid　lecturer；　and　a　good　linguist；　a　skilful　critic；　a　writer　and　actor　of　plays；　and　a　clever　sketcher。　　In　popular　parlance；　Jenkin　was　a　dab　at　everything。

His　father；　Captain　Charles　Jenkin；　R。N。；　was　the　second　son　of　Mr。　Charles　Jenkin；　of　Stowting　Court；　himself　a　naval　officer；　who　had　taken　part　in　the　actions　with　De　Grasse。　　Stowting　Court；　a　small　estate　some　six　miles　north　of　Hythe；　had　been　in　the　family　since　the　year　1633；　and　was　held　of　the　Crown　by　the　feudal　service　of　six　men　and　a　constable　to　defend　the　sea…way　at　Sandgate。　　Certain　Jenkins　had　settled　in　Kent　during　the　reign　of　Henry　VIII。；　and　claimed　to　have　come　from　Yorkshire。　　They　bore　the　arms　of　Jenkin　ap　Phillip　of　St。　Melans；　who　traced　his　descent　from　'Guaith　Voeth；'　Lord　of　Cardigan。

While　cruising　in　the　West　Indies；　carrying　specie；　or　chasing　buccaneers　and　slavers；　Charles　Jenkin；　junior；　was　introduced　to　the　family　of　a　fellow　　midshipman；　son　of　Mr。　Jackson；　Custos　Rotulorum　of　Kingston；　Jamaica；　and　fell　in　love　with　Henrietta　Camilla；　the　youngest　daughter。　　Mr。　Jackson　came　of　a　Yorkshire　stock；　said　to　be　of　Scottish　origin；　and　Susan；　his　wife；　was　a　daughter　of　＇Sir＇　Colin　Campbell；　a　Greenock　merchant；　who　inherited　but　never　assumed　the　baronetcy　of　Auchinbreck。　　＇According　　to　BURKE'S　PEERAGE　（1889）；　the　title　went　to　another　branch。＇

Charles　Jenk