an autobiography-第49部分

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at　I　could　desire。　　I　then　communicated　my　hopes　and　wishes　to　the　parents。　　I　explained　to　them　my　circumstances；　which　happily　were　then　beginning　to　assume　an　encouraging　prospect；　and　realising；　in　a　substantial　form；　a　return　for　the　earnest　exertions　that　I　had　made　towards　establishing　a　home　of　my　own。　They　expressed　their　concurrence　in　the　kindest　manner；　and　it　was　arranged　that　if　business　continued　to　progress　as　favourably　as　I　hoped；　our　union　should　take　place　in　about　two　years　from　that　time。

Everything　went　on　hopefully　and　prosperously。　　The　two　years　that　intervened　looked　very　long　in　some　respects；　and　very　short　in　others；　for　I　was　always　fully　occupied；　and　labour　shortens　time。　　At　length　the　two　years　came　to　an　end。　　My　betrothed　and　myself　continued　of　the　same　mind。　　The　happy　〃chance〃　event　of　our　meeting　on　the　evening　of　the　2d　of　March　1838　culminated　in　our　marriage　at　the　village　church　of　Wentworth　on　the　16th　of　June　1840a　day　of　happy　memory！　From　that　day　to　this　the　course　of　our　united　hearts　and　lives　has　continued　to　run　on　with　steady　uninterrupted　harmony　and　mutual　happiness。　　Forty…two　years　of　our　married　life　finds　us　the　same　affectionate　and　devoted　〃cronies〃　that　we　were　at　the　beginning；　and　there　is　every　prospect　that；　under　God's　blessing；　we　shall　continue　to　be　so　to　the　end。

I　was　present　at　the　opening　of　the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway；　on　the　15th　of　September　1830。　　Every　one　knows　the　success　of　the　undertaking。　　Railways　became　the　rage。　　They　were　projected　in　every　possible　direction。　　They　were　first　made　between　all　the　large　towns；　after　which　branches　were　constructed　to　place　the　whole　country　in　connection　with　the　main　lines。　　Coaches　were　driven　off　the　road；　and　everything　appeared　to　be　thrown　into　a　state　of　confusion。　People　wondered　greatly　at　the　new　conditions　of　travelling；　and　they　flocked　from　all　quarters　to　see　the　railway　at　work。

When　the　line　was　opened　from　Edinburgh　to　Glasgow；　a　shepherd　and　his　wife　came　from　beyond　the　Pentlands　to　see　the　train　pass。　On　it　came；　and　flashed　out　of　sight　in　a　minute。　〃How　wonderful　are　the　works　o'　man！〃　exclaimed　the　shepherd。　〃But　what's　a'　the　hurry　for？〃；　rejoined　his　wife。　Still　more　marvellous；　however；　was　the　first　adventure　by　train　of　an　old　woman　from　Newtyle　to　Dundee。　　In　those　days　the　train　was　let　down　part　of　the　railway　by　a　rope。　　The　woman　was　on　her　way　down　hill；　with　a　basket　of　eggs　by　her　side。　　Suddenly　the　rope　broke；　and　the　train　dashed　into　the　Dundee　Station；　scattering　the　carriages；　and　throwing　out　the　old　woman　and　her　basket　of　broken　eggs。　A　porter　ran　to　her　help；　when；　gathering　herself　together；　she　exclaimed；　〃Odd　sake；　sirs；　d'ye　aye　whummil*　　＇footnote。。。　Whummil；　to　turn　upside　down。Jamieson's　Scottish　Dictionary。　　。。。＇　us　oot　this　way？〃　　She　thought　it　was　only　the　ordinary　way　of　delivering　railway　passengers。

Ropes；　however；　were　merely　exceptional　methods　of　working　railway　trains。　　Eventually　locomotives　were　invariably　adopted。　　When　railways　were　extended　in　so　many　directions；　more　and　more　locomotives　were　required　to　work　them。

When　George　Stephenson　was　engaged　in　building　his　first　locomotive　at　Killingworth；　he　was　greatly　hampered；　not　only　by　the　want　of　handy　mechanics；　but　by　the　want　of　efficient　tools。　　But　he　did　the　best　that　he　could。　　His　genius　overcame　difficulties。　　It　was　immensely　to　his　credit　that　he　should　have　so　successfully　completed　his　engines　for　the　Stockton　and　Darlington；　and　afterwards　for　the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway。

Only　a　few　years　had　passed；　and　self…acting　tools　were　now　enabled　to　complete；　with　precision　and　uniformity；　machines　that　before　had　been　deemed　almost　impracticable。

In　proportion　to　the　rapid　extension　of　railways　the　demand　for　locomotives　became　very　great。　　As　our　machine　tools　were　peculiarly　adapted　for　turning　out　a　large　amount　of　first…class　work；　we　directed　our　attention　to　this　class　of　business。　　In　the　course　of　about　ten　years　after　the　opening　of　the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway；　we　executed　considerable　orders　for　locomotives　for　the　London　and　Southampton；　the　Manchester　and　Leeds；　and　the　Gloucester　railway　companies。

The　Great　Western　Railway　Company　invited　us　to　tender　for　twenty　of　their　very　ponderous　engines。　　They　proposed　a　very　tempting　condition　of　the　contract。　　It　was；　that　if；　after　a　month's　trial　of　the　locomotives；　their　working　proved　satisfactory；　a　premium　of　#100　was　to　be　added　to　the　price　of　each　engine　and　tender。　　The　locomotives　were　made　and　delivered；　they　ran　the　stipulated　number　of　test　miles　between　London　and　Bristol　in　a　perfectly　satisfactory　manner；　and　we　not　only　received　the　premium；　but；　what　was　much　more　encouraging；　we　received　a　special　letter　from　the　Board　of　Directors；　stating　their　entire　satisfaction　with　the　performance　of　our　engines；　and　desiring　us　to　refer　other　contractors　to　them　with　respect　to　the　excellence　of　our　workmanship。　　This　testimonial　was　altogether　spontaneous；　and　proved　extremely　valuable　in　other　quarters。

I　may　mention　that；　in　order　to　effect　the　prompt　and　perfect　execution　of　this　order；　I　contrived　several　special　machine　tools；　which　assisted　us　most　materially。　　These　tools　for　the　most　part　rendered　us　more　independent　of　mere　manual　strength　and　dexterity；　while　at　the　same　time　they　increased　the　accuracy　and　perfection　of　the　work。　They　afterwards　assisted　us　in　the　means　of　perfecting　the　production　of　other　classes　of　work。　　At　the　same　time　they　had　the　important　effect　of　diminishing　the　cost　of　production；　as　was　made　sufficiently　apparent　by　the　balance…sheet　prepared　at　the　end　of　each　year。　My　connection　with　the　Great　Western　Company　shortly　led　to　a　most　important　event　in　connection　with　my　own　personal　history。　It　appears　that　their　famous　steam…ship　the　Great　Western　　had　been　very　successful　in　her　voyages　between　Bristol　and　New　York；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　the　directors　of　the　Company　ordered　the　construction　of　another　vessel　of　much　greater　magnitudethe　Great　Britain。　Mr。　Francis　Humphries；　their　engineer；　came　to　Patricroft　to　consult　with　me　as　to　the　machine　tools；　of　unusual　size　and　power；　which　were　required　for　the　construction　of　the　immense　engines　of　the　proposed　ship；　which　were　to　be　made　on　the　vertical　trunk　principle。　Very　complete　works　were　erected　at　Bristol　for　the　accommodation　of　the　requisite　machinery。　　The　tools　were　made　according　to　Mr。　Humphries'　order；　they　were　delivered　and　fitted　to　his　entire　approval；　and　the　construction　of　the　gigantic　engines　was　soon　in　full　progress。

An　unexpected　difficulty；　however；　was　encountered　with　respect　to　the　enormous　wrought…iron　intermediate　paddleshaft。　　It　was　required　to　be　of　a　size　and　diameter　the　like　of　which　had　never　been　forged。　Mr。　Humphries　applied　to　the　largest　forges　throughout　the　country　for　tenders　of　the　price　at　which　they　would　execute　this　important　part　of　the　work；　but　to　his　surprise　and　dismay　he　found　that　not　one　of　them　could　undertake　so　large　a　forging。　　In　this　dilemma　he　wrote　a　letter　to　me；　which　I　received　on　the　24th　of　November　1839；　informing　me　of　the　unlooked…for　difficulty。　　〃I　find；〃　he　said；　〃that　there　is　not　a　forge　hammer　in　England　or　Scotland　powerful　enough　to　forge　the　intermediate　paddle…shaft　of　the　engines　for　the　Great　Britain！　What　am　I　to　do？　　Do　you　think　I　might　dare　to　use　cast…iron？

This　letter　immediately　set　me　a…thinking。　　How　was　it　that　the　existing　hammers　were　incapable　of　forging　a　wrought…iron　shaft　of　thirty　inches　diameter？　　Simply　because　of　their　want　of　compass；　of　range　and　fall；　as　well　as　of　their　want　of　power　of　blow。　A　few　moment's　rapid　thought　satisfied　me　that　it　was　by　our　rigidly　adhering　to　the　old　traditional　form　of　a　smith's　hand　hammer　of　which　the　forge　and　tilt　hammer；　although　driven　by　water　or　steam　power；　were　merely　enlarged　modificationsthat　the　difficulty　had　arisen；　as；　whenever　the　largest　forge　hammer　was　tilted　up　to　its　full　height；　its　range　was　so　small　that　when　a　piece　of　work　of　considerable　size　was　placed　on　the　anvil；　the　hammer　became　〃gagged；〃　so　that；　when　the　forging　required　the　most　powerful　blow；　it　received　next　to　no　blow　at　all；　as　the　clear　space　for　the　fall　of　the　hammer　was　almost　entirely　occupied　by　the　work　on　the　anvil。

The　obvious　remedy　was　to　contrive　some　method　by　which　a　ponderous　block　of　iron　should　be　lifted　to　a　sufficient　height　above　the　object　on　which　it　was　desired　to　strike　a　blow；　and　then　to　let　the　block　full　down　upon　the　forging；　guiding　it　in　its　descent　by　such　simple　means　as　should　give　the　required　precision　in　the　percussive　action　of　the　falling　mass　following　up　this　idea；　I　got　out　my　〃Scheme　Book；〃　on　the　pages　of　which　I　generally　thought　out；　with　the　aid　of　pen　and　pencil；　such　mechanical　adaptations　as　I　had　conceived　in　my　mind；　and　was　thereby　enabled　to　render　them　visible。　I　then　rapidly　sketched　out　my　Steam　Hammer；　having　it　all　clearly　before　me　in　my　mind's　eye。　In　little　more　than　half　an　hour　after　receiving　Mr。　Humphries'　letter　narrating　his　unlooked…for　difficulty；　I　had　the　whole　contrivanc