heroes of the telegraph-第23部分

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solar　hypothesis　of　Siemens　revealed　its　author　in　a　new　light。　　Hitherto　he　had　been　the　ingenious　inventor；　the　enterprising　man　of　business；　the　successful　engineer；　but　now　he　took　a　prominent　place　in　the　ranks　of　pure　science　and　speculative　philosophy。　The　remarkable　breadth　of　his　mind　and　the　abundance　of　his　energies　were　also　illustrated　by　the　active　part　he　played　in　public　matters　connected　with　the　progress　of　science。　　His　munificent　gifts　in　the　cause　of　education；　as　much　as　his　achievements　in　science；　had　brought　him　a　popular　reputation　of　the　best　kind；　and　his　public　utterances　in　connection　with　smoke　abatement；　the　electric　light。　　Electric　railways；　and　other　topics　of　current　interest；　had　rapidly　brought　him　into　a　foremost　place　among　English　scientific　men。　　During　the　last　years　of　his　life；　Siemens　advanced　from　the　shade　of　mere　professional　celebrity　into　the　strong　light　of　public　fame。

President　of　the　British　Association　in　1882；　and　knighted　in　1883；　Siemens　was　a　member　of　numerous　learned　societies　both　at　home　and　abroad。　　In　1854　he　became　a　Member　of　the　Institution　of　Civil　Engineers；　and　in　1862　he　was　elected　a　Fellow　of　the　Royal　Society。　　He　was　twice　President　of　the　Society　of　Telegraph　Engineers　and　the　Institution　of　Mechanical　Engineers；　besides　being　a　Member　of　Council　of　the　Institution　of　Civil　Engineers；　and　a　Vice…President　of　the　Royal　Institution。　　The　Society　of　Arts；　as　we　have　already　seen；　was　the　first　to　honour　him　in　the　country　of　his　adoption；　by　awarding　him　a　gold　medal　for　his　regenerative　condenser　in　1850；　and　in　1883　he　became　its　chairman。　　Many　honours　were　conferred　upon　him　in　the　course　of　his　careerthe　Telford　prize　in　1853；　gold　medals　at　the　various　great　Exhibitions；　including　that　of　Paris　in　1881；　and　a　GRAND　PRIX　at　the　earlier　Paris　Exhibition　of　1867　for　his　regenerative　furnace。　　In　1874　he　received　the　Royal　Albert　Medal　for　his　researches　on　heat；　and　in　1875　the　Bessemer　medal　of　the　Iron　and　Steel　Institute。　　Moreover；　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　b