industrial biography-第27部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


principally　because　of　its　many　admirable　qualities　in　these　latter

forms　that　iron　maintains　its　supremacy　over　all　the　other　metals。



The　process　of　converting　iron　into　steel　had　long　been　known　among

the　Eastern　nations　before　it　was　introduced　into　Europe。　　The　Hindoos

were　especially　skilled　in　the　art　of　making　steel；　as　indeed　they

are　to　this　day；　and　it　is　supposed　that　the　tools　with　which　the

Egyptians　covered　their　obelisks　and　temples　of　porphyry　and　syenite

with　hieroglyphics　were　made　of　Indian　steel；　as　probably　no　other

metal　was　capable　of　executing　such　work。　　The　art　seems　to　have　been

well　known　in　Germany　in　the　Middle　Ages；　and　the　process　is　on　the

whole　very　faithfully　described　by　Agricola　in　his　great　work　on

Metallurgy。*

　＇footnote。。。

AGRICOLA；　De　Re　Metallica。　　Basle；　1621。

　。。。＇

England　then　produced　very　little　steel；　and　was　mainly　dependent　for

its　supply　of　the　article　upon　the　continental　makers。



From　an　early　period　Sheffield　became　distinguished　for　its

manufacture　of　iron　and　steel　into　various　useful　articles。　　We　find

it　mentioned　in　the　thirteenth　century　as　a　place　where　the　best

arrowheads　were　made；the　Earl　of　Richmond　owing　his　success　at　the

battle　of　Bosworth　partly　to　their　superior　length；　sharpness；　and

finish。　　The　manufactures　of　the　town　became　of　a　more　pacific

character　in　the　following　centuries；　during　which　knives；　tools；　and

implements　of　husbandry　became　the　leading　articles。



Chaucer's　reference　to　the　'Sheffield　thwytel'　（or　case…knife）　in　his

Canterbury　Tales；　written　about　the　end　of　the　fourteenth　century；

shows　that　the　place　had　then　become　known　for　its　manufacture　of

knives。　　In　1575　we　find　the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury　presenting　to　his

friend　Lord　Burleigh　〃a　case　of　Hallamshire　whittells；　being　such

fruites　as　his　pore　cuntrey　affordeth　with　fame　throughout　the

realme。〃　　Fuller　afterwards　speaks　of　the　Sheffield　knives　as　〃for

common　use　of　the　country　people；〃　and　he　cites　an　instance　of　a

knave　who　cozened　him　out　of　fourpence　for　one　when　it　was　only　worth

a　penny。



In　1600　Sheffield　became　celebrated　for　its　tobacco…boxes　and

Jew's…harps。　　The　town　was　as　yet　of　small　size　and　population；　for

when　a　survey　of　it　was　made　in　1615　it　was　found　to　contain　not　more

than　2207　householders；　of　whom　one…third；　or　725；　were　〃not　able　to

live　without　the　charity　of　their　neighbours：　　these　are　all　Begging

poor。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Rev。　JOSEPH　HUNTER；　History　of　Hallamshire。

　。。。＇

It　must；　however；　have　continued　its　manufacture　of　knives；　for　we

find　that　the　knife　with　which　Felton　stabbed　the　Duke　of　Buckingham

at　Portsmouth　in　1628　was　traced　to　Sheffield。　　The　knife　was　left

sticking　in　the　duke's　body；　and　when　examined　was　found　to　bear　the

Sheffield　corporation　mark。　　It　was　ultimately　ascertained　to　have

been　made　by　one　Wild；　a　cutler；　who　had　sold　the　knife　for　tenpence

to　Felton　when　recruiting　in　the　town。　　At　a　still　later　period；　the

manufacture　of　clasp　or　spring　knives　was　introduced　into　Sheffield

by　Flemish　workmen。　　Harrison　says　this　trade　was　begun　in　1650。　　The

clasp…knife　was　commonly　known　in　the　North　as　a　jocteleg。　　Hence

Burns；　describing　the　famous　article　treasured　by　Captain　Grose　the

antiquarian；　says　that



　　　　　〃It　was　a　faulding　jocteleq；

　　　　　　Or　lang…kail　gully；〃



the　word　being　merely　a　corruption　of　Jacques　de　Liege；　a　famous

foreign　cutler；　whose　knives　were　as　well　known　throughout　Europe　as

those　of　Rogers　or　Mappin　are　now。　　Scythes　and　sickles　formed　other

branches　of　manufacture　introduced　by　the　Flemish　artisans；　the

makers　of　the　former　principally　living　in　the　parish　of　Norton；

those　of　the　latter　in　Eckington。



Many　improvements　were　introduced　from　time　to　time　in　the　material

of　which　these　articles　were　made。　　Instead　of　importing　the　German

steel；　as　it　was　called；　the　Sheffield　manufacturers　began　to　make　it

themselves；　principally　from　Dannemora　iron　imported　from　Sweden。　　The

first　English　manufacturer　of　the　article　was　one　Crowley；　a

Newcastle　man；　and　the　Sheffield　makers　shortly　followed　his　example。

We　may　here　briefly　state　that　the　ordinary　method　of　preparing　this

valuable　material　of　manufactures　is　by　exposing　iron　bars；　placed　in

contact　with　roughly…granulated　charcoal；　to　an　intense　heat；the

process　lasting　for　about　a　week；　more　or　less；　according　to　the

degree　of　carbonization　required。　　By　this　means；　what　is　called

BLISTERED　STEEL　is　produced；　and　it　furnishes　the　material　out　of

which　razors；　files；　knives；　swords；　and　various　articles　of　hardware

are　manufactured。　　A　further　process　is　the　manufacture　of　the　metal

thus　treated　into　SHEAR　STEEL；　by　exposing　a　fasciculus　of　the

blistered　steel　rods；　with　sand　scattered　over　them　for　the　purposes

of　a　flux；　to　the　heat　of　a　wind…furnace　until　the　whole　mass　becomes

of　a　welding　heat；　when　it　is　taken　from　the　fire　and　drawn　out　under

a　forge…hammer；the　process　of　welding　being　repeated；　after　which

the　steel　is　reduced　to　the　required　sizes。　　The　article　called　FAGGOT

steel　is　made　after　a　somewhat　similar　process。



But　the　most　valuable　form　in　which　steel　is　now　used　in　the

manufactures　of　Sheffield　is　that　of　cast…steel；　in　which　iron　is

presented　in　perhaps　its　very　highest　state　of　perfection。　　Cast…steel

consists　of　iron　united　to　carbon　in　an　elastic　state　together　with　a

small　portion　of　oxygen；　whereas　crude　or　pig　iron　consists　of　iron

combined　with　carbon　in　a　material　state。*

　＇footnote。。。

MUSHET；　Papers　On　Iron　and　Steel。

　。。。＇

chief　merits　of　cast…steel　consist　in　its　possessing　great　cohesion

and　closeness　of　grain；　with　an　astonishing　degree　of　tenacity　and

flexibility；　qualities　which　render　it　of　the　highest　value　in　all

kinds　of　tools　and　instruments　where　durability；　polish；　and　fineness

of　edge　are　essential　requisites。　　It　is　to　this　material　that　we　are

mainly　indebted　for　the　exquisite　cutting　instrument　of　the　surgeon；

the　chisel　of　the　sculptor；　the　steel　plate　on　which　the　engraver

practises　his　art；　the　cutting　tools　employed　in　the　various

processes　of　skilled　handicraft；　down　to　the　common　saw　or　the　axe

used　by　the　backwoodsman　in　levelling　the　primeval　forest。



The　invention　of　cast…steel　is　due　to　Benjamin　Huntsman；　of

Attercliffe；　near　Sheffield。　　M。　Le　Play；　Professor　of　Metallurgy　in

the　Royal　School　of　Mines　of　France；　after　making　careful　inquiry　and

weighing　all　the　evidence　on　the　subject；　arrived　at　the　conclusion

that　the　invention　fairly　belongs　to　Huntsman。　　The　French　professor

speaks　of　it　as　a　〃memorable　discovery；〃　made　and　applied　with

admirable　perseverance；　and　he　claims　for　its　inventor　the

distinguished　merit　of　advancing　the　steel　manufactures　of　Yorkshire

to　the　first　rank；　and　powerfully　contributing　to　the　establishment

on　a　firm　foundation　of　the　industrial　and　commercial　supremacy　of

Great　Britain。　　It　is　remarkable　that　a　French　writer　should　have　been

among　the　first　to　direct　public　attention　to　the　merits　of　this

inventor；　and　to　have　first　published　the　few　facts　known　as　to　his

history　in　a　French　Government　Report；showing　the　neglect　which　men

of　this　class　have　heretofore　received　at　home；　and　the　much　greater

esteem　in　which　they　are　held　by　scientific　foreigners。*

　＇footnote。。。

M。　Le　Play's　two　elaborate　and　admirable　reports　on　the　manufacture

of　steel；　published　in　the　Annales　des　Mines；　vols。　iii。　and　ix。；　4th

series；　are　unique　of　their　kind；　and　have　as　yet　no　counterpart　in

English　literature。　　They　are　respectively　entitled　'Memoire　sur　la

Fabrication　de　l'Acier　en　Yorkshire；'　and　'Memoire　sur　le

Fabrication　et　le　Commerce　des　Fers　a　Acier　dans　le　Nord　de

l'Europe。'

　。。。＇

Le　Play；　in　his　enthusiastic　admiration　of　the　discoverer　of　so

potent　a　metal　as　cast…steel；　paid　a　visit　to　Huntsman's　grave　in

Atterclifle　Churchyard；　near　Sheffield；　and　from　the　inscription　on

his　tombstone　recites　the　facts　of　his　birth；　his　death；　and　his

brief　history。　　With　the　assistance　of　his　descendants；　we　are　now

enabled　to　add　the　following　record　of　the　life　and　labours　of　this

remarkable　but　almost　forgotten　man。



Benjamin　Huntsman　was　born　in　Lincolnshire　in　the　year　1704。　　His

parents　were　of　German　extraction；　and　had　settled　in　this　country

only　a　few　years　previous　to　his　birth。　　The　boy　being　of　an　ingenious

turn；　was　bred　to　a　mechanical　calling；　and　becoming　celebrated　for

his　expertness　in　repairing　clocks；　he　eventually　set　up　in　business

as　a　clock　maker　and　mender　in　the　town　of　Doncaster。　　He　also

undertook　various　other　kinds　of　metal　work；　such　as　the　making　and

repairing　of　locks；　smoke…jacks；　roasting…jacks；　and　other　articles

requiring　mechanical　skill。　　He　was　remarkably　shrewd；　observant；

thoughtful；　and　practical；　so　much　so　that　he　came　to　be　regarded　as

the　〃wise　man〃　of　his　neighbourhood；　and　was　not　only　consult