AnotherprocessemployedbyMr。Cortforthepurposeofcleansingtheironandproducingametalofpurergrain,wasthatofworkingthefaggotsbypassingthemthroughrollers。”Bythissimpleprocess,”
saidhe,”alltheearthyparticlesarepressedoutandtheironbecomesatoncefreefromdross,andwhatisusuallycalledcinder,andiscompressedintoafibrousandtoughstate。”Theobjectionhasindeedbeentakentotheprocessofpassingtheironthroughrollers,thatthecinderisnotsoeffectuallygotridofasbypassingitunderatilthammer,andthatmuchofitissqueezedintothebarandremainsthere,interruptingitsfibreandimpairingitsstrength。
ItdoesnotappearthattherewasanynoveltyintheuseofrollersbyCort;forinhisfirstspecificationhespeaksofthemasalreadywellknown。*
[footnote……”Itismaterialtoobserve”,saysMr。Webster,”thatCort,inthisspecification,speaksoftherollers,furnaces,andseparateprocesses,aswellknown。Thereisnoclaimtoanyofthemseparately;theclaimistothereducingofthefaggotsofpiledironintobars,andtheweldingofsuchbarsbyrollersinsteadofbyforge-hammers。”——MemoirofHenryCort,inMechanic’sMagazine,15
July,1859,byThomasWebster,M。A。,F。R。S。
Hisgreatmeritconsistedinapprehendingthevalueofcertainprocesses,astestedbyhisownandothers’experience,andcombiningandapplyingtheminamoreeffectivepracticalformthanhadeverbeendonebefore。Thispowerofapprehendingthebestmethods,andembodyingthedetailsinonecompletewhole,marksthepractical,clear-sightedman,andincertaincasesamountsalmosttoagenius。
Themeritofcombiningtheinventionsofothersinsuchformsasthattheyshallworktoadvantage,isasgreatinitswayasthatofthemanwhostrikesouttheinventionsthemselves,butwho,forwantoftactandexperience,cannotcarrythemintopracticaleffect。
ItwasthesamewithCort’ssecondpatent,inwhichhedescribedhismethodofmanufacturingbar-ironfromtheoreorfromcast-iron。Alltheseveralprocessesthereindescribedhadbeenpractisedbeforehistime;hismeritchieflyconsistingintheskilfulmannerinwhichhecombinedandappliedthem。Thus,liketheCraneges,heemployedthereverberatoryorairfurnace,withoutblast,and,likeOnions,heworkedthefusedmetalwithironbarsuntilitwasbroughtintolumps,whenitwasremovedandforgedintomalleableiron。Cort,however,carriedtheprocessfurther,andmadeitmoreeffectualinallrespects。Hismethodmaybethusbrieflydescribed:thebottomofthereverberatoryfurnacewashollow,soastocontainthefluidmetal,introducedintoitbyladles;theheatbeingkeptupbypit-coalorotherfuel。Whenthefurnacewascharged,thedoorswerecloseduntilthemetalwassufficientlyfused,whentheworkmanopenedanapertureandworkedorstirredaboutthemetalwithironbars,whenanebullitiontookplace,duringthecontinuanceofwhichabluishflamewasemitted,thecarbonofthecast-ironwasburnedoff,themetalseparatedfromtheslag,andtheiron,becomingreducedtonature,wasthencollectedintolumpsorloopsofsizessuitedtotheirintendeduses,whentheyweredrawnoutofthedoorsofthefurnace。Theywerethenstampedintoplates,andpiledorworkedinanairfurnace,heatedtoawhiteorweldingheat,shingledunderaforgehammer,andpassedthroughthegroovedrollersafterthemethoddescribedinthefirstpatent。
TheprocessesdescribedbyCortinhistwopatentshavebeenfollowedbyironmanufacturers,withvariousmodifications,theresultsofenlargedexperience,downtothepresenttime。Afterthelapseofseventy-eightyears,thelanguageemployedbyCortcontinuesonthewholeafaithfuldescriptionoftheprocessesstillpractised:thesamemethodsofmanufacturingbarfromcast-iron,andofpuddling,piling,welding,andworkingthebar-ironthroughgroovedrollers——allarenearlyidenticalwiththemethodsofmanufactureperfectedbyHenryCortin1784。Itmaybementionedthatthedevelopmentofthepowersofthesteam-enginebyWatthadanextraordinaryeffectupontheproductionofiron。Itcreatedalargelyincreaseddemandforthearticleforthepurposesoftheshaftingandmachinerywhichitwasemployedtodrive;whileatthesametimeitclearedpitsofwaterwhichbeforewereunworkable,andbybeingextensivelyappliedtotheblowingofiron-furnacesandtheworkingoftherolling-mills,itthusgaveastillfurtherimpetustothemanufactureofthemetal。Itwouldbebesideourpurposetoenterintoanystatisticaldetailonthesubject;butitwillbesufficienttostatethattheproductionofiron,whichintheearlypartoflastcenturyamountedtolittlemorethan12,000tons,aboutthemiddleofthecenturytoabout18,000tons,andatthetimeofCort’sinventionstoabout90,000tons,wasfound,in1820,tohaveincreasedto400,000tons;andnowthetotalquantityproducedisupwardsoffourmillionsoftonsofpig-ironeveryyear,ormorethantheentireproductionofallotherEuropeancountries。ThereislittlereasontodoubtthatthisextraordinarydevelopmentoftheironmanufacturehasbeeninagreatmeasureduetotheinventionsofHenryCort。Itissaidthatatthepresenttimetherearenotfewerthan8200ofCort’sfurnacesinoperationinGreatBritainalone。*
[footnote……
LetterbyMr。TruraninMechanic’sMagazine。
PracticalmenhaveregardedCort’simprovementoftheprocessofrollingtheironasthemostvaluableofhisinventions。AcompetentauthorityhasspokenofCort’sgroovedrollersasof”highphilosophicalinterest,beingscarcelylessthanthediscoveryofanewmechanicalPower,inreversingtheactionofthewedge,bytheapplicationofforcetofoursurfaces,soastoelongateamass,insteadofapplyingforcetoamasstodividethefoursurfaces。”Oneofthebestauthoritiesintheirontradeoflastcentury,Mr。
AlexanderRabyofLlanelly,likemanyothers,wasatfirstentirelyscepticalastothevalueofCort’sinvention;buthehadnosoonerwitnessedtheprocessthanwithmanlycandourheavowedhisentireconversiontohisviews。
Wenowreturntothehistoryofthechiefauthorofthisgreatbranchofnationalindustry。Asmightnaturallybeexpected,theprincipalironmasters,whentheyheardofCort’ssuccess,andtherapidityandeconomywithwhichhemanufacturedandforgedbar-iron,visitedhisfoundryforthepurposeofexamininghisprocess,and,iffoundexpedient,ofemployingitattheirownworks。AmongthefirsttotryitwereRichardCrawshayofCyfartha,SamuelHomfrayofPenydarranbothinSouthWales,andWilliamReynoldsofCoalbrookdale。RichardCrawshaywasthenin1787forgingonlytentonsofbar-ironweeklyunderthehammer;andwhenhesawthesuperiorprocessesinventedbyCorthereadilyenteredintoacontractwithhimtoworkunderhispatentsattenshillingsatonroyalty,In1812aletterfromMr。
CrawshaytotheSecretaryofLordSheffieldwasreadtotheHouseofCommons,descriptiveofhismethodofworkingiron,inwhichhesaid,”ItookitfromaMr。Cort,whohadalittlemillatFontleyinHampshire:Ihavethusacquaintedyouwithmymethod,bywhichIamnowmakingmorethantenthousandtonsofbar-ironperannum。”SamuelHomfraywasequallypromptinadoptingthenewprocess。HenotonlyobtainedfromCortplansofthepuddling-furnacesandpatternsoftherolls,butborrowedCort’sworkmentoinstructhisowninthenecessaryoperations;andhesoonfoundthemethodsosuperiortothatinventedbyOnionsthatheentirelyconfinedhimselftomanufacturingafterCort’spatent。WealsofindMr。ReynoldsinvitingCorttoconductatrialofhisprocessatKetley,thoughitdoesnotappearthatitwasadoptedbythefirmatthattime。*
[footnote……
Inthememorandum-bookofWm。Reynoldsappearsthefollowingentryonthesubject:——”CopyofapapergiventoH。Cort,Esq。”W。ReynoldssawH。C。inatrialwhichhemadeatKetley,Dec。17,1784,producefromthesamepigbothcoldshortandtoughironbyavariationoftheprocessusedinreducingthemfromthestateofcast-irontothatofmalleableorbar-iron;andinpointofyieldhisprocesseswerequiteequaltothoseatPitchford,whichdidnotexceedtheproportionof31cwt。tothetonofbars。Theexperimentwasmadebystampingandpottingthebloomsorloopsmadeinhisfurnace,whichthenproducedacoldshortiron;butwhentheywereimmediatelyshingledanddrawn,theironwasofablacktough。”
TheCoalbrookdaleironmastersaresaidtohavebeendeterredfromadoptingtheprocessbecauseofwhatwasconsideredanexcessivewasteofthemetal——about25percent,——though,withgreaterexperience,thiswastewasverymuchdiminished。
Thequalityoftheironmanufacturedbythenewprocesswasfoundsatisfactory;andtheAdmiraltyhaving,bythepersonsappointedbythemtotestitin1787,pronouncedittobesuperiortothebestOregroundsiron,theuseofthelatterwasthenceforwarddiscontinued,andCort’sirononlywasdirectedtobeusedfortheanchorsandotherironworkintheshipsoftheRoyalNavy。Themeritsoftheinventionseemtohavebeengenerallyconceded,andnumerouscontractsforlicenceswereenteredintowithCortandhispartnerbythemanufacturersofbar-ironthroughoutthecountry。*
[footnote……
Mr。Webster,inthe’CaseofHenryCort,’publishedintheMechanic’sMagazine2Dec。1859,statesthat”licencesweretakenatroyaltiesestimatedtoyield27,500L。totheownersofthepatents。”
Corthimselfmadearrangementsforcarryingonthemanufactureonalargescale,andwiththatobjectentereduponthepossessionofawharfatGosport,belongingtoAdamJellicoe,hispartner’sfather,wherehesucceededinobtainingconsiderableGovernmentordersforironmadeafterhispatents。Toallordinaryeyestheinventornowappearedtobeonthehighroadtofortune;buttherewasafatalcankerattherootofthisseemingprosperity,andinafewyearsthefabricwhichhehadsolaboriouslyraisedcrumbledintoruins。OnthedeathofAdamJellicoe,thefatherofCort’spartner,inAugust,1789,*
[footnote……
Inthe’CaseofHenryCort,’byMr。Webster,abovereferredtoMechanic’sMagazine,2Dec。1859,itisstatedthatAdamJellicoe”committedsuicideunderthepressureofdreadofexposure,”butthisdoesnotappeartobeconfirmedbytheaccountsinthenewspapersoftheday。Hediedathisprivatedwelling-house,No。14,HighburyPlace,Islingtonn,onthe30thAugust,1789,afterafortnight’sillness。
defalcationswerediscoveredinhispublicaccountstotheextentof39,676l。,andhisbooksandpaperswereimmediatelytakenpossessionofbytheGovernment。OnexaminationitwasfoundthatthedebtsduetoJellicoeamountedto89,657l,includedinwhichwasasumofnotlessthan54,853l。owingtohimbytheCortpartnership。Inthepublicinvestigationwhichafterwardstookplace,itappearedthatthecapitalpossessedbyCortbeinginsufficienttoenablehimtopursuehisexperiments,whichwereofaveryexpensivecharacter,AdamJellicoehadadvancedmoneyfromtimetotimeforthepurpose,securinghimselfbyadeedofagreemententitlinghimtoone-halfthestockandprofitsofallhiscontracts;andinfurtherconsiderationofthecapitaladvancedbyJellicoebeyondhisequalshare,Cortsubsequentlyassignedtohimallhispatentrightsascollateralsecurity。AsJellicoehadthereputationofbeingarichman,Corthadnottheslightestsuspicionofthesourcefromwhichheobtainedtheadvancesmadebyhimtothefirm,norhasanyconnivancewhateveronthepartofCortbeensuggested。Atthesametimeitmustbeadmittedthattheconnexionwasnotfreefromsuspicion,and,tosaytheleast,itwasasingularlyunfortunateone。ItwasfoundthatamongthemoneysadvancedbyJellicoetoCorttherewasasumof27,500L。entrustedtohimforthepaymentofseamen’sandofficers’
wages。Howhisembarrassmentshadtemptedhimtomakeuseofthepublicfundsforthepurposeofcarryingonhisspeculations,appearsfromhisownadmissions。Inamemorandumdatedthe11thNovember,l782,foundinhisstrongboxafterhisdeath,hesetforththathehadalwayshadmuchmorethanhisproperbalanceinhand,untilhisengagement,abouttwoyearsbefore,withMr。Cort,”whichbydegreeshassoreducedme,andemployedsomuchmoreofmymoneythanI
expected,thatIhavebeenobligedtoturnmostofmyNavybillsintocash,andatthesametime,tomygreatconcern,amverydeficientinmybalance。Thisgivesmegreatuneasiness,norshallIliveordieinpeacetillthewholeisrestored。”Hehad,however,madethefirstfalsestep,afterwhichthedownhillcareerofdishonestyisrapid。
Hisdesperateattemptstosethimselfrightonlyinvolvedhimthedeeper;hisconsciousbreachoftrustcausedhimadegreeofdailytormentwhichhecouldnotbear;andthediscoveryofhisdefalcations,whichwasmadeonlyafewdaysbeforehisdeath,doubtlesshastenedhisend。