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。