——themeansnothavingyetbeendevisedatCyfarthaformalleableizingthepit-coalcast-ironwitheconomyorgoodeffect。
YetCrawshayfoundareadymarketforalltheironhecouldmake,andheissaidtohavecountedthegainsoftheforge-hammerclosebyhishouseattherateofapennyastroke。Incourseoftimehefounditnecessarytoerectnewfurnaces,and,havingadoptedtheprocessesinventedbyHenryCort,hewastherebyenabledgreatlytoincreasetheproductionofhisforges,untilin1812wefindhimstatingtoacommitteeoftheHouseofCommonsthathewasmakingtenthousandtonsofbar-ironyearly,oranaverageproduceoftwohundredtonsaweek。Butthisquantity,greatthoughitwas,hassincebeenlargelyincreased,thetotalproduceoftheCrawshayfurnacesofCyfartha,Ynysfach,andKirwan,beingupwardsof50,000tonsofbar-ironyearly。
ThedistanceofMerthyrfromCardiff,thenearestport,beingconsiderable,andthecostofcarriagebeingverygreatbyreasonofthebadnessoftheroads,Mr。CrawshaysethimselftoovercomethisgreatimpedimenttotheprosperityoftheMerthyrTydvildistrict;
and,inconjunctionwithMr。HomfrayofthePenydarranWorks,heplannedandconstructedthecanal*
[footnote……
ItmaybeworthyofnotethatthefirstlocomotiverunuponarailroadwasthatconstructedbyTrevithickforMr。Homfrayin1803,whichwasemployedtobringdownmetalfromthefurnacestotheOldForge。Theenginewastakenofftheroadbecausethetram-plateswerefoundtooweaktobearitsweightwithoutbreaking。
toCardiff,theopeningofwhich,in1795,gaveanimmenseimpetustotheirontradeoftheneighbourhood。Numerousotherextensiveironworksbecameestablishedthere,untilMerthyrTydvilattainedthereputationofbeingatoncetherichestandthedirtiestdistrictinallBritain。Mr。CrawshaybecameknowninthewestofEnglandasthe”IronKing,”andwasquotedasthehighestauthorityinallquestionsrelatingtothetrade。Mr。GeorgeCrawshay,recentlydescribingthefounderofthefamilyatasocialmeetingatNewcastle,said,——”Inthesedaysanamelikeoursislostintheinfinityofgreatmanufacturingfirmswhichexistthroughouttheland;butinthoseearlytimesthemanwhoopenedouttheirondistrictofWalesstooduponaneminenceseenbyalltheworld。Itispreservedinthetraditionsofthefamilythatwhenthe’IronKing’usedtodrivefromhomeinhiscoach-and-fourintoWales,allthecountryturnedouttoseehim,andquiteacommotiontookplacewhenhepassedthroughBristolonhiswaytotheworks。Mygreatgrandfatherwassucceededbyhisson,andbyhisgrandson;theCrawshayshavefollowedoneanotherforfourgenerationsintheirontradeinWales,andtheretheystillstandattheheadofthetrade。”TheoccasiononwhichthesewordswereutteredwasataChristmasparty,giventothemen,about1300innumber,employedattheironworksofMessrs。Hawks,Crawshay,andCo。,atNewcastle-upon-Tyne。Theseworkswerefoundedin1754byWilliamHawks,ablacksmith,whoseprincipaltradeconsistedinmakingclaw-hammersforjoiners。Hebecameathrivingman,andeventuallyalargemanufacturerofbar-iron。Partnersjoinedhim,andinthecourseofthechangeswroughtbytime,oneoftheCrawshays,in1842,becameaprincipalpartnerinthefirm。
Illustrationsofalikekindmightbemultipliedtoanyextent,showingthegrowthinourowntimeofanironaristocracyofgreatwealthandinfluence,theresultmainlyofthesuccessfulworkingoftheinventionsoftheunfortunateandunrequitedHenryCort。HehasbeentheveryTubalCainofEngland——oneoftheprincipalfoundersofourironage。Tohimwemainlyowetheabundanceofwrought-ironformachinery,forsteam-engines,andforrailways,atone-thirdthepricewewerebeforeaccustomedtopaytotheforeigner。Wehavebyhisinvention,notonlyceasedtobedependentuponothernationsforoursupplyofironfortools,implements,andarms,butwehavebecomethegreatestexportersofiron,producingmorethanallotherEuropeancountriescombined。IntheopinionofMr。FairbairnofManchester,theinventionsofHenryCorthavealreadyaddedsixhundredmillionssterlingtothewealthofthekingdom,whiletheyhavegivenemploymenttosomesixhundredthousandworkingpeopleduringthreegenerations。Andwhilethegreatironmasters,byfreelyavailingthemselvesofhisinventions,havebeenaddingestatetoestate,theonlyestatesecuredbyHenryCortwasthelittledomainofsixfeetbytwoinwhichheliesinterredinHampsteadChurchyard。
CHAPTERVIII。
THESCOTCHIRONMANUFACTURE-Dr。ROEBUCKDAVIDMUSHET。”Werepublicbenefactorstobeallowedtopassaway,likehewersofwoodanddrawersofwater,withoutcommemoration,geniusandenterprisewouldbedeprivedoftheirmostcoveteddistinction。”——SirHenryEnglefield。
TheaccountgivenofDr。RoebuckinaCyclopediaofBiography,recentlypublishedinGlasgow,runsasfollows:——”Roebuck,John,aphysicianandexperimentalchemist,bornatSheffield,1718;died,afterruininghimselfbyhisprojects,1794。Suchistheshortshriftwhichthemanreceiveswhofails。HadDr。Roebuckwhollysucceededinhisprojects,hewouldprobablyhavebeenesteemedasamongthegreatestofScotland’sbenefactors。Yethislifewasnotaltogetherafailure,aswethinkwillsufficientlyappearfromthefollowingbriefaccountofhislabours:——
Atthebeginningoflastcentury,JohnRoebuck’sfathercarriedonthemanufactureofcutleryatSheffield,*
[footnote……
Dr。Roebuck’sgrandson,JohnArthurRoebuck,byasingularcoincidence,atpresentrepresentsSheffieldintheBritishParliament。
inthecourseofwhichherealizedacompetency。Heintendedhissontofollowhisownbusiness,buttheyouthwasirresistiblyattractedtoscientificpursuits,inwhichhisfatherliberallyencouragedhim;
andhewasplacedfirstunderthecareofDr。Doddridge,atNorthampton,andafterwardsattheUniversityofEdinburgh,whereheappliedhimselftothestudyofmedicine,andespeciallyofchemistry,whichwasthenattractingconsiderableattentionattheprincipalseatsoflearninginScotland。WhileresidingatEdinburghyoungRoebuckcontractedmanyintimatefriendshipswithmenwhoafterwardsbecameeminentinliterature,suchasHumeandRobertsonthehistorians,andthecircumstanceissupposedtohavecontributednotalittletohispartialityinfavourofScotland,andhisafterwardsselectingitasthefieldforhisindustrialoperations。
AftergraduatingasaphysicianatLeyden,RoebuckreturnedtoEngland,andsettledatBirminghamintheyear1745forthepurposeofpractisinghisprofession。Birminghamwasthenaprincipalseatofthemetalmanufacture,anditsmechanicswerereputedtobeamongthemostskilledinBritain。Dr。Roebuck’sattentionwasearlydrawntothescarcityanddearnessofthematerialinwhichthemechanicsworked,andhesoughtbyexperimenttodevisesomemethodofsmeltingironotherwisethanbymeansofcharcoal。Hehadalaboratoryfittedupinhishouseforthepurposeofprosecutinghisinquiries,andtherehespenteveryminutethathecouldsparefromhisprofessionallabours。Itwasthusthatheinventedtheprocessofsmeltingironbymeansofpit-coalwhichheafterwardsembodiedinthepatenthereaftertobereferredto。Atthesametimeheinventednewmethodsofrefininggoldandsilver,andofemployingtheminthearts,whichprovedofgreatpracticalvaluetotheBirminghamtrades-men,whomadeextensiveuseofthemintheirvariousprocessesofmanufacture。
Dr。Roebuck’sinquirieshadanalmostexclusivelypracticaldirection,andinpursuingthemhismainobjectwastorenderthemsubservienttotheimprovementoftheindustrialarts。ThushesoughttodevisemoreeconomicalmethodsofproducingthevariouschemicalsusedintheBirminghamtrade,suchasammonia,sublimate,andseveraloftheacids;andhissuccesswassuchastoinducehimtoerectalargelaboratoryfortheirmanufacture,whichwasconductedwithcompletesuccessbyhisfriendMr。Garbett。Amonghisinventionsofthischaracter,wasthemodernprocessofmanufacturingvitriolicacidinleadenvesselsinlargequantities,insteadofinglassvesselsinsmallquantitiesasformerlypractised。Hissuccessledhimtoconsidertheprojectofestablishingamanufactoryforthepurposeofproducingoilofvitriolonalargescale;and,havinggivenuphispracticeasaphysician,heresolved,withhispartnerMr。Garbett,toestablishtheproposedworksintheneighbourhoodofEdinburgh。HeremovedtoScotlandwiththatobject,andbeganthemanufactureofvitriolatPrestonpansintheyear1749。Theenterpriseprovedeminentlylucrative,and,encouragedbyhissuccess,Roebuckproceededtostrikeoutnewbranchesofmanufacture。
Hestartedapotteryformakingwhiteandbrownware,whicheventuallybecameestablished,andthemanufactureexistsinthesameneighbourhoodtothisday。
Thenextenterpriseinwhichhebecameengagedwasoneofstillgreaterimportance,thoughitprovedeminentlyunfortunateinitsresultsasconcernedhimself。WhilelivingatPrestonpans,hemadethefriendshipofMr。WilliamCadell,ofCockenzie,agentlemanwhohadforsometimebeenearnestlyintentondevelopingtheindustryofScotland,theninaverybackwardcondition。Mr。Cadellhadtried,withoutsuccess,toestablishamanufactoryofiron;and,thoughhehadheretoforefailed,hehopedthatwiththeaidofDr。Roebuckhemightyetsucceed。TheDoctorlistenedtohissuggestionswithinterest,andembracedtheproposedenterprisewithzeal。Heimmediatelyproceededtoorganizeacompany,inwhichhewasjoinedbyanumberofhisfriendsandrelatives。Hisnextstepwastoselectasitefortheintendedworks,andmakethenecessaryarrangementsforbeginningthemanufactureofiron。AftercarefullyexaminingthecountryonbothsidesoftheForth,heatlengthmadechoiceofasiteonthebanksoftheriverCarron,inStirlingshire,wheretherewasanabundantsupplyofwafer,andaninexhaustiblesupplyofiron,coal,andlimestoneintheimmediateneighbourhood,andthereDr。
RoebuckplantedthefirstironworksinScotland,Inordertocarrythemonwiththebestchancesofsuccess,hebroughtalargenumberofskilledworkmenfromEngland,whoformedanucleusofindustryatCarron,wheretheirexampleandimprovedmethodsofworkingservedtotrainthenativelabourersintheirart。
Atasubsequentperiod,Mr。Cadell,ofCarronpark,alsobroughtanumberofskilledEnglishnail-makersintoScotland,andsettledtheminthevillageofCamelon,where,byteachingothers,thebusinesshasbecomehandeddowntothepresentday。
ThefirstfurnacewasblownatCarrononthefirstdayofJanuary,1760;andinthecourseofthesameyeartheCarronIronWorksturnedout1500tonsofiron,thenthewholeannualproduceofScotland。
Otherfurnaceswereshortlyaftererectedonimprovedplans,andtheproductionsteadilyincreased。Dr。Roebuckwasindefatigableinhisendeavourstoimprovethemanufacture,andhewasoneofthefirst,aswehavesaid,torevivetheuseofpit-coalinrefiningtheore,asappearsfromhispatentof1762。Hetheredescribeshisnewprocessasfollows:——”Imeltpigoranykindofcast-ironinahearthheatedwithpit-coalbytheblastofbellows,andworkthemetaluntilitisreducedtonature,whichItakeoutofthefireandseparatetopieces;thenItakethemetalthusreducedtonatureandexposeittotheactionofahollowpit-coalfire,heatedbytheblastofbellows,untilitisreducedtoaloop,whichIdrawoutunderacommonforgehammerintobar-iron。”Thismethodofmanufacturewasfollowedwithsuccess,thoughforsometime,asindeedtothisday,theprincipalproductionoftheCarronWorkswascastings,forwhichthepeculiarqualityoftheScotchironadmirablyadaptsit。Thewell-knownCarronades,*
[footnote……
ThecarronadewasinventedbyGeneralRobertMelville[Mr。NasmythsaysitwasbyMillerofDalswinton],whoproposeditfordischarging68lb,shotwithlowchargesofpowder,inordertoproducetheincreasedsplinteringorSMASHINGeffectswhichwereknowntoresultfromsuchpractice。ThefirstpieceofthekindwascastattheCarronFoundry,in1779,andGeneralMelville’sfamilyhavenowintheirpossessionasmallmodelofthisgun,withtheinscription:——”GiftoftheCarronCompanytoLieutenant-generalMelville,inventorofthesmashersandlessercarronades,forsolid,ship,shell,andcarcassshot,&c。FirstusedagainstFrenchshipsin1779。”