OneofthereasonswhichinducedKennedythusearlytobeginthebusinessofmule-spinninghasbeenrelatedasfollows。WhileemployedasapprenticeatChowbent,hehappenedtosleepoverthemaster’sapartment;andlateoneevening,onthelatterreturningfrommarket,hiswifeaskedhissuccess。”I’vesoldtheeightys,”saidhe,”ataguineaapound。””What,”exclaimedthemistress,inaloudvoice,”soldtheeightysforONLYaguineaapound!Ineverheardofsuchathing。”Theapprenticecouldnothelpoverhearingtheremark,anditsethima-thinking。Heknewthepriceofcottonandthepriceoflabour,andconcludedtheremustbeaverylargemarginofprofit。Sosoonashewasoutofhistime,therefore,hedeterminedthatheshouldbecomeacottonspinner。
inasmallwayinManchesterin1791,inconjunctionwithtwootherworkmen,SandfordandMacConnel。Theirbusinesswasmachine-makingandmule-spinning,Kennedytakingthedirectionofthemachinedepartment。Thefirmatfirstputuptheirmulesforspinninginanyconvenientgarretstheycouldhireatalowrental。Aftersometime,theytookpartofasmallfactoryinCanalStreet,andcarriedontheirbusinessonalargerscale。KennedyandMacConnelafterwardsoccupiedalittlefactoryinthesamestreet,——sinceremovedtogiveplacetoFairbairn’slargemachineworks。Theprogressofthefirmwassteadyandevenrapid,andtheywentonbuildingmillsandextendingtheirbusiness——Mr。Kennedy,asheadvancedinlife,gatheringhonour,wealth,andtroopsoffriends。Notwithstandingthedefectsofhisearlyeducation,hewasoneofthefewmenofhisclasswhobecamedistinguishedforhisliterarylaboursinconnexionprincipallywiththecottontrade。Towardsthecloseofhislife,hepreparedseveralpapersofgreatinterestfortheLiteraryandPhilosophicalSocietyofManchester,whicharetobefoundprintedintheirProceedings;oneofthese,ontheInventionoftheMulebySamuelCrompton,wasforalongtimetheonlyrecordwhichthepublicpossessedofthemeritsandclaimsofthatdistinguishedinventor。
Hisknowledgeofthehistoryofthecottonmanufactureinitsvariousstages,andofmechanicalinventionsgenerally,wasmostextensiveandaccurate。AmonghisfriendshenumberedJamesWatt,whoplacedhissoninhisestablishmentforthepurposeofacquiringknowledgeandexperienceofhisprofession。AtamuchlaterperiodhenumberedGeorgeStephensonamonghisfriends,havingbeenoneofthefirstdirectorsoftheLiverpoolandManchesterRailway,andoneofthethreejudgesselectedbecauseofhissoundjudgmentandprovedimpartiality,aswellashisknowledgeofmechanicalengineeringtoadjudicateonthecelebratedcompetitionofLocomotivesatRainhill。
BythesesuccessivestepsdidthispoorScotchboybecomeoneoftheleadingmenofManchester,closinghislongandusefullifein1855
atanadvancedage,hismentalfacultiesremainingclearanduncloudedtothelast。Hisdeparturefromlifewashappyandtranquil——soeasythatitwasforatimedoubtfulwhetherhewasdeadorasleep。
ToreturntoMr。Fairbairn’scareer,andhisprogressasamillwrightandengineerinManchester。WhenheandhispartnerundertooktheextensivealterationsinMr。Murray’sfactory,bothwereinagreatmeasureunacquaintedwiththeworkingofcotton-mills,havinguntilthenbeenoccupiedprincipallywithcorn-mills,andprintingandbleachingworks;sothatanentirelynewfieldwasnowopenedtotheirunitedexertions。Sedulouslyimprovingtheiropportunities,theyoungpartnersnotonlythoroughlymasteredthepracticaldetailsofcotton-millwork,buttheywereveryshortlyenabledtointroduceaseriesofimprovementsofthegreatestimportanceinthisbranchofournationalmanufactures。Bringingtheirvigorouspracticalmindstobearonthesubject,theyatoncesawthatthegearingofeventhebestmillswasofaveryclumsyandimperfectcharacter。Theyfoundthemachinerydrivenbylargesquarecast-ironshafts,onwhichhugewoodendrums,someofthemasmuchasfourfeetindiameter,revolvedattherateofaboutfortyrevolutionsaminute;andthecouplingsweresobadlyfittedthattheymightbeheardcreakingandgroaningalongwayoff。Thespeedsofthedriving-shaftsweremostlygotupbyaseriesofstrapsandcounterdrums,whichnotonlycrowdedtherooms,butseriouslyobstructedthelightwheremostrequiredforconductingthedelicateoperationsofthedifferentmachines。Anotherseriousdefectlayintheconstructionoftheshafts,andinthemodeoffixingthecouplings,whichwereconstantlygivingway,sothataweekseldompassedwithoutoneormorebreaks-down。TherepairswereusuallymadeonSundays,whichwerethemillwrights’hardestworkingdays,totheirownseriousmoraldetriment;butwhentradewasgood,everyconsiderationwasmadetogivewaytotheuninterruptedrunningofthemillsduringtherestoftheweek。
ItoccurredtoMr。Fairbairnthatthedefectivearrangementsthusbrieflydescribed,mightberemediedbytheintroductionoflightershaftsdrivenatdoubleortreblethevelocity,smallerdrumstodrivethemachinery,andtheuseofwrought-ironwhereverpracticable,becauseofitsgreaterlightnessandstrengthcomparedwithwood。Healsoprovidedforthesimplificationofthehangersandfixingsbywhichtheshaftingwassupported,andintroducedthe”half-lapcoupling”sowellknowntomillwrightsandengineers。Hispartnerenteredfullyintohisviews;andtheopportunityshortlypresenteditselfofcarryingthemintoeffectinthelargenewmillerectedin1818,forthefirmofMacConnelandKennedy。Themachineryofthatconcernprovedagreatimprovementonallthathadprecededit;and,toMessrs。FairbairnandLillie’snewsystemofgearingMr。
Kennedyaddedanoriginalinventionofhisowninasystemofdoublespeeds,withtheobjectofgivinganincreasedquantityoftwistinthefinerdescriptionsofmuleyarn。
ThesatisfactoryexecutionofthisimportantworkatonceplacedthefirmofFairbairnandLillieintheveryfrontrankofengineeringmillwrights。Mr。Kennedy’sgoodwordwasofitselfapassporttofameandbusiness,andashewasmorethansatisfiedwiththemannerinwhichhismillmachineryhadbeenplannedandexecuted,hesoundedtheirpraisesinallquarters。Orderspouredinuponthemsorapidly,thattheyhaddifficultyinkeepingpacewiththedemandsofthetrade。TheythenremovedfromtheiroriginalshedtolargerpremisesinMatherstreet,wheretheyerectedadditionallathesandothertool-machines,andeventuallyasteam-engine。Theyafterwardsaddedalargecellarunderanadjoiningfactorytotheirpremises;andfromtimetotimeprovidednewmeansofturningoutworkwithincreasedefficiencyanddespatch。Induecourseoftimethefirmerectedafactoryoftheirown,fittedwiththemostimprovedmachineryforturningoutmillwork;andtheywentonfromonecontracttoanother,untiltheirreputationasengineersbecamewidelycelebrated。In1826-7,theysuppliedthewater-wheelsfortheextensivecotton-millsbelongingtoKirkmanFinlayandCompany,atCatrineBankinAyrshire。
ThesewheelsareevenatthisdayregardedasamongthemostperfecthydraulicmachinesinEurope。Aboutthesametimetheysuppliedthemillgearingandwater-machineryforMessrs。EscherandCompany’slargeworksatZurich,amongthelargestcottonmanufactoriesonthecontinent。
InthemeanwhiletheindustryofManchesterandtheneighbourhood,throughwhichthefirmhadrisenandprospered,wasnotneglected,buthadthefullbenefitofthevariousimprovementswhichtheywereintroducinginmillmachinery。Inthecourseofafewyearsanentirerevolutionwaseffectedinthegearing。Ponderousmassesoftimberandcast-iron,withtheirenormousbearingsandcouplings,gaveplacetoslenderrodsofwrought-ironandlightframesorhooksbywhichtheyweresuspended。Inlikemanner,lighteryetstrongerwheelsandpulleyswereintroduced,thewholearrangementswereimproved,and,theworkmanshipbeinggreatlymoreaccurate,frictionwasavoided,whilethespeedwasincreasedfromabout40toupwardsof300
revolutionsaminute。Thefly-wheeloftheenginewasalsoconvertedintoafirstmotionbytheformationofteethonitsperiphery,bywhichaconsiderablesavingwaseffectedbothincostandpower。
Thesegreatimprovementsformedquiteanerainthehistoryofmillmachinery;andexercisedthemostimportantinfluenceonthedevelopmentofthecotton,flax,silk,andotherbranchesofmanufacture。Mr。Fairbairnsaysthesystemintroducedbyhisfirmwasatfirststronglycondemnedbyleadingengineers,anditwaswithdifficultythathecouldovercometheforceoftheiropposition;norwasituntilawheelofthirtytonsweightforapairofenginesof100-horsepowereachwaserectedandsettowork,thattheirprognosticationsoffailureentirelyceased。FromthattimetheprinciplesintroducedbyMr。Fairbairnhavebeenadoptedwhereversteamisemployedasamotivepowerinmills。
Mr。Fairbairnandhispartnerhadaharduphillbattletofightwhiletheseimprovementswerebeingintroduced;butenergyandperseverance,guidedbysoundjudgment,securedtheirusualreward,andthefirmbecameknownasoneofthemostthrivingandenterprisinginManchester。Longyearsafter,whenaddressinganassemblyofworkingmen,Mr。Fairbairn,whileurgingthenecessityoflabourandapplicationastheonlysuremeansofself-improvement,said,”Icantellyoufromexperience,thatthereisnolaboursosweet,nonesoconsolatory,asthatwhichisfoundeduponanhonest,straightforward,andhonourableambition。”Thehistoryofanyprosperousbusiness,however,socloselyresembleseveryother,anditsdetailsareusuallyofsomonotonousacharacter,thatitisunnecessaryforustopursuethispartofthesubject;andwewillcontentourselveswithbrieflyindicatingtheseveralfurtherimprovementsintroducedbyMr。Fairbairninthemechanicsofconstructioninthecourseofhislongandusefulcareer。
Hisimprovementsinwater-wheelswereofgreatvalue,especiallyasregardedthenewformofbucketwhichheintroducedwiththeobjectoffacilitatingtheescapeoftheairasthewaterenteredthebucketabove,anditsreadmissionasthewateremptieditselfoutbelow。
Thisarrangementenabledthewatertoactuponthewheelwiththemaximumofeffectinallstatesoftheriver;anditsogenerallyrecommendeditself,thatitverysoonbecameadoptedinmostwater-millsbothathomeandabroad。*
[footnote……
ThesubjectwillbefoundfullytreatedinMr。Fairbairn’sownwork,ATreatiseonMillsandMill-Work,embodyingtheresultsofhislargeexperience。
Hislabourswerenot,however,confinedtohisownparticularcallingasamillengineer,butwereshortlydirectedtootherequallyimportantbranchesoftheconstructiveart。Thushewasamongthefirsttodirecthisattentiontoironshipbuildingasaspecialbranchofbusiness。In1829,Mr。Houston,ofJohnstown,nearPaisley,launchedalightboatontheArdrossanCanalforthepurposeofascertainingthespeedatwhichitcouldbetowedbyhorseswithtwoorthreepersonsonboard。TothesurpriseofMr。Houstonandtheothergentlemenpresent,itwasfoundthatthelabourthehorseshadtoperformintowingtheboatwasmachgreateratsixorseven,thanatninemilesanhour。Thisanomalywasverypuzzlingtotheexperimenters,andattherequestoftheCounciloftheForthandClydeCanal,Mr。Fairbairn,whohadalreadybecomeextensivelyknownasascientificmechanic,wasrequestedtovisitScotlandandinstituteaseriesofexperimentswithlightboatstodeterminethelawoftraction,andclearup,ifpossible,theapparentanomaliesinMr。Houston’sexperiments。Thishedidaccordingly,andtheresultsofhisexperimentswereafterwardspublished,Thetrialsextendedoveraseriesofyears,andwereconductedatacostofseveralthousandpounds。Thefirstexperimentsweremadewithvesselsofwood,buttheyeventuallyledtotheconstructionofironvesselsuponalargescaleandonanentirelynewprincipleofconstruction,withangleironribsandwrought-ironsheathingplates。Theresultsprovedmostvaluable,andhadtheeffectofspeciallydirectingtheattentionofnavalengineerstotheemploymentofironinshipbuilding。
Mr。Fairbairnhimselffullyrecognisedthevalueoftheexperiments,andproceededtoconstructanironvesselathisworksatManchester,in1831,whichwenttoseathesameyear。Itssuccesswassuchastoinducehimtobeginironshipbuildingonalargescale,atthesametimeastheMessrs。LairddidatBirkenhead;andin1835,Mr。