FairbairnestablishedextensiveworksatMillwall,ontheThames,——afterwardsoccupiedbyMr。ScottRussell,inwhoseyardthe”GreatEastern”steamshipwaserected,——whereinthecourseofsomefourteenyearshebuiltupwardsofahundredandtwentyironships,someofthemabove2000tonsburden。ItwasinfactthefirstgreatironshipbuildingyardinBritain,andledthewayinabranchofbusinesswhichhassincebecomeoffirst-ratemagnitudeandimportance。Mr。Fairbairnwasamostlaboriousexperimenteriniron,andinvestigatedingreatdetailthesubjectofitsstrength,thevalueofdifferentkindsofrivetedjointscomparedwiththesolidplate,andthedistributionofthematerialthroughoutthestructure,aswellastheformofthevesselitself。Itwouldindeedbedifficulttoover-estimatethevalueofhisinvestigationsonthesepointsintheearlierstagesofthisnowhighlyimportantbranchofthenationalindustry。
Tofacilitatethemanufactureofhisiron-sidedships,Mr。Fairbairn,abouttheyear1839,inventedamachineforrivetingboilerplatesbysteam-power。Theusualmethodbywhichthisprocesshadbeforebeenexecutedwasbyhand-hammers,workedbymenplacedateachsideoftheplatetoberiveted,actingsimultaneouslyonbothsidesofthebolt。Butthisprocesswastediousandexpensive,aswellasclumsyandimperfect;andsomemorerapidandprecisemethodoffixingtheplatesfirmlytogetherwasurgentlywanted。Mr。Fairbairn’smachinecompletelysuppliedthewant。Byitsmeanstherivetwasdrivenintoitsplace,andfirmlyfastenedtherebyacoupleofstrokesofahammerimpelledbysteam。AidedbytheJacquardpunching-machineofRoberts,therivetingofplatesofthelargestsizehasthusbecomeoneofthesimplestoperationsiniron-manufacturing。
ThethoroughknowledgewhichMr。Fairbairnpossessedofthestrengthofwrought-ironintheformofthehollowbeamwhichawrought-ironshipreallyisnaturallyledtohisbeingconsultedbythelateRobertStephensonastothestructuresbymeansofwhichitwasproposedtospantheestuaryoftheConwayandtheStraitsofMenai;
andtheresultwastheConwayandBritanniaTubularBridges,thehistoryofwhichwehavefullydescribedelsewhere。*
[footnote……
LivesoftheEngineers,vol。iii。416-40。SeealsoAnAccountoftheConstructionoftheBritanniaandConwayTubularBridges。ByWilliamFairbairn,C。E。1849。
Thereisnoreasontodoubtthatbyfarthelargestshareofthemeritofworkingoutthepracticaldetailsofthosestructures,andthusrealizingRobertStephenson’smagnificentideaofthetubularbridge,belongstoMr。Fairbairn。
Inallmattersconnectedwiththequalitiesandstrengthofiron,hecametoberegardedasafirst-rateauthority,andhisadvicewasoftensoughtandhighlyvalued。TheelaborateexperimentsinstitutedbyhimastothestrengthofironofallkindshaveformedthesubjectofvariouspaperswhichhehasreadbeforetheBritishAssociation,theRoyalSociety,andtheLiteraryandPhilosophicalSocietyofManchester。Hispracticalinquriesastothestrengthofboilershaveledtohisbeingfrequentlycalledupontoinvestigatethecausesofboilerexplosions,onwhichsubjecthehaspublishedmanyelaboratereports。Thestudyofthissubjectledhimtoelucidatethelawaccordingtowhichthedensityofsteamvariesthroughoutanextensiverangeofpressuresandatmospheres,——insingularconfirmationofwhathadbeforebeenprovisionallycalculatedfromthemechanicaltheoryofheat。Hisdiscoveryofthetruemethodofpreventingthetendencyoftubestocollapse,bydividingthefluesoflongboilersintoshortlengthsbymeansofstiffeningrings,arisingoutofthesameinvestigation,wasoneofthevaluableresultsofhisminutestudyofthesubject;andiscalculatedtobeofessentialvalueinthemanufacturingdistrictsbydiminishingthechancesofboilerexplosions,andsavingthelamentablelossoflifewhichhasduringthelasttwentyyearsbeenoccasionedbythemalconstructionofboilers。AmongMr。Fairbairn’smostrecent,inquiriesarethoseconductedbyhimattheinstanceoftheBritishGovernmentrelativetotheconstructionofiron-platedships,hisreportofwhichhasnotyetbeenmadepublic,mostprobablyforweightypoliticalreasons。
WemightalsorefertothepracticalimprovementswhichMr。Fairbairnhasbeeninstrumentalinintroducingintheconstructionofbuildingsofvariouskindsbytheuseofiron。Hehashimselferectednumerousironstructures,andpointedouttheroadwhichothermanufacturershavereadilyfollowed。”Iamoneofthose,”saidhe,inhis’LectureontheProgressofEngineering,’”whohavegreatfaithinironwallsandironbeams;andalthoughIhavebothspokenandwrittenmuchonthesubject,Icannottooforciblyrecommendittopublicattention。
ItisnowtwentyyearssinceIconstructedanironhouse,withthemachineryofacorn-mill,forHalilPasha,thenSeraskieroftheTurkisharmyatConstantinople。Ibelieveitwasthefirstironhousebuiltinthiscountry;anditwasconstructedattheworksatMillwall,London,in1839。”*
[footnote……
UsefulInformationforEngineers,2ndseries,225。ThemerelistofMr。Fairbairn’swritingswouldoccupyconsiderablespace;for,notwithstandinghisgreatlaboursasanengineer,hehasalsobeenanindustriouswriter。HispapersonIron,readatdifferenttimesbeforetheBritishAssociation,theRoyalSociety,andtheLiteraryandPhilosophicalInstitutionofManchester,areofgreatvalue。Thetreatiseon”Iron”intheEncyclopaediaBritannicaisfromhispen,andhehascontributedahighlyinterestingpapertoDr。Scoffern’sUsefulMetalsandtheirAlloysontheApplicationofIrontothepurposesofOrdnance,Machinery,Bridges,andHouseandShipBuilding。Anothervaluablebutless-knowncontributiontoIronliteratureishisReportonMachineryinGeneral,publishedintheReportsontheParisUniversalExhibitionof1855。TheexperimentsconductedbyMr。Fairbairnforthepurposeofprovingtheexcellentpropertiesofironforshipbuilding——theaccountofwhichwaspublishedintheTransactionsoftheRoyalSocietyeventuallyledtohisfurtherexperimentstodeterminethestrengthandformoftheBritanniaandConwayTubularBridges,plate-girders,andotherconstructions,theresultofwhichwastoestablishquiteanewerainthehistoryofbridgeaswellasshipbuilding。
Sincethenironstructuresofallkindshavebeenerected:ironlighthouses,iron-and-crystalpalaces,ironchurches,andironbridges。Ironroadshavelongbeenworkedbyironlocomotives;andbeforemanyyearshavepassedatelegraphofironwirewillprobablybefoundcirclingtheglobe。Wenowuseironroofs,ironbedsteads,ironropes,andironpavement;andeventhefamous”woodenwallsofEngland”arerapidlybecomingreconstructedofiron。Inshort,weareinthemidstofwhatMr。WorsaaehascharacterizedastheAgeofIron。
AtthecelebrationoftheopeningoftheNorthWalesRailwayatBangor,almostwithinsightofhisironbridgeacrosstheStraitsofMenai,RobertStephensonsaid,”Wearedailyproducingfromthebowelsoftheeartharawmaterial,initscrudestateapparentlyofnoworth,butwhich,whenconvertedintoalocomotiveengine,fliesoverbridgesofthesamematerial,withaspeedexceedingthatofthebird,advancingwealthandcomfortthroughoutthecountry。Sucharethepowersofthatall-civilizinginstrument,Iron。”
Ironindeedplaysahighlyimportantpartinmodemcivilization。Outofitareformedaliketheswordandtheploughshare,thecannonandtheprinting-press;andwhilecivilizationcontinuespartialandhalf-developed,asitstillis,ourlibertiesandourindustrymustnecessarilyinagreatmeasuredependfortheirprotectionupontheexcellenceofourweaponsofwaraswellasonthesuperiorityofourinstrumentsofpeace。Hencetheskillandingenuitydisplayedintheinventionofrifledgunsandartillery,andiron-sidedshipsandbatteries,thefabricationofwhichwouldbeimpossiblebutfortheextraordinarydevelopmentoftheiron-manufacture,andthemarvellouspowerandprecisionofourtool-makingmachines,asdescribedinprecedingchapters。”Ourstrength,wealth,andcommerce,”saidMr。CobdeninthecourseofarecentdebateintheHouseofCommons,”growoutoftheskilledlabourofthemenworkinginmetals。Theyareatthefoundationofourmanufacturinggreatness;andincaseyouwereattacked,theywouldatoncebeavailable,withtheirhardhandsandskilledbrains,tomanufactureyourmusketsandyourcannon,yourshotandyourshell。WhathasgivenusourArmstrongs,Whitworths,andFairbairns,butthefreeindustryofthiscountry?Ifyoucanbuildthreetimesmoresteam-enginesthananyothercountry,andhavethreefoldtheforceofmechanics,towhomandtowhatdoyouowethat,buttothemenwhohavetrainedthem,andtothoseprinciplesofcommerceoutofwhichthewealthofthecountryhasgrown?Wewhohavesomehandindoingthat,arenotignorantthatwehavebeenandareincreasingthestrengthofthecountryinproportionasweareraisingupskilledartisans。”*
[footnote……
HouseofCommonsDebate,7thJuly,1862。
Thereaderwhohasfollowedusuptothispointwillhaveobservedthathandicraftlabourwasthefirststageofthedevelopmentofhumanpower,andthatmachineryhasbeenitslastandhighest。Theuncivilizedmanbeganwithastoneforahammer,andasplinterofflintforachisel,eachstageofhisprogressbeingmarkedbyanimprovementinhistools。Everymachinecalculatedtosavelabourorincreaseproductionwasasubstantialadditiontohispoweroverthematerialresourcesofnature,enablinghimtosubjugatethemmoreeffectuallytohiswantsanduses;andeveryextensionofmachineryhasservedtointroducenewclassesofthepopulationtotheenjoymentofitsbenefits。Inearlytimestheproductsofskilledindustrywereforthemostpartluxuriesintendedforthefew,whereasnowthemostexquisitetoolsandenginesareemployedinproducingarticlesofordinaryconsumptionforthegreatmassofthecommunity。Machineswithmillionsoffingersworkformillionsofpurchasers——forthepooraswellastherich;andwhilethemachinerythususedenrichesitsowners,itnolessenrichesthepublicwithitsproducts。
Muchoftheprogresstowhichwehaveadvertedhasbeentheresultoftheskillandindustryofourowntime。”Indeed,”saysMr。Fairbairn,”themechanicaloperationsofthepresentdaycouldnothavebeenaccomplishedatanycostthirtyyearsago;andwhatwasthenconsideredimpossibleisnowperformedwithanexactitudethatneverfailstoaccomplishtheendinview。”Forthiswearemainlyindebtedtothealmostcreativepowerofmodernmachine-tools,andthefacilitieswhichtheypresentfortheproductionandreproductionofothermachines。Wealsoowemuchtothemechanicalagenciesemployedtodrivethem。Earlyinventorsyokedwindandwatertosailsandwheels,andmadethemworkmachineryofvariouskinds;butmoderninventorshaveavailedthemselvesofthefarmoreswiftandpowerful,yetdocileforceofsteam,whichhasnowlaiduponittheheaviestshareoftheburdenoftoil,andindeedbecometheuniversaldrudge。
Coal,water,andalittleoil,areallthatthesteam-engine,withitsbowelsofironandheartoffire,needstoenableittogoonworkingnightandday,withoutrestorsleep。Yokedtomachineryofalmostinfinitevariety,theresultsofvastingenuityandlabour,theSteam-enginepumpswater,drivesspindles,thrashescorn,printsbooks,hammersiron,ploughsland,sawstimber,drivespiles,impelsships,worksrailways,excavatesdocks;and,inaword,assertsanalmostunboundedsupremacyoverthematerialswhichenterintothedailyuseofmankind,forclothing,forlabour,fordefence,forhouseholdpurposes,forlocomotion,forfood,orforinstruction。
End