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