industrial biography-第74部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



are　evidently　THE　IMMEDIATE　SOURCES　OF　THE　SOLAR　LIGHT　AND　HEAT；　by

whatever　mechanism　or　whatever　processes　they　may　be　enabled　to

develope　and；　as　it　were；　elaborate　these　elements　from　the　bosom　of

the　non…luminous　fluid　in　which　they　appear　to　float。　　Looked　at　in

this　point　of　view；　we　cannot　refuse　to　regard　them　as　organisms　of

some　peculiar　and　amazing　kind；　and　though　it　would　be　too　daring　to

speak　of　such　organization　as　partaking　of　the　nature　of　life；　yet　we

do　know　that　vital　action　is　competent　to　develop　heat　and　light；　as

well　as　electricity。　　These　wonderful　objects　have　been　seen　by　others

as　well　as　Mr。　Nasmyth；　so　that　them　is　no　room　to　doubt　of　their

reality。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

SIR　JOHN　HERSCHEL　in　Good　Words　for　April；　1863。

　。。。＇



Such　is　the　marvellous　discovery　made　by　the　inventor　of　the

steam…hammer；　as　described　by　the　most　distinguished　astronomer　of

the　age。　　A　writer　in　the　Edinburgh　Review；　referring　to　the　subject

in　a　recent　number；　says　it　shows　him　〃to　possess　an　intellect　as

profound　as　it　is　expert。〃　　Doubtless　his　training　as　a　mechanic；　his

habits　of　close　observation　and　his　ready　inventiveness；　which

conferred　so　much　power　on　him　as　an　engineer；　proved　of　equal

advantage　to　him　when　labouring　in　the　domain　of　physical　science。

Bringing　a　fresh　mind；　of　keen　perception；　to　his　new　studies；　and

uninfluenced　by　preconceived　opinions；　he　saw　them　in　new　and

original　lights；　and　hence　the　extraordinary　discovery　above

described　by　Sir　John　Herschel。



Some　two　hundred　years　since；　a　member　of　the　Nasmyth　family；　Jean

Nasmyth　of　Hamilton；　was　burnt　for　a　witchone　of　the　last　martyrs

to　ignorance　and　superstition　in　Scotlandbecause　she　read　her

Bible　with　two　pairs　of　spectacles。　　Had　Mr。　Nasmyth　himself　lived

then；　he　might；　with　his　two　telescopes　of　his　own　making；　which

bring　the　sun　and　moon　into　his　chamber　for　him　to　examine　and　paint；

have　been　taken　for　a　sorcerer。　　But　fortunately　for　him；　and　still

more　so　for　us；　Mr。　Nasmyth　stands　before　the　public　of　this　age　as

not　only　one　of　its　ablest　mechanics；　but　as　one　of　the　most

accomplished　and　original　of　scientific　observers。





CHAPTER　XVI。



WILLIAM　FAIRBAIRN。



〃In　science　there　is　work　for　all　hands；　more　or　less　skilled；　and　he

is　usually　the　most　fit　to　occupy　the　higher　posts　who　has　risen　from

the　ranks；　and　has　experimentally　acquainted　himself　with　the　nature

of　the　work　to　be　done　in　each　and　every；　even　the　humblest

department。〃　　J。　D。　Forbes。





The　development　of　the　mechanical　industry　of　England　has　been　so

rapid；　especially　as　regards　the　wonders　achieved　by　the

machine…tools　above　referred　to；　that　it　may　almost　be　said　to　have

been　accomplished　within　the　life　of　the　present　generation。　　〃When　I

first　entered　this　city；　said　Mr。Fairbairn；　in　his　inaugural　address

as　President　of　the　British　Association　at　Manchester　in　1861；　〃the

whole　of　the　machinery　was　executed　by　hand。　　There　were　neither

planing；　slotting；　nor　shaping　machines；　and；　with　the　exception　of

very　imperfect　lathes　and　a　few　drills；　the　preparatory　operations　of

construction　were　effected　entirely　by　the　hands　of　the　workmen。　　Now；

everything　is　done　by　machine…tools　with　a　degree　of　accuracy　which

the　unaided　hand　could　never　accomplish。　　The　automaton　or　self…acting

machine…tool　has　within　itself　an　almost　creative　power；　in　fact；　so

great　are　its　powers　of　adaptation；　that　there　is　no　operation　of　the

human　hand　that　it　does　not　imitate。〃　　In　a　letter　to　the　author；　Mr。

Fairbairn　says；　〃The　great　pioneers　of　machine…tool…making　were

Maudslay；　Murray　of　Leeds；　Clement　and　Fox　of　Derby；　who　were　ably

followed　by　Nasmyth；　Roberts；　and　Whitworth；　of　Manchester；　and　Sir

Peter　Fairbairn　of　Leeds；　and　Mr。　Fairbairn　might　well　have　added；　by

himself；for　he　has　been　one　of　the　most　influential　and　successful

of　mechanical　engineers。



William　Fairbairn　was　born　at　Kelso　on　the　19th　of　February；　1787。

His　parents　occupied　a　humble　but　respectable　position　in　life。　　His

father；　Andrew　Fairbairn；　was　the　son　of　a　gardener　in　the　employment

of　Mr。　Baillie　of　Mellerston；　and　lived　at　Smailholm；　a　village　lying

a　few　miles　west　of　Kelso。　　Tracing　the　Fairbairns　still　further　back；

we　find　several　of　them　occupying　the　station　of　〃portioners；〃　or

small　lairds；　at　Earlston　on　the　Tweed；　where　the　family　had　been

settled　since　the　days　of　the　Solemn　League　and　Covenant。　　By　his

mother's　side；　the　subject　of　our　memoir　is　supposed　to　be　descended

from　the　ancient　Border　family　of　Douglas。



While　Andrew　Fairbairn　（William's　father）　lived　at　Smailholm；　Walter

Scott　was　living　with　his　grandmother　in　Smailholm　or　Sandyknowe

Tower；　whither　he　had　been　sent　from　Edinburgh　in　the　hope　that

change　of　air　would　help　the　cure　of　his　diseased　hip…joint；　and

Andrew；　being　nine　years　his　senior；　and　a　strong　youth　for　his　age；

was　accustomed　to　carry　the　little　patient　about　in　his　arms；　until

he　was　able　to　walk　by　himself。　　At　a　later　period；　when　Miss　Scott；

Walter's　aunt；　removed　from　Smailholm　to　Kelso；　the　intercourse

between　the　families　was　renewed。　　Scott　was　then　an　Edinburgh

advocate；　engaged　in　collecting　materials　for　his　Minstrelsy　of　the

Scottish　Border；　or；　as　his　aunt　described　his　pursuit；　〃running

after　the　auld　wives　of　the　country　gatherin'　havers。〃　　He　used

frequently　to　read　over　by　the　fireside　in　the　evening　the　results　of

his　curious　industry；　which；　however；　were　not　very　greatly

appreciated　by　his　nearest　relatives；　and　they　did　not　scruple　to

declare　that　for　the　〃Advocate〃　to　go　about　collecting　〃ballants〃　was

mere　waste　of　time　as　well　as　money。



William　Fairbairn's　first　schoolmaster　was　a　decrepit　old　man　who

went　by　the　name　of　〃Bowed　Johnnie　Ker；〃a　Cameronian；　with　a　nasal

twang；　which　his　pupils　learnt　much　more　readily　than　they　did　his

lessons　in　reading　and　arithmetic；　notwithstanding　a　liberal　use　of

〃the　tawse。〃　　Yet　Johnnie　had　a　taste　for　music；　and　taught　his　pupils

to　SING　their　reading　lessons；　which　was　reckoned　quite　a　novelty　in

education。　　After　a　short　time　our　scholar　was　transferred　to　the

parish…school　of　the　town；　kept　by　a　Mr。　White；　where　he　was　placed

under　the　charge　of　a　rather　severe　helper；　who；　instead　of　the

tawse；　administered　discipline　by　means　of　his　knuckles；　hard　as

horn；　which　he　applied　with　a　peculiar　jerk　to　the　crania　of　his

pupils。　　At　this　school　Willie　Fairbairn　lost　the　greater　part　of　the

singing　accomplishments　which　he　had　acquired　under　〃Bowed　Johnnie；〃

but　he　learnt　in　lieu　of　them　to　read　from　Scott　and　Barrow's

collections　of　prose　and　poetry；　while　he　obtained　some　knowledge　of

arithmetic；　in　which　he　proceeded　as　far　as　practice　and　the　rule　of

three。　　This　constituted　his　whole　stock　of　school…learning　up　to　his

tenth　year。　　Out　of　school…hours　he　learnt　to　climb　the　ruined　walls

of　the　old　abbey　of　the　town；　and　there　was　scarcely　an　arch；　or

tower；　or　cranny　of　it　with　which　he　did　not　become　familiar。



When　in　his　twelfth　year；　his　father；　who　had　been　brought　up　to

farm…work；　and　possessed　considerable　practical　knowledge　of

agriculture；　was　offered　the　charge　of　a　farm　at　Moy　in　Ross…shire；

belonging　to　Lord　Seaforth　of　Brahan　Castle。　　The　farm　was　of　about

300　acres；　situated　on　the　banks　of　the　river　Conan；　some　five　miles

from　the　town　of　Dingwall。　　The　family　travelled　thither　in　a　covered

cart；　a　distance　of　200　miles；　through　a　very　wild　and　hilly　country；

arriving　at　their　destination　at　the　end　of　October；　1799。　　The　farm；

when　reached；　was　found　overgrown　with　whins　and　brushwood；　and

covered　in　many　places　with　great　stones　and　rocks；　it　was；　in　short；

as　nearly　in　a　state　of　nature　as　it　was　possible　to　be。　　The　house

intended　for　the　farmer's　reception　was　not　finished；　and　Andrew

Fairbairn；　with　his　wife　and　five　children；　had　to　take　temporary

refuge　in　a　miserable　hovel；　very　unlike　the　comfortable　house　which

they　had　quitted　at　Kelso。　　By　next　spring；　however；　the　new　house　was

ready；　and　Andrew　Fairbairn　set　vigorously　to　work　at　the　reclamation

of　the　land。　　After　about　two　years'　labours　it　exhibited　an

altogether　different　appearance；　and　in　place　of　whins　and　stones

there　were　to　be　seen　heavy　crops　of　barley　and　turnips。　　The　barren

years　of　1800　and　1801；　however；　pressed　very　hardly　on　Andrew

Fairbairn　as　on　every　other　farmer　of　arable　land。　　About　that　time；

Andrew's　brother　Peter；　who　acted　as　secretary　to　Lord　Seaforth；　and

through　whose　influence　the　former　had　obtained　the　farm；　left　Brahan

Castle　for　the　West　Indies　with　his　Lordship；　whonotwithstanding

his　being　both　deaf　and　dumb　　had　been　appointed　to　the

Governorship　of　Barbadoes；　and　in　consequence　of　various　difficulties

which　occurred　shortly　after　his　leaving；　Andrew　Fairbairn　found　it

necessary　to　give　up　his　holding；　whereupon　he　engaged　as　steward　to

Mackenzie　o