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Men of Invention and Industry-Part20_Samuel Smiles(1812-1904)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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Meanwhile, Cugnot, of Paris, had already made a road engine



worked by steam power. It was first tried at the Arsenal in

1769; and, being set in motion, it ran against a stone wall in



its way and threw it down. The engine was afterwards tried in

the streets of Paris. In one of the experiments it fell over



with a crash, and was thenceforward locked up in the Arsenal to

prevent its doing further mischief. This first locomotive is now



to be seen at the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers at Paris.

Murdock had doubtless heard of Watt's original speculations, and



proceeded, while at Redruth, during his leisure hours, to

construct a model locomotive after a design of his own. This



model was of small dimensions, standing little more than a foot

and a half high, though it was sufficiently large to demonstrate



the soundness of the principle on which it was constructed. It

was supported on three wheels, and carried a small copperboiler,



heated by a spirit lamp, with a flue passing obliquely through

it. The cylinder, of 3/4 inch diameter and 2-inch stroke, was



fixed in the top of the boiler, the piston-rod being connected

with the vibratory beam attached to the connecting-rod which



worked the crank of the driving-wheel. This little engine worked

by the expansive force of steam only, which was discharged into



the atmosphere after it had done its work of alternately raising

and depressing the piston in the cylinder.



Mr. Murdock's son, while living at Handsworth, informed the

present writer that this model was invented and constructed in



1781; but, after perusing the correspondence of Boulton and Watt,

we infer that it was not ready for trial until 1784. The first



experiment was made in Murdock's own house at Redruth, when the

little engine successfully hauled a model waggon round the



room,--the single wheel, placed in front of the engine and

working in a swivel frame, enabling it to run round in a circle.



Another experiment was made out of doors, on which occasion,

small though the engine was, it fairly outran the speed of its



inventor. One night, after returning from his duties at the mine

at Redruth, Murdock went with his model locomotive to the avenue



leading to the church, about a mile from the town. The walk was

narrow, straight, and level. Having lit the lamp, the water soon



boiled, and off started the engine with the inventor after it.

Shortly after he heard distant shouts of terror. It was too dark



to perceive objects, but he found, on following up the machine,

that the cries had proceeded from the worthy vicar, who, while



going along the walk, had met the hissing and fiery little

monster, which he declared he took to be the Evil One in propria



persona!

When Watt was informed of Murdock's experiments, he feared that



they might interfere with his regular duties, and advised their

discontinuance. Should Murdock still resolve to continue them,



Watt urged his partner Boulton, then in Cornwall, that, rather

than lose Murdock's services, they should advance him 100L.; and,



if he succeeded within a year in making an engine capable of

drawing a post-chaise carrying two passengers and the driver, at



the rate of four miles an hour, that a locomotive engine business

should be established, with Murdock as a partner. The



arrangement, however, never proceeded any further. Perhaps a

different attractionwithdrew Murdock from his locomotive



experiments. He was then paying attention to a young lady, the

daughter of Captain Painter; and in l785 he married her, and



brought her home to his house in Cross Street, Redruth.

In the following year,--September, 1786--Watt says, in a letter



to Boulton, "I have still the same opinion concerning the steam

carriage, but, to prevent more fruitless argument about it, I



have one of some size under hand. In the meantime, I wish

William could be brought to do as we do, to mind the business in



hand, and let such as Symington and Sadler throw away their time

and money in hunting shadows." In a subsequent letter Watt



expressed his gratification at finding "that William applies to

his business." From that time forward, Murdock as well as Watt,



dropped all further speculation on the subject, and left it to




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