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Men of Invention and Industry-Part44_Samuel Smiles(1812-1904)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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works on both sides of the river, down to Govan; and below there,

at Renfrew, Dumbarton, Port Glasgow, and Greenock--no end of



magnificent yards--so that I had plenty of occupation for my

leisure time on Saturday afternoons. The works of Messrs. Robert



Napier and Sons were then at the top of the tree. The largest

Cunard steamers were built and engined there. Tod and Macgregor



were the foremost in screw steamships--those for the Peninsular

and Oriental Company being splendid models of symmetry and works



of art. Some of the fine wooden paddle-steamers built in Bristol

for the Royal Mail Company were sent round to the Clyde for their



machinery. I contrived to board all these ships from time to

time, so as to become well acquainted with their respective



merits and peculiarities.

As an illustration of how contrivances, excellent in principle,



but defective in construction, may be discarded, but again taken

up under more favourable circumstances, I may mention that I saw



a Hall's patent surface-condensor thrown to one side from one of

these steamers, the principal difficulty being in keeping it



tight. And yet, in the course of a very few years, by the

simplest possible contrivance--inserting an indiarubber ring



round each end of the tube (Spencer's patent)--surface

condensation in marine engines came into vogue; and there is



probably no ocean-going steamerafloat without it, furnished with

every variety of suitable packings.



After some time, the Messrs. Thomson determined to build their

own vessels, and an experienced naval draughtsman was engaged, to



whom I was "told off" whenever he needed assistance. In the

course of time, more and more of the ship work came in my way.



Indeed, I seemed to obtain the preference. Fortunately for us

both, my superior obtained an appointment of a similar kind on



the Tyne, at superior pay, and I was promoted to his place. The

Thomsons had now a very fine shipbuilding-yard, in full working



order, with several large steamers on the stocks. I was placed

in the drawing-office as head draughtsman. At the same time I



had no rise of wages; but still went on enjoying my twenty

shillings a week. I was, however, gaining information and



experience, and knew that better pay would follow in due course

of time. And without solicitation I was eventually offered an



engagement for a term of years, at an increased and increasing

salary, with three months' notice on either side.



I had only enjoyed the advance for a short time, when Mr. Thomas

Toward, a shipbuilder on the Tyne, being in want of a manager,



made application to the Messrs. Stephenson for such a person.

They mentioned my name, and Mr. Toward came over to the Clyde to



see me. The result was, that I became engaged, and it was

arranged that I should enter on my enlarged duties on the Tyne in



the autumn of 1853. It was with no small reluctance that I left

the Messrs. Thomson. They were first-class practical men, and



had throughout shown me every kindness and consideration. But a

managership was not to be had every day; and being the next step



to the position of a master, I could not neglect the opportunity

for advancement which now offered itself.



Before leaving Glasgow, however, I found that it would be

necessary to have a new angle and plate furnace provided for the



works on the Tyne. Now, the best man in Glasgow for building

these important requisites for shipbuilding work was scarcely



ever sober; but by watching and coaxing him, and by a liberal

supply of Glenlivat afterwards, I contrived to lay down on paper,



from his directions, what he considered to be the best class of

furnace; and by the aid of this I was afterwards enabled to



construct what proved to be the best furnace on the Tyne.

To return to my education in shipbuilding. My early efforts in



ship-draughting at Stephensons' were further developed and

matured at Thomsons' on the Clyde. Models and drawings were more



carefully worked out on the 1/4-in. scale than heretofore. The

stern frames were laid off and put up at once correctly, which



before had been first shaped by full-sized wooden moulds. I also

contrived a mode of quickly and correctly laying off the



frame-lines on a model, by laying it on a plane surface, and

then, with a rectangular block traversing it--a pencil in a



suitableholder being readilyapplied over the curved surface.




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