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Men of Invention and Industry-Part45_Samuel Smiles(1812-1904)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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relieved from all sources of care and anxiety, excepting those

connected with business.



The steamers were completed in the course of the following year,

doubtless to the satisfaction of the owners, for their delivery



was immediately followed by an order for two larger vessels. As

I required frequently to go from home, and as the works must be



carefully attended to during my absence, on the 1st of January,

1862, I took Mr. Wolff in as a partner; and the firm has since



continued under the name of Harland and Wolff. I may here add

that I have throughout received the most able advice and



assistance" target="_blank" title="n.协作；援助；帮助">assistance from my excellent friend and partner, and that we have

together been enabled to found an entirely new branch of industry



in Belfast.

It is necessary for me here to refer back a little to a screw



steamer which was built on the Clyde for Bibby and Co. by Mr.

John Read, and engined by J. and G. Thomson while I was with



them. That steamer was called the Tiber. She was looked upon as

of an extreme length, being 235 feet, in proportion to her beam,



which was 29 feet. Serious misgivings were thrown out as to

whether she would ever stand a heavy sea. Vessels of such



proportions were thought to be crank, and even dangerous.

Nevertheless, she seemed to my mind a great success. From that



time, I began to think and work out the advantages and

disadvantages of such a vessel, from an owner's as well as from a



builder's point of view. The result was greatly in favour of the

owner, though entailing difficulties in construction as regards



the builder. These difficulties, however. I thought might

easily be overcome.



In the first steamers ordered of me by the Messrs. Bibby, I

thought it more prudent to simply build to the dimensions



furnished, although they were even longer than usual. But, prior

to the precise dimensions being fixed for the second order, I



with confidence proposed my theory of the greater carrying power

and accommodation, both for cargo and passengers, that would be



gained by constructing the new vessels of increased length,

without any increase of beam. I conceived that they would show



improved qualities in a sea-way, and that, notwithstanding the

increased accommodation, the same speed with the same power would



be obtained, by only a slight increase in the first cost. The

result was, that I was allowed to settle the dimensions; and the



following were then decided on: Length, 310 feet; beam, 34 feet;

depth of hold, 24 feet 9 inches; all of which were fully



compensated for by making the upper deck entirely of iron. In

this way, the hull of the ship was converted into a box girder of



immensely increased strength, and was, I believe, the first ocean

steamer ever so constructed. The rig too was unique. The four



masts were made in one continuous length, with fore-and-aft

sails, but no yards,--thereby reducing the number of hands



necessary to work them. And the steam winches were so arranged

as to be serviceable for all the heavy hauls, as well as for the



rapid handling of the cargo.

In the introduction of so many novelties, I was well supported by



Mr. F. Leyland, the juniorpartner of Messrs. Bibby's firm, and

by the intelligent and practical experience of Captain Birch, the



overlooker, and Captain George Wakeham, the Commodore of the

company. Unsuccessful attempts had been made many years before



to condense the steam from the engines by passing it into

variously formed chambers, tubes, &c., to be there condensed by



surfaces kept cold by the circulation of sea-water round them, so

as to preserve the pure water and return it to the boilers free



of salt. In this way, "salting up" was avoided, and a

considerable saving of fuel and expenses in repairs was effected.



Mr. Spencer had patented an improvement on Hall's method of

surface condensation, by introducing indiarubber rings at each



end of the tubes. This had been tried as an experiment on shore,

and we advised that it should be adopted in one of Messrs.



Bibby's smallest steamers, the Frankfort. The results were found

perfectly satisfactory. Some 20 per cent. of fuel was saved;






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