In this advanced age we know the power of steam, and what a great factor
it is as a help in carrying on the daily work of life. Yet, it is only
during the last century that men have discovered to how many purposes it
can be applied.
James Watt, the great utilizer of steam, was born in Greenock, Scotland,
January 19th, 1736. His father was a carpenter and general merchant in
Greenock, and seems to have been highly respected, for he was long a
member of the council, and for a time, magistrate. James was a sickly
child, unable to attend school with regularity, hence was left to follow
his own inclinations; becoming his own instructor, to a great extent.
The boy was early furnished with tools by his father, and with them
found amusement and instruction. He early manifested a taste for
mathematics and mechanics, studied botany, chemistry, mineralogy,
natural philosophy, and at fourteen constructed an electrical machine.
At the age of eighteen he was sent to Glasgow to learn to make
mathematical instruments, but for some reason he went to London the same
year, engaging with one Morgan, working at the same trade. Ill-health,
however, compelled his return home about a year later. He had made great
use of his time while in London, and after his health had improved
somewhat he again visited Glasgow with the desire of establishing
himself there, but met with opposition from some who considered him an
intruder upon their privileges. The Principal of the college,
appreciating his fine tact and ingenuity, offered him protection and
gave him an apartment for carrying on his business within their
precinct, with the title of "Mathematical Instrument Maker to the
University." But this location was unfavorable for his business. He was
scarcely able to make a living, however, the five or six years he passed
in those quarters were well employed in investigations, and during the
time he unmistakably manifested rare ability.
As soon as possible he secured a better situation in town, and after
this change did much better, still it is said: "He had to eke out his
living by repairing fiddles, which he was able to do, though he had no
ear for music," also, in doing any mechanical piece of work that came in
his way; no work requiring ingenuity or the application of scientific
knowledge seems to have baffled him. But he kept studying, devoting his
evenings and spare moments to the mastery of German, Italian, mastered
some of the sciences, learned to sketch, was a superior model-maker;
and, if his profession had been defined at the time he first turned his
attention to steam, having constructed an improved organ, he would have
been spoken of as a musical-instrument maker.
In 1858 he began his experiments with steam as a propelling power for
land carriages, which he temporarily abandoned, and did not patent a
road engine until 1784. In 1767 he assumed a new occupation, for in that
year he was employed to make the surveys and prepare the estimates for a
projected canal to connect the Forth and Clyde. This project fell
through for the time being, as it failed to gain the sanction of
Parliament, but Watt had now made a beginning as civil engineer, and
henceforth he obtained a good deal of employment in this capacity. He
superintended the surveys and engineering works on the Monkland
Collieries Canal to Glasgow, deepening the Clyde, improving the harbors
of Ayr, Port, Glasgow, and Greenock; building bridges and other public
works his final survey being for the Caledonia Canal.
During this period he had invented an improved micrometer, and also
continued his experiments with steam as a motive power. Perhaps it would
be interesting to some of our readers to know how Watt tested the power
of steam. The implements with which he performed his experiments were of
the cheapest kind. Apothecaries' vials, a glass tube or two, and a
tea-kettle enabled him to arrive at some very important conclusions. By
attaching a glass tube to the nose of the tea-kettle he conducted the
steam into a glass of water, and by the time the water came to the
boiling point, he found its volume had increased nearly a sixth part;
that is, one measure of water in the form of steam can raise about six
measures of water to its own heat. It would be impossible in our
allotted space to tell fully of the many experiments James Watt made. It
is needless to say that his success came by slow and discouraging
channels, so slow, indeed, that most men would have given up long
before.
His reputation was assailed by jealous rivals, his originality denied,
and his rights to various patents vehemently contested. He was many
times disappointed in the workings of his own machines, and was obliged
to throw away pieces of machinery from which he had expected much, while
with others he had perfect success. His experiments finally resulted in
his invention of the condensing engine. Now, he struggled for years,
through poverty and every imaginable difficulty, to make a practical
application of his improvements, doing work as a surveyor in order to
support himself.
In 1769 he became a partner of Mathew Boulton, a large hardware dealer
and manufacturer, of Birmingham, England. Previously Mr. Boulton had
built engines after the plans of Savery, hence, he undoubtedly discerned
the great improvement over all engines then in use, that this new
discovery was sure to prove. He was a man of wealth, and, in all
probability, his personal knowledge of such matters greatly aided his
faith. No other can be given, for he was obliged to advance over
$229,000 before Watt had so completely perfected his engine that its
operations yielded profit. But his confidence was not misplaced. The
immense Birmingham manufactory, which employed over one thousand hands,
was ultimately driven to its utmost capacity to supply the constantly
increasing demand for steam engines. It was first applied to coinage in
1783, from thirty to forty thousand milled coins being struck off in an
hour as a test. Boulton & Watt sent two complete mints to St.
Petersburg, and for many years executed the entire copper coinage of
England.
Watt was the first to conceive the idea of warming buildings by steam.
He was the first to make a copying-press; he also contrived a flexible
iron pipe with ball and socket joints, to adapt it to the irregular
riverbed, for carrying water across the Clyde. At the time of his death
he was fellow of the Royal Societies of London, and Edinburgh
correspondent of the French Institute, and foreign associate of the
Academy of Sciences. He was buried beside Boulton, in Handsworth Church;
his statue, by Chantery, is in Westminister Abbey. The pedestal bears
the following inscription:--
"Not to perpetuate a name
Which must endure while the peaceful arts flourish,
But to show
That mankind have learned to honor those
Who best deserve their gratitude,
The King,
His Ministers, and many of the Nobles
And Commoners of the Realm,
Raised this Monument to
James Watt,
Who, directing the force of an original Genius,
Early exercised in philosophic research,
To the improvement of
The Steam Engine,
Enlarged the resources of his Country,
Increased the power of man, and rose to an eminent place
Among the most illustrious followers of Science
And the real benefactors of the World.
Born at Greenock, MDCCXXXVI,
Died at Heathfield, in Staffordshire, MDCCCXIX."
The properties of steam had been known to a certain extent for
centuries. In the seventeenth century attention was frequently directed
by ingenious workers to the uses of steam in performing simple but
laborious occupations, such as pumping water out of the mines. To other
purposes steam was imperfectly applied, but it remained for Watt to make
more practical and efficient use of it.
This, indeed, is the history of almost every useful art. A discovery,
which, after it is known, seems so simple that every one wonders why it
remained hidden for so many years, yet proves simple enough to
immortalize the name of the fortunate inventor. It is said there was
hardly a physical science or one art with which Watt was not intimately
acquainted. His philosophical judgment kept pace with his ingenuity. He
studied modern languages, and was acquainted with literature. His memory
was extremely tenacious, and whatever he once learned he always had at
his command; and yet this brave earnest worker and gifted man was a
sufferer from ill-health all his life. With constitutional debility,
increased by anxiety and perplexity during the long process of his
inventions, and the subsequent care of defending them in court; yet,
through constant temperance and watchfulness over his peculiar
difficulties, his life was preserved to the great age of eighty-three
years. He had in his character the utmost abhorrece for all parade and
presumption, and, indeed, never failed to put all such imposters out of
countenance by the manly plainness and honest intrepidity of his
language and manner. In his temper and disposition he was not only kind
and affectionate, but generous and considerate of the feelings of all
around him, and gave the most liberal assistance and encouragement to
all young persons who proved any indication of talent, or applied to him
for patronage or advice. He was twice married, and left his two sons,
long associated with him in his business, to carry out some of his plans
and discoveries of the great utility and power of steam. All men of
learning and science were his cordial friends, and such was the
influence of his mild character and perfect firmness and liberality,
even to pretenders of his own accomplishments, that he lived to disarm
even envy itself, and died the peaceful death of a Christian without, it
is thought, a single enemy.