The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-10-14
Progress In Engineering.


We extrac, from the Toronto Canada,
Daily Leader, the following extract from
q Speech Of Mr.. RoRERr ISrhruEysoN
tho celebrated English Engineer, at Q
Public Dinner given 10 him at Iha. ci,y
on the 26,h ul,:- @
"Wheu we read Of the effh,s 81 Smea
ton and tho early pioneers OF engineer
ing, We found tina! they were engaged
day after day in the great labor of study
Ing details. There was then in engineer
inp no division Of labor Within the las
twenty five years, there had been intro
duccd into engineering, as il were in
silnciively, an immense amount Of labor
division. Science had been divided as
we'll as manufacturing processes. We
were now able TO produce in given
time what Smeeton, with his imme nse
Intellect, and his unbranded power oI
contrivance, would have required years
to do. No engineer could view the
Eddysione lighthouse a, this momen
without feeling deep respect for .Smea.
tons talents, and strong sympathy for The
difficulties which he. had to encounter
Con,rasied with his tedious labor, how
marvellous was the rapidiy which marked
the accomplishment Of our present undeI-
iakings! The work of years has been
reduced 10 days. In truth the object Of
society, and especially Of professional
duty seemed now TO be TO save tine.
"Sava time";s The war cry Of our period.
il was so emphaiically with our railways
Without division Of professional labor
they never could be produced. A new
class Of men had grown out OF this change
Of circumstances; class so n. cessary 10
ihe production of railways, that they
ought not 10 be forgotten on an occasion
like ihis An assemblage of engineers
should not furget the con'ractors-men
whose calling had been created by oir>
cumsiances, and ,whrse combination OF
practical sciences with mechanical skill
yendered them almost engineers. They
now come 20 the aid of the engineer in
of his difficulties. lie has little more to
do than 10 conceiye-,hey realize. He
has become the poet Of engincering--
they are its slaves. (Applauso.) The
Britannia bridge--con,aining an amount
Of masonry unhea.d Of before, near y
2,000,0O0 Of cubic feei--was built in
three years, without concern on his part
Ia regard TO the masonry. |. was turned
over 10 coniractor--an intelligent. and
a thoroughly practical, though not a
scientific man, and he performed the
tssk. Yes, two millions Of cubic feet of
masonry were worked from The quarry,
dressed, squared. set, and reared into a
magnificent ediice in three years; in
other words, there were three cubic feet
Of masonry sci every minute for twelve
houw day for three hundred days in the
year, for three years. (Applause. No
thing that he had heard OF, or read Of,
eqnalled that, and yet he would almost
pledge himself tha, this, and more tl,an
lhis, would be done at Montreal. IRE
newed applause.) There was an infinite
smount Of ingenuity in the mere tackle
Of such work. And yet they must moi
permit their own skill ond success TO
blind them to the fac. that, SO for as work
vas concerned, things Of almost equal
note we're achieved in other countries
His experience in Egypt surprised him
not little. During the construction Of
q railway there, he calculated on much
difficulty 10 regard 10 the making Of em-
bankmenis, diiches, culveris, and SO on
But arrangements were made through
the agency Of dragomen, and the Egyp-
,ians, once al work, much surprised him.
He was almost in despair al 6rsi, but after
they had become familiar with the labor,
they performed quantity Of work shat
was really astonishing. He mentioned
ihis circumstance as one that stood in
strong contrast 10 the Britannia bridge
masonry, which might be regarded as .
work where the utmost aysilabIe amount
sf science was brought 10 bear, while the
q. =. a -.