The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-04-24
The Modern Vulcan.
Sights at q Forge.

mass Of shafts, beams, cranks, wheels, and
cylinders when was told that n child's
finger pressing down on certain small lev
CIR can set The whole mass in ruthless mo-
ton; driving the Volcano herself through
the wafer at the rate of fourteen miles an
hOur-I wondered where the presen, race
Of yulcns and CyclOps (born with more
eyes than one) were bred, and under wha,
Nemmonian roof the bewildeIing engine
wa. brough, into existence. Surely, re-
fecied, the blaeksmi,h's Of Ena and Lem.
nos must have been piguies compared with
the giants OF these later days; aud their
iorges mere village smi'hies. Else how
could those shafts, each single mass Of
wrought iron, some sixteen ions in weight.
DO formed and polished, and adjusted 10
hairs breadth how could the ,wo-bladed
brass fan (called the screw propeller,)
weighing eleven tons OF so, DO cast and fit
ted, carried from the factory to tho ship,
and put into its place under water, with oil
the accuracy and some OF the ease with
which the handspring is attached to Ia
dys' watch.
This tremendous work is done, aEer-
wards learnt, by modern, but no, wholly by
human hands.
Growing sill more dizzy, yet still more
curious in contemplating the complex
abyss OF the Volcanoes machinery, con-
ceiyed the wild wish OF seeing Titanic en-
gines like hers in the land Of their birth -
where they are made, and kept wholesale,
retail, aud for eSpor,ation-in rows perhaps,
like time pieces in French clock shop.
In satisfaction Of this desire. was directed
10 The great factory oil Messrs. Maudslay &
Field.
This establishment, spreads itself over
about five acres OF Lamber,h Marsh (now
densely peopled district Of South London,
and only marsh by tradition y but being
built ON aooIs, would, II all on the groun !.
cover some dozen acres. II gives employ
meni 10 fifteen bundled Mulcibers, who are
chiefly employed in feeding and attending
upon the iron giants that execute most OF
the work.
o, the grim, rigid, relentless power, with
which the3 shaved, and shared, and cut,
and bored blocks and pillars Of iron, some
tons in weight They cut out and pu, to-
cether a huge sleam-boiler with much less
fuss (and with an inevitable direc,ness Of
purpose that ], simply awful that a seam.
stress makes to complete calico dress.-
4 broad plank OF iron, nearly an inch thick
and as large as long dining nom table,
l. laid out on an automaion's flat lap, and
Is cut by scissor like chisel moving up
aud down at the edge, into any shape the
experimenting Mulciber wills. Ii can be
sewn TO other iron sheets by an memorable
seams,ress-a gian, twin OF her planning and
cutting sisters-that punches rows Of round
holes with mathematical precision. all round
The Edges Of the plate, with less effort than
could bore cardboard. Her coadjutor,
ihicl-sei, determined steam workman, then
iasiens the edges Of the plates together BY
crushing rivet-bolis into the holes at each
edge and Instantly rive,,ing them TO one
another with cold bloodej, silen, force that
is terrifying. Compare these operations
with the iinkering Of the Yulcans oil cid
who had 10 bore holes with niggling centre
bits, and To rive, them together with noisy
hammers and who took q logger time 10
turn on, The tip Of an arrow ora kitchen
boiler, than their powerful progeny require
to twist score Of gun-barrells, or even to
complete locomotive engine.
Take care the forge hammer is no,
Guie Obsolete should have known this
TO my cost il q stalwart arm had no, drasg-
ell me on; OF the swing of double handed
hammer then being welded by flesh and
hood blacksmith, to form rods for rivei-
bolts. In watching the motions OF this
man, the impression tina, the mechanical
arts DO not promote the picturesque or help
10 inspire the artist, was forcibly revived
The graceful elasticity Of his motions was
n delightful conrras, TO The hard, undertaking
rOuline Of his autumaton shop-ma,es. The
highest modelsol Grecian ART were no, more
graceful than the unconscious attitudes of
This smith, while swinging his hammer over
his head to bring it tremendously down up
on the glowing metal. Roofing his feet
apar, upon the ground while STOPPING to
raise the hammer, and drawing them ioseth
err when swinging i, 10 deliver the blow,
every limb fell, in its turn, into harmony
with The res, Of the figure, md expressed
muscular strength and elasticity 10 periec-
ton. once saw even greater elegance Of
motion displayed in connection with boiler
plates. was in Lancashire, where they
made them in an enormous smiihy surroun-
dcd BY furnaces, with an oyerPowe'ins
steam hammer standing in the midst. The
men, having drawn on, a biz, shapeless
lump Of metal white no, from the FIRE, and
having dragged !, along the shee,-iron aoor
to lhe hammer, they escaped tho my'iads
Of parks which dew GU, during the pound
inc process, by holding their lea,hern i
pIons ut one corner, up to their faces, and 4
turning elegant pi,oueties, to present their
~ n. If shNNitpp A