The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-07
THE PRINTING PRESS.
THE REVOLUTION WHICH TOOK
PLACE SEVENTY YEARS AGO.
An Account of the First Printing Done
by Steam-The Triumph Achieved
by KOenig, of Saxony-1,1O0
Copies an Hour.
lNineteenth Century,

4N1nefSenIn century,
At the beginning OF the century The
Times was at the bottom Of the list Of
London morning journals as regards the
ranked as follows in proportion to theiI
circulation: III The Morning Chronicle,
(2) The Morning Post, (3) The Morning
Herald. a. The Morning Advertiser. The
circulation of The Times did not then ex.
coed 1000 copies daily. Seven
years earlier the daily circula
ton Of The Morning Post was
but $50 copies, and its progress had been
rapid; yet that of The Times was even
more marvellous during the ten following
years From having the smallest circu-
lation Of any London contemporary, the
circulation of The Times became 81 much
larger than that of any of them that the
ordinary printing appliances proved in
adequate to provide the copies for which
there was q demand. When the number
bought was 1000 it was easy enough to
out between 300 and 400 copies an hour;
but when many thousands were called for
such press proved wholly inadequate
Mr. Walter had made several attempts
TO effect improvements in the printing
press. He consulted Marc lsambard Rru-
mel, one of the great mechanics of his day,
who gave his best attention to the matter
and then intimated his Inability to execute
what was required. Mr.. Walter adj
thought he had made an important dis
covery; but the ideas of Martyr were not
realized in practice. While engaged in
seeking for person who could give scope
and effect to his wishes, Friedrich Koenig,
a German, who was born at EiSleben in
Saxony, in 1774, was laboring to effect
Improvements in the printing press, was
confident of substituting steam for manual
labor in his new press. and was anXiOusly
waiting. for an opportunity to give scope
to his views and for patron to counte-
nance and advance them. He had visited
England in the hope of finding there the
opening and the support which he could
not obtain in his native country. He
found a sympathizer in Thomas Bensley,
with whom he entered into an agreement
in 1907.
Two years later. when working model
of Koenig's improved press had been COM
pleted, Bensley brought the matter be-
fore Mr.. Walter, who, for the moment,
was so fully occupied with other engage
ments that he could not entertain a new
scheme. In 1912 KOenig had finished one
of his new printing presses, and the con-
ductors of the principal Lonuou journals
were invited to see it in operation. Mr..
Perry. of The Morning Chronicle, very
shrewd man, and the editor of a most sue
Cessful newspaper, would not even accept
the invitation, declaring that, in his opin-
ion, no newspaper was worth so many
years purchase as would equal the
cost of the new machine Mr.. Walter
accepted the invitation, carefully eX
amined Koenig's improved press, and at
once ordered two double presses on the
same model. Two years elapsed before
the presses were constructed and at work.
Rumors of the new invention were circu-
lated, despite the secrecy to which all
concerned had been pledged, and The
Times pressmen, who believed that their
means of livelihood would be at an end
when steam was applied to printing.
vowed vengeance upon the inventor The
new presses were erected in rooms adjoin
ing those wherein the old presses were in
operation.
AT o'clock in the morning of the goth
of November, 1914, Mr. Walter entered
the Office with several damp printed
startled pressman at work there that the
Times was already printed by steamI
that if they attempted violence there was
a force ready to suppress it, but that if
they were peaceable their wages should
be continued to every one of them till
similar employment could be pro-
cured. In proof of his statement he
handed to them copies of the first
newspaper which had issued, from
steam press. The readers of that days
Times were informed of the revolution of
which it was a visible token. Trifing
though the speed may now seem, it was
then thought astounding that a press could
hour, and this beginning is memorable as
the first step ina series of improvements
still more remarkable than that which
was pronounced at the time 10 &c the
greatest that had been effected in the art
of printing since the discovery of the art
itself