Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-11-21


this laboratory young Nasmyth was freely
admitted. When some interesting expert
ment was about 10 be made, Tom Smith.
Nasmyths young friend, would hoist a
white flag on pole in the garden at Leith,
whereat Nasmyth eagerly ran down and
took part in the experiment The boys not
only had hand in the experiments, but
taught themselves how to make each sub
stance used in them, instead of buying the
substances in the shops. Thus Nasmyth
soon became very skillful practical chem
ist.
AT the age of seventeen young Nasmyth
began TO turn his mechanical talents to
practical account. He made little steam
engine for grinding his fathers colors; he
constructed some workshop engines and
the model of a condensing engine to be
used at mechanics institutes, and after at
tending for four or five years the Edn-
burgh School of Arts, made the model of a
steam carriage for railway purposes. For
It was just at that time, when Nasmyth was
nineteen. that the possibility of applying
steam TO land travel was on the point of be-
ing proved. IL took Nasmyth four months
OF absorbing labor TO complete his steam
carriage, and when done it was run sue
cessfully on the Queensbury road, near Ed
inburgh, carrying eight passengers, who
sat upon low seats only three feet from the
ground. This seems to us now a very rude
and uncouth way of travelling, but when
Nasmyth's steam engine proved to be
success it was looked upon as a wonder of
wonders.
One of the most important events of
young Nasmyths life was when he was ad-
mittcd to the famous works of Henry
Maudsley, in London Mr. Maudsley was
shrewd IN mechanical work, and his reputa-
ton was worldwide. He had long refused
70 adrlit any more pupils in his works; but
he WIS so struck with the genius shown in
the models which Nasmyth displayed to him
that he not only accepted the young Scot as
a pupil, but took him into his own private
workshop. Here l wish you to work."
said Maudsley, 'bcslde me- as nv as
sistant." Nasmyth remained with this gen.
erous patron two years, when Maudsley
died.
Nasmyth was now fully equipped for his
life work. He took charge of a large
foundry near Manchester, where he soon
acquired more than competence.
He was one of those who had the rare
privilege of Witnessing the opening of the
first railway, that between Manchester and
Liverpool and to see Stcphenson's
chester. The establishment of railways
gave abundance of work to Nasmyth, who
now made locomotives for the new compa-
MES which rapidly sprang up.
But the great achievement of Nasmyths
life was the invention of that powerful
steam hammer whish still continues to be-
marvel to all who see its operation, at once
mighty and delicate. 1t is said of this ma
chine that it can chip an egg resting on an
anvil without breaking il, while it can also
de iver a twelve-ton blow which will make
a whole township tremble. We can not do
better than to quote Nasmyth's own de-
scription of this crowning mechanical tri-
umph of hs life
at consisted of, first. a massive anvil on
which to rest the work; second, a block of
iron constituting the hammer or blow-giV-
ing portion, and third, an inverted steam
cylinder, to whose piston-rod the hammer
block was attached. All that was then re-
ql,ired 10 produce most effective hammer
WIS simply TO admit stean of sufficient
pressure into the cylinder so as to act on
the under side of tho piston, and thus to
raise the hammer block attached to the end
OF the piston-rod. BY a very simple ar
rangcment Of a slide valve, under the con-
troll OF an attendant, the steam was allowed
to escape, and thus permit the massive
block of iron rapidly TO descend by its own
gravity upon the work on the anvil Thus,
by 4 more or less rapid manner in which
the attendant allows the steam to enter or
escape from the cylinder, any required
number or any intensity of blows could be
delivered"
One of the first uses 10 which the steam
hammer was put was that of the driving
of piles. There were many mechanics
who did not believe that it would drive
piles faster or better than was done by
the old method. So Nasmyth resolved to
have a match between his steam-hammer
and the ordinary pile-driver. Two i'm
mense logs were selected, and the two ma
chimes began work at the same moment
The result was that while it took the old
fashioned ma6hine twelve hours to drive its
log to the proper depth, the steam-ham-
mer had finished its task IN four and half
minutes.
The invention Of the steam-hammer not
only made Nasmyth famous wherever in
the world the mechanics arts are practiced,
but added quickly and largely to his world
" wealth. he was only thiry-one years Of
age, and had already achieved great life
work