Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-02-12
,F6M H1Mm { X.
Something About a Powerful Machin
and Its Inventor.

cheerful, sunny. upright ani happy that IL
is a delight % dwell upon it.
He himself has told us. in words Of simple,
hearty enthusiasm. the story Of his boyhOod
and one Of the trumphs Of his manhood. 1t
is curious that his very name had a history
in striking contrast with the actual facts OF
his life One Of his ancestors II is sad, IN
trying 20 escape from the enemy on battle
field, assumed the disguise Of a blacksmith.
Hc was caught, after a sharp race, when
his captOr. perceiying his disguise ex-
claimed why you are nae sTnyth' mo
smith: whence came the family name Of
Nasmyth Now no greater smith ever lived
than this james of the contrary name, who
made the steam hammer The old wariike
family motto too, "NJu arte, sed marte"
Not by art. but by wa). was 80 entirely
contradictory to James Nasmyth's pursuits
that he turned il entirely around, and made
II "Non martc, sed arte' Not by war, Dut
by artJ. II was, indeed, by his masterful
art that he achieved triumphs more endur-
ing for the good Of mankind than any war
has ever been. Let US see what an un-
usual KIND Of a boy James Nasmyth was.
He soon conceived a great interest in
chemistry. The father Of one Of his school
mutc8 hal - chemical laboratory at Leith,
mile or 50 distant from Edinburgh, and TO
this laboratory young Nasmyth was freely
admitted When some interesting expert
ment was about 10 be made, Tom Smith,
Nasmyth's young friend, would hoist
white flag on pole in the garden at Leith,
vhereat Nusmyth eagerly ran down and
took part in the experiment The boys not
only had a 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 Nasnyth
soon became very skIll1ul practical chem
5t.
At the age Of seventeen young Nasmyth
began TO turn his mechanical talents to
practical account He made "a little steam
engine for grinding his fathers ColOrs; nc
constructed some workshop engines and
the model Of a condcnsing engine TO be
used at mechanics Institutes, and after at
tending for four or five years tho Edin-
burgh School of Arts, made the model OF
steam carriage for railway purposes. For
1t 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. 1t took Nasmyth four months
Of absorbing labor 10 complete his steam
carriage, and when done it was run sue
cessfully on the Quccnsbury road, near Ed
inburgh carrying eight passengers, who
ground THIS seems 10 US now very rude
and uncouth way Of travelling, but when
Nasmvth's steam engine proved to be
success il was looked upon as wonder OF
wonders
One Of the most important events OF
young Nasmyth's life was when he was ad-
mittcd 10 the famous works Of Henry
NIaudsev, in London. Mr. Maudsey was
an eccentric but knd-hearted man, and very
shrcwd IN mechanical work. and his reputa-
non was worldwide. He had long refused
TO admit any more pupils in his works; but
he was so struck with the genius shown in
the models which Nasmyth displayed 10 him
accepted the young Scot ms
him into mis- own private
kshop. "Hcre l wIsn you TO work."
said Maudsley, "bcsIde me- Hs my as
sstant" Nasmyth remained with this gen
crous patron two years, when Maudsley
died.
Nasmyth was now fully equipped for his
life work. He took charge of large
foundry near Manchester where he soon
acquired more than "a 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 Stephenson's
Rocket draw the first train out of Man
chester. The establishment of railways
gave abundance OF work to Nusmyth, VINO
now made locomotives for the new cOmpa-
nies which rapidly sprang up.
But the great achievement Of Nasmyth's
life was the invention Of that powerful
steam hammer which still continues TO be
marvel 10 all who see its operation, at once
mighty and delicate. 1t is said Of this ma
chime that 1t can chip an egg resting on an
anvil without breaking il, while il can also
deliver a tweve-ton blow which will mako
whole township trcmblo. We can not do
bet or than to quote Nasmyth's own de
sCrlpton uf this CruWnlug mechanical tri-
umph of hls life;
at consisted Of, first, massive anvil on
which To rest the work; second, block of
iron constituting the hammer or bow-gly.
ing portion, and third, an inverted steam
cylinder 20 whose piston rod the hammer
block was attached. An that Was then re
quircd 10 produce a most effective hammer
was slwply to udwlt stcau Of sufficient
pressure into the cylinder so as O. act ON
the under side of the piston. aud tuus 10
raise the hammer block attached L. tuc end
Of the plstou-rod BY very tl.suc ar
rangcmcnt OF a Slide valve, under tao CON
trul of un attendant, the steam Wa, allowed
to escape, and thus permit the massive
block of iron rapidly % dcscvud by It's own
gravity upon the work on the anvil Thus,
10y II more or less rapid munucr ia which
the Attendant allows The steam Ia vutyr ur
escape from tho cylinder, any required
number or any intensity of blows coulu be
delivered
Ono of tho first uses 20 which the s.oam-
hammer was put was that ot the driving /
Of piles There Wcrc many mechanics |
who did not believe that 10 would drive I
piles faster or betlcr than was done by /
tho old method 50 Na>myth resolved % [
have match between h,, steam hammer f.
and the ordinary ulcar.vCr Two i'm. /
menso logs wcro solicited, uud the Ny1 ma- [
chimes began work 40 the same unv.rt /
The result was that whao DO took Poo u.l- /
fashioned ma, hluc twy.yy hours ta au....!ts (
log a. lao proper depth, the st,.s. m- .
mvr head uuIshca its task lu four uuI "a u...l /
minutes
rav Invention ~ the stcam.lawu,r NOT I
only uaa' Nasmyth famous vaar.y.r m .
th2 Vur.a the uc,a.uhs arts urc rr.,titpd. .
bu, aJteI 0r.c6,y ana largely ta h., wurld- .
N wcalh Gr WJ, yu,y talrty -ouo Years of .
age, AUu h-d airv-Uy .,.ioyud a great Ife
work
Fake Carc ct the Ton's
Il may taAo mDueut moro tu lava ts,! .
up cSr,t..y after u,ag, but tao uuels