There were the ship and engine
works on both sides of the river, down to Govan; and below there,
at Renfrew, Dumbarton, Port Glasgow, and Greenock--no end of
magnificent yards--so that I had plenty of occupation for my
leisure time on Saturday afternoons. The works of Messrs. Robert
Napier and Sons were then at the top of the tree. The largest
Cunard steamers were built and engined there. Tod and Macgregor
were the foremost in screw steamships--those for the Peninsular
and Oriental Company being splendid models of symmetry and works
of art. Some of the fine wooden paddle-steamers built in Bristol
for the Royal Mail Company were sent round to the Clyde for their
machinery. I contrived to board all these ships from time to
time, so as to become well acquainted with their respective
merits and peculiarities.
As an illustration of how contrivances, excellent in principle,
but defective in construction, may be discarded, but again taken
up under more favourable circumstances, I may mention that I saw
a Hall's patent surface-condensor thrown to one side from one of
these steamers, the principal difficulty being in keeping it
tight. And yet, in the course of a very few years, by the
simplest possible contrivance--inserting an indiarubber ring
round each end of the tube (Spencer's patent)--surface
condensation in marine engines came into vogue; and there is
probably no ocean-going steamer afloat without it, furnished with
every variety of suitable packings.
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