The Life of James Watt

CHAPTER XV.

MR. WATT'S CIVIL-ENGINEERING — CONSTRUCTION OF THE MONKLAND CANAL STEAM-BOATS FOR CANALS- SCREW-PROPELLER OR SPIRAL OAR, 1770- SURVEY FOR CANAL IN STRATHMORE -HAMILTON BRIDGECHANNEL OF THE CLYDE-CRINAN CANAL, AND OTHER WORKS-SURVEY FOR CALEDONIAN CANAL TELFORD RATE OF REMUNERATION

OF ENGINEERS IN THE LAST CENTURY.

In this state of matters, every employment that enabled Mr. Watt to earn an independent income, and served to relieve his mind, now too constantly occupied with anxious and uncomfortable thoughts, was doubly welcome; and he was gradually led more frequently to forsake the solitary vigils of his workshop in the city, for the active labours of his profession of a civil engineer. "Somehow or other," as he modestly expresses it,—or, as we cannot doubt, from his ability and integrity having now become well known,—the magistrates of Glasgow had for two or three years past employed him in various engineering works of importance. In 1769 he made a survey and estimate for a navigable canal from the collieries at Monkland in Lanarkshire to the city of Glasgow; which was carried out under his own directions and superintendence, to the great advantage of the public as well as of the parties to the undertaking.

"I somehow or other," he says, "got into the good graces "of our present magistracy, who have employed me in engineering for them, (as Mr. Smeaton terms it); among "other things I have projected a canal to bring coals to the "town;-for though coal is everywhere hereabout in plenty, " and the very town stands upon it, yet measures have been "taken by industrious people to monopolize it and raise its "price 50 per cent. within these ten years. Now this canal "is nine miles long, goes to a country full of level free coals

*To Dr. Small, 12 December, 1769.

"of good quality, in the hands of many proprietors, who sell "them at present at 6d. per cart of 7 cwt. at the pit. There " is a valley from Glasgow to the place, but it has a rise of "266 feet perpendicular above our river; I therefore set that "aside, and have found among the hills a passage, whereby a "canal may come within a mile of the town without locks, "from whence the coals can be brought on a waggon-way. "This canal will cost 10,0007.-is proposed 16 feet wide at "bottom, the boats 9 feet wide and 50 feet long, to draw "24 feet water."

“Vanity also,” he adds, “bade me tell Glasgow people they might be served as well at home as by strangers. The "time has not been thrown away, for the vaguing about "the country, and bodily fatigue, have given me health and "spirits beyond what I commonly enjoy at this dreary season, "though they would still thole amends.‡ Hire yourself to "somebody for a ploughman; it will cure ennui.”

And, although "a determination that everything should "yield to the engine," led him to refuse going to London with the Bill for the Monkland Canal, yet, after the Act for it had been obtained, and he was asked to superintend the execution of the canal, he felt himself obliged not to refuse that request. "I had now a choice," he says,§ "whether to go on with the experiments on the engine, the " event of which was uncertain, or to embrace an honourable " and perhaps profitable employment, attended with less risk "of want of success:-to carry into execution a canal pro"jected by myself with much trouble, or to leave it to some "other person that might not have entered into my views, "and might have had an interest to expose my errors; (for "everybody commits them in those cases.)

Many people here had conceived a much higher idea of my abilities than they merit;-they had resolved to encou"rage a man that lived among them rather than a stranger. "If I refused this offer I had little reason to expect such a

"concurrence of favourable circumstances soon. Besides, I "have a wife and children, and saw myself growing gray "without having any settled way of providing for them. "There were also other circumstances that moved me not "less powerfully to accept the offer; which I did; though at "the same time I resolved not to drop the engine, but to "prosecute it the first time I could spare.

Nothing is more contrary to my disposition than bustling " and bargaining with mankind:-yet that is the life I now constantly lead. Use and exertion render it rather more "tolerable than it was at first, but it is still disagreeable. "I am also in a constant fear that my want of experience may betray me into some scrape, or that I shall be imposed upon by the workmen, both which I take all the care my "nature allows of to prevent. I have been tolerably lucky "yet; I have cut some more than a mile of the canal, besides a most confounded gash in a hill, and made a bridge and some tunnels, for all which I think I am within the esti"mate, notwithstanding the soil has been of the very hardest,

being a black or red clay engrained with stones. We are "out altogether 450.-of which about 50%. for utensils: our "canal is four feet water and sixteen feet bottom. I have "for managing the canal 2007. per annum; I bestow upon it "generally about three or four days in the week, during which "time I am commonly very busy, as I have above 150 men "at work, and only one overseer under me, beside the undertakers, who are mere tyros, and require constant watching. "The remainder of my time is taken up partly by head-aches " and other bad health, and partly by consultations on various "subjects, of which I can have more than I am able to answer, "and people pay me pretty well. In short, I want little but "health and vigour to make money as fast as is fit.

"Now, Doctor, if you and your friend Hygeia can impart "to me these blessings, I may be a rich and happy man: "otherwise, I can scarcely be either. I expect soon to have "another touch at the engine."

In December, 1770, he writes: "Notwithstanding the desperate weather I am almost constantly at the canal. It

"costs me many a fit of chagrin; shows me many of my imperfections, &c.; but for all that, I find myself more strong, more resolute, less lazy, less confused than I was "when I began it. However, I have no abatement of my "headaches, in quantity or quality. I found the other day," he soon afterwards adds, "upon considering my circum"stances, that, supposing the engine to stand good for itself, I am able to pay all my debts, and some little thing more; so that I hope in time to be on a par with the world. But "I must say that my present life is a life of much vexation, "besides bodily fatigue, of hunger, cold, wet feet, &c., which "I could not endure had I the least of the gout, the gravel, "or many other diseases. I don't know how it is, but I think my health rather better in these gloomy months of Decem"ber and November than it was in summer. I have a hun"dred men at work just now, finishing a great hill we have wrought at this twelvemonth. The nastiness of our clay"grounds is at present inconceivable; the quantities of rain "have been beyond measure."

"Our canal has not stopped, but is likely to do so, from "our having expended the subscription of 10,000l. upon seven "miles of the navigation, and having about two miles yet to "make. We have, however, made a canal of four feet water "for one of three feet subscribed to, and have also paid most "abominably for our land.

"I decline only being the manager, and not being engineer. "I wrote you before how grievous that first part of the busi"ness was to me, and it daily becomes more so. Everything "has been turned over upon me, and the necessary clerks grudged to me; I am also indolent, and fearfully terrified "to make bargains, and hate to settle accounts. Why there"fore shall I continue a slave to a hateful employment, while "I can otherwise, by surveys and consultations, make nearly "as much money with half the labour, and, I really think, "with double the credit? for a man is always disgraced by

taking upon him an employment he is unfit for. I have no quality proper for this employment but honesty, which "reproaches me for keeping it so long.

"Remember in recommending me to business, that what I " can promise to perform is, to make an accurate survey and "a faithful report of anything in the engineer way; to direct "the course of canals; to lay out the ground, and to measure "the cube yards cut, or to be cut; to assist in bargaining for "the price of work, to direct how it ought to be executed, "and to give my opinion of the execution to the managers "from time to time. But I can upon no account have anything to do with workmen, cash, or workmen's accounts, nor would I choose to be so bound up to one object that I "could not occasionally serve such friends as might employ "me for smaller matters. Remember also I have no great experience and am not enterprising, seldom choosing to "attempt things that are both great and new; I am not a man of regularity in business, and have bad health. Take care not to give anybody a better opinion of me than I "deserve; it will hurt me in the end." *

"The cheapness of your canal," observes his able and zealous friend and correspondent, "astonishes me who have "contributed to pay about 45007. for each mile of another, "which, locks excepted, had no difficulties to be compared "with those you have surmounted. Among other instances " of our wisdom, we have employed engineers, clerk, head"carpenters, &c. in such swarms, that their salaries have "amounted to 1200l. per annum. And yet so invincible a propensity have mortal men to being duped, that the strongest and clearest remonstrances, and even want of money, could not enlighten us. But let that pass. I shall "take care that the difference of your management shall be "known."

"You complain," says Mr. Watt a fortnight later, “I have "not been sufficiently particular about our canal. As to the "canal itself, it will, I hope, by Christmas be complete for "seven miles, and of immediate and profitable use, because "even from that termination we can afford to undersell "others."

*To Dr. Small, 7 November, 1772.

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The Life of James Watt: With Selections from His Correspondence