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Dionysius Lardner (April 3, 1793 - April 29, 1859), was an Irish scientific writer who popularised science and technology, and edited the, 133-volume, Cabinet Cyclopedia. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 1793 ( MDCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

Contents

Early life in Dublin

His father, was William Lardner a solicitor in Dublin, who wished his son to follow the same calling. A "solicitor" is a term used in many Common law jurisdictions for a lawyer who offers legal services outside of the courts Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. After some years of uncongenial desk work, Lardner entered Trinity College, Dublin in 1812, and obtained a B. Trinity College Dublin ( TCD; Irish Coláiste na Tríonóide Baile Átha Cliath; Latin: Collegium Sacrosanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae A. in 1817 and an M. A. in 1819. He married Cecilia Flood on 19 December 1815, but they separated in 1820 and were divorced in 1835. About the time of the separation, he began a relationship with a married woman, Anne Maria Darley Boursiquot, the wife of a Dublin wine merchant. It is believed that he fathered her son, Dion Boucicault, the actor and dramatist. Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot (born December 26, circa 1820 &ndash died September 18, 1890) was an Irish Actor and Playwright Lardner provided him with financial support until 1840. Whist in Dublin, Lardner began to write and lecture on scientific and mathematical matters, and to contribute articles for publication by the Irish Academy. [1]

Career in London

In 1828 Lardner became professor of natural philosophy and astronomy at University College, London, a position he held until he resigned his professorship in 1831. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study University College London ( UCL) is a multi-faculty university institution based in the United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London

Though lacking in originality or brilliancy, Lardner showed himself to be a successful popularizer of science. He was the author of numerous mathematical and physical treatises on such subjects as algebraic geometry (1823), the differential and integral calculus (1825), the steam engine (1828), besides hand-books on various departments of natural philosophy (1854-1856); but it is as the editor of Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia (1830-1844) that he is best remembered. Geometry ( Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth metria = measure is a part of Mathematics concerned with questions of size shape and relative position Calculus ( Latin, calculus, a small stone used for counting is a branch of Mathematics that includes the study of limits, Derivatives A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid.

The Cabinet Cyclopaedia eventually comprised 133 volumes, and many of the ablest savants of the day contributed to it. Sir Walter Scott contributed a history of Scotland and Thomas Moore contributed a history of Ireland. Sir Walter Scott 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 &ndash 21 September 1832 was a prolific Scottish Historical novelist and Poet popular throughout Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 &ndash 25 February 1852 was an Irish poet singer songwriter and Entertainer, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Connop Thirlwall provided a history of Ancient Greece, whilst Robert Southey provided a section on naval history. Connop Thirlwall ( January 11 1797 - July 27, 1875) was an English bishop (in Wales) and Historian. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Robert Southey ( August 12, 1774 &ndash March 21, 1843) was an English Poet of the Romantic school one Many eminent scientists contributed as well. Lardner himself was the author of the treatises on arithmetic, geometry, heat, hydrostatics and pneumatics, mechanics (in conjunction with Henry Kater) and electricity (in conjunction with CV Walker). Fluid statics (also called hydrostatics) is the Science of Fluids at rest and is a sub-field within Fluid mechanics. Pneumatics, Pressurized gas to affect mechanical motion Pneumatic power is used in Industry, where it is common to have factory units plumbed for Compressed Henry Kater ( April 16, 1777 &ndash April 26, 1835) English Physicist of German descent was born at Bristol [1]

The Cabinet Library (12 vols. , 1830-1832) and the Museum of Science and Art (12 vols. , 1854-1856) were his other chief undertakings. A few original papers appear in the Royal Irish Academy's Transactions (1824), in the Royal Society's Proceedings (1831-1836) and in the Astronomical Society's Monthly Notices (1852-1853); and two Reports to the British Association on railway constants (1838, 1841) are from his pen. The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660

Involvement in scandal

In 1840 Lardner’s career received a major setback as a result of his involvement with Mary Spicer Heaviside, the wife of Captain Richard Heaviside, of the Dragoon Guards. Dragoon guards was in some armies, particularly the British Army, the designation used to refer to heavy Cavalry Regiments from the 18th century Lardner ran off to Paris with Mrs Heaviside, pursued by her husband. Although Heaviside subjected Lardner to a flogging, he was unable to persuade his wife to return with him. That same year Heaviside successfully sued Lardner for damages for ‘criminal conversation’ (adultery) and received a judgment for £8,000. The Heavisides were divorced in 1841, and in 1846 Lardner was able to marry Mary Heaviside. The scandal caused by his affair with a married woman, effectively ended his career in England, so Lardner and his wife remained in Paris until his death in 1859. He was able to maintain some sort of career by lecturing in the United States between 1841 and 1844, a career that proved financially rewarding. [1]

Disagreements with Brunel

Lardner became involved in a number of ill-advised public disagreements with Isambard Kingdom Brunel regarding technical matters, in which he came off worst. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer.

While Brunel was building the broad-gauge Great Western Railway, Lardner carried out some experiments with the company’s flagship locomotive, North Star. Broad gauge Railways use a Rail gauge (distance between the rails greater than the Standard gauge of. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West He asserted that, whilst the engine was capable of hauling 82 tons at 33 m. p. h. , it was only capable of hauling 16 tons at 41 m. p. h. He also recorded excessive fuel consumption at higher speeds. Lardner attributed this to the greater wind resistance of broad-gauge engines. Brunel and his assistant Daniel Gooch carried out there own experiments on the same locomotive and found that the only problem was that the blast pipe was too small. Sir Daniel Gooch 1st Baronet ( August 24 1816 &ndash October 15 1889) was first Chief mechanical engineer of the Great Western The blastpipe is part of a Steam Locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders into the Smokebox beneath the Chimney This was easily rectified and the North Star’s performance immediately improved. At the next meeting of the Company’s directors, Brunel triumphantly dismissed Lardner’s evidence. [2]

Lardner also criticised Brunel regarding his design of the Box Tunnel on the Great Western Railway. Box Tunnel is a railway Tunnel in western England, between Bath and Chippenham, dug through the Box Hill. The tunnel had a 1 in 100 from the east end to the west end. Lardner asserted that if a trains brakes were to fail in the tunnel, it would accelerate in the tunnel to over 120 m. p. h. , at which speed the passengers would suffocate. Brunel pointed out that Lardner’s calculations totally disregarded air resistance and friction, a basic error. [2]

When Brunel was proposing to build SS Great Western for the transatlantic passage to New York, Lardner spoke at a meeting of the British Society for the Advancement of Science, stating that: “As the project of making the voyage directly from New York to Liverpool, it was perfectly chimerical, and they might as well talk of making the voyage from New York to the Moon… 2,080 miles is the longest run that a steamer could encounter – at the end of that distance she would require a relay of coals”. Origins Isambard Kingdom Brunel 's idea was that steam would replace sail power on the regularly-scheduled trans-Atlantic "packet boat" services which had Again Brunel was able to show that Lardner’s calculations were too simplistic. The principle that Brunel understood, which Lardner did not, was that the carrying capacity of a ship increases as the cube of its dimensions, whilst the water resistance only increases as the square of its dimensions. This meant that large ships were more fuel efficient, and could carry sufficient coal for the long voyage across the Atlantic. Brunel was proved right when the Great Western steamed into New York harbour with 200 tons of coal to spare. [2]

Further information

Lardner is mentioned in Karl Marx's 'Das Capital' and was well respected as an economist. He mixed with the rich and famous. He was involved in the founding of the University of London, the first person to hold the post of Professor of Natural History and Astronomy there. The University of London is a university based primarily in London, England, UK. He was influential in publicising Charles Babbage's Difference engine, and his fall from grace in 1840, when his erroneous prophesies on steam had become famous and his affair with the married Mary Heaviside became public knowledge, may have contributed to society's rejection of Babbage's ideas. The Difference Engine was an automatic mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions.

Whilst lecturing in America Lardner was paid by Norris Brothers, the largest firm of locomotive builders, to investigate a fatal accident in Reading, near Philadelphia, where a boiler had exploded on a newly made train. Lardner pronounced that the accident had been caused by lightning, which meant that Norris brothers were not personally liable for the accident. A committee of the Franklin Institute pointed out that there was no lightning present by that time and that the pumps had been faulty, the water indicator wall ill-designed and the bridge-bands made of cast iron not wrought iron. The Coroner's inquest jury were persuaded by Lardner that the accident was an 'act of god' but the company were careful to design their locomotives with wrought-iron bands after that[3].

Bibliography

References include:

References

  1. ^ a b c http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16068?docPos=2
  2. ^ a b c Christopher, John, “Brunel’s Kingdom”, 2006, Tempus Publishing Limited, ISBN 075243697X
  3. ^ John Brockmann "Twisted Rails, sunken ships, the rhetoric of nineteenth century Steamboat and Railroad Accident Investigation Reports, 1833-1879" New York, Baywood,2005 p. 41-73
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