FAIR'BAIRN, Sir WILLIAM (1789-1874). An English engineer, horn at Kelso, in Roxburghshire, February 19, 1789. He learned a little reading, writing, and arithmetic at the parish school of Mulloehy, in Ross-shire. and after some six months' instruction from an uncle, he was ap prenticed to a machinist at Pereymain Colliery, North Shields. When his apprenticeship ter initiated, Fairbairti worked for two years in London, and then visited many places in Eng land, \\ ales, and Ireland, working a short time at each, in order to observe the various practices of different localities. Eventually he commenced business on his own account in Manchester in 1817. The first great improvement introduced by Fairl>airn was the substitution of iron for wood in the shafting of cotton-nulls, and the substitu tion of light for heavy shafting where metal was already in use. This exchange economized the cost of machinery, and enabled the shafting to be speeded from 40 to 160 revolutions per minute. Pairbairn was among the earliest of the iron ship builders, and originated various improve ments in ship construction.
The first idea of a tubular bridge across the Menai Strait is due to Itobert Stephenson, but its realization is largely due to Fairbairn, and lie erected more than a hundred bridges upon this principle. Ile was president. of the British Asso
ciation for the Advancement of Science, 1861 62; and was created a baronet in 1869. His son THOMAS was chairman of the art treasures ex hibition at. Manchester, 1857; was a commis sioner for the exhibitions of 1551 and 1862; was high sheriff of Hampshire, 1870, and was in 1857 offered the honor of knighthood, which he declined. Fairbairn, among other works and papers, published: On ('anal Steam. Navigation: The Strength and Other Properties of Hot and Cold Blast Iron: The Strength of Iron at Different Tem pera t ures ; The Strength of Locomotive Boilers; The Effect of Repeated Meltings on the Strength of Cast Iron: The Irons of Great Brit ain; The Conway and Britannia Tubular Bridges: useful Information for Engineers, 1st, 2d, and 3d series; and A Treatise on. Mills and Mill Work. He died at Moor Park, Surrey, August IS, 1874. Consult: Pole, Life of Sir William Fairhairn, Bart. (London, 18771 and Smiles, Lives of the Engineers (London. 1874).