A Chance Meeting in Glasgow

Chapter 14

In a few minutes Andrew returned.  “I am in Scotland because only here in all the world can I get my next ship built.  Let me show you a model of it.”  Andrew stepped behind his desk and opened a beautiful, large wooden traveling case, revealing the detailed ship model Katherine had seen on her earlier visit.  “What do you make of her?”

Katherine studied the model closely. “Mr. Spears, I see your ship has a funnel, but no propeller.”

“Very clever, Miss Cameron. You have noticed details that have escaped any number of the educated men of Glasgow I have had standing at this very spot.”

Since her last visit to his rooms, Katherine had read everything she could find about the new Ayson & Spears ship being built at the John Brown Shipyard in Clydebank.  She decided Mr. Spears didn’t need to know what kind of clever woman she was.  She smiled at him.

“You are looking at a model of the North Wind, hopefully the first of many of her kind.  She’s a barque-rigged windjammer.  This is a modern vessel and sports an iron hull and winch driven steel rigging.  You have noticed a funnel above a steam boiler.  Ah, but if the boiler isn’t driving a steam engine connected to a propeller, why is it there?”

Andrew lifted the center section of the main deck off the model, showing the interior of the ship.  “The boiler drives a refrigeration system.”

“Refrigeration? Mechanical cooling?” asked Katherine, subtly showing off her knowledge of the subject.

“Exactly.  You Scots invented it.”

“You can burn coal and make things cold?” ask Anne incredulously.

“The machine does, yes.”

“It could keep the cargo from spoiling,” said Katherine.

“Yes, very good, the machine can make the air so cold it can freeze things.  It can freeze a hold full of mutton and lamb in New Zealand and keep it frozen for three and a half months – long enough to travel half the way around the world to here.”  Andrew looked into the identical gray eyes of Katherine.  “If it runs as efficiently and reliably in practice as it has in tests, your poor factory families in Glasgow will have meat more than once a week.”

“It could all just be packed in ice for the voyage,” suggested Anne.

“But ice melts,” returned Andrew.

Katherine nodded.  “To still have some remaining when you arrive, you’d have to leave with the ship practically carrying nothing but ice.”

Andrew grinned and touched his fingertip to the end of Katherine’s nose, causing her to giggle.

“This is a fantastic new world you’re showing us, Mr. Spears,” said Anne, eyeing Katherine.

“Thank you for saying that.  I’ve come from San Francisco to Glasgow because my partner Mr. Ayson believed I was the one who could make other investors see this was an attainable future.  We’re starting a new company and we want to have a dozen or more of these ships.  For that we need capital.

“Now tell me, if the Ayson & Spears’ venture is successful, what will happen to the farm land in New Zealand?”

“It will become much more valuable.”

“Bravo, Miss Cameron; once again there were many men here this past week who had to have that explained to them.  My partner Mr. Ayson and I have each already acquired a large farm there, and have scouted other productive land with good transportation possibilities to the harbor.  We’re going to increase the food supply, provide good employment – and make money.  Hmm.  It sounds a bit crass when I say it out loud.”