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Inventor Ericsson

Inventor Ericsson image
Parent Issue
Day
30
Month
May
Year
1889
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

In the history of the wonders accomplished iy the practical application of the mechanical arts duriiig the Nineteenth century there is no name connected with so many revolutions as that of tlie late John Ericsson. He was born for the century and destined to become a part of it; indeed the century could not have been honored in all its achievements in the realm of practical science without him. He began and ended his life in the work of applying power and ended it in the same field. Living through a period of 86years, his inventivo genius was identifled with the triumphs which began with the locomotivo, nd in Ericsson's case ended with his "sun motor." Beginning when he was 10 years to construct machinery, he continued the work through three-quarters of a century. Perhaps no man who has accomplished such remarkable results in this field ever remained in harness for so long a period. John Ericsson was born in Langbanshyttan, province of Wermeland, Sweden, in 1803. He was the son of a mining proprietor, and his brother - a colonel of engineers - became chief of the Swedish railways. Ericsson as a boy imbibed a love for machinery in and about his father's mines, where he had ampie opportunity to watch its workings. H flrst studied at home under a governess and af Ur war ds under a Germán engineer offlcer. Bef ore he was 11 years oíd be constructed witb his own hands and after his own patterns a miniature saw mili and made drawings o f mechanica! contrivanees. These efforts coming to the notice of Count Platen, a celebrated en gin eer, he gave young Ericsson the ment of cadet in the corps of mechanica! engineers. After gix months' study, when only 12 years old, the boy was made a leveler on the great Swedish ship canal then being constructed ; and when he was 14 he was employed to set out the work of a section employing 600 soldier operativos. His leisure time meanwhile he employed in making drawingsof the implements and mechanical contrivances used in the construction of the canal. In 1890, at the age of 17, he entered the Swedish ariny as ensign, and was soon made lieutenant, but his active mind was applied upon other matters than the duties of a soldier. Besides engineering work he invented a machine for engraving. When 23 years old he had invented a condensing ñame engine, and went to England to introduce it, but it was not successful. In 1827, after becoming a captain, he resigned his commission in the army. Then followed, in rapid succession, a machine for taking sea soundings, a hydrotaüc weighing machine, tubular steam boilers, centrifugal fan blowers for artificial draught and other devices. In 1828 he made the flrst application in navigation of the principie of condensing steam and returning the water to the boiler, and in the same year submitted to the Britiïh admlrality a self acting gun lock for discharging naval cannon at any elevation, notwithstanding the rolling of the ship. When George Stephenson was building the locomotivo Rocket, Ericsson brought out the Novelty. Ericsson's engine far surpassed other competitors in lightness and speed, attaining thirty miles an hour. The Rocket was superior in power, and received the prize ; but in the Novelty there were features which are retained in the locomotivo of today. Steam fire engines are supposed to have been invented about 1860, but Ericsson introduced one in 1840, which excited much Interest in London, and won him a gold medal of the Mechanic's instituto, of New York. Indeed, one cannot consider the number of mechanical methods of different kinds introduced by Ericsson without wonder. The "link motion" for reversing engines was invented by him, and is in use on locomotivos today. His calorie engine was perfected in 1833 and astonished the sclentüV world of London ; but it was chiefly noted for the ingenuity of its conception, for it was not of practical use. Twenty years later the principie was applied for moving the calorio ship Ericsson, but even this engine was found notcapableof competing with steam. The inventor, however, afterwards found that it could be applied to light mechanical purposes, and in this field it has been successful. A good illustration of the stupidity against which inventors have to contend is the reception of Ericsson's screw propeller in 1836. He towed the admiralty barge, bearing the lords of the British admiralty, behind his screw vessel, but failed to convince them that the screw was practical, sinee tliese wiseacres were unable to undorstand how the vessel could be steered since the power must be applied to the stern. Doubtle6S many of them lived to see the absurdity of their objection, and today for ocean trafile paddies have been almost entirely abandoned. Ericsson constructed a screw steamer in 1838 which crossed the Atlantic the nexi year under suil, and was used as a tug boat for twenty-five years on the Delaware river. The same year (1839) Commodore Stockton, of the United States navy, induced Ericsson to come over, and in 1841 he furnished designs fur the screw war ship Princeton, the first vessel having its propelling machinery below the water line and out of reach of the enemy's shot. From this time forward tül his death he eontinued to furnish devices for the American navy, the greatest of which was the Monitor, which he completed in 100 days and hurried her off to attack the Merrimac. Before she could get to Hampton Roads tho Confedérate ironclad had sunk the large wooden ships, but once there the Monitor drove her off into shoal water, where ehe was destroyed by her crew. This is by far the most important of Ericsson's naval devices, for it revolutionized the uaval architecture of the world, and the manner In which it was introduced forms one of tha most dramatic incidents in American history. In his oíd age Ericsson produced the Destróyer, a war vessel, and hls "sun motor," which is designed to utiiize the sun's radiant heat for u motive power, ayd expeoted to be especially valuable in tropical countries, whero coul and wood are scarce. Ericsson carne to New York when that city was chiefly conflned to a district lying south of Canal street. When others moved north Ericcson remained. He lived in an old fasbloned house in Beach street, which was oncea fashionable quarter before St. John's park was built over by the frelght depots of the Hudsou River raüroad. Around it now are factories, warehouses, stables and tenements; noise and dirt and smell. His Ufe there waa whoüy devoted to work, and Ui effort mito conomize every moment of the time remalsing to him to work out Idea that his record prove to be oí real and great importance. Ha Inherited a splendid constitution from hls Swedish ancestors or he oever could have kept in harness tUl far past 80. Up to within a year of his death he retained his earlier habits. He rose at 7 and spent an hom ia exercising, f ollowed by the bath. Then he read the mail and the papers, af ter which he would go to work in his shop. He drew most of his own plaus and made his om figures, though how a man of 84 or 85 could guide his hand with sufficient steadiness to do draughting in a wonder. He dined at 4, and af ter dinnsr would rcad an or two and then go to work again, and to the principal work of the day. Uu pref erred night work because ther was less noise to disturb him He always stopped at 11 o'clock and reversad the custom comnion with old men of going to bed early by not doing so till midnight.

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register