The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-30

We were never more struck with the 60 ahead
6pen<ss Of the American character than on peru
sing the proceedings of a trial last week in Pitts
burgh, Pennsylvania, for infringement OF a
patent for fire proof safe.
IL appeared from the evidence Of the plaintiffs,
Messrs. Rich Co., of New York, that in the year
1880 man named Fitzgerald was engaged in
making plaster imag es and was in the habit of
Washing his hands in an iron pan after finishing
work
One day be thought he would warm the water,
and placed the pan the hre but found to his sur
prise that great change took place in its tempera
ture, therefore be applied the bellows to his fire.
but stIil failed TO boil even warm the water He
then examined the pan, and found that sediment
of plaster of Paris, the accumulation of numerous
washings, had adhered 10 the bottom of the pa o.
and was thus preventing The heat of the FIRE from
communicating 10 the water. He again placed il
on the hre and put fresh coal on; then used the
bellows 80 freely that be melted the legs off the
iron Pan, bat still failed to warm the water. The
tnought immediately struck him that if suitable
thickness OF plaster could be secured to the walls
ceilings, and floors of rooms n house mi ght be
made tre proof From houses his thoughts wan
dered TO banks and bank vaults, then TO iron safes
and repositories of various nds-hnally they
settled upon iron safes OF the old school, made OF
wood stepped in potassium and with an inner and
outer covering of ron. He thought that If
the iron box was made first, then MI the
space between the inner and outer lining
with a mixture of plaster of Paris, that any
thing placed therein must be safe from hre,
Judging by the trouble he bad with his iron
pan. lie now commenced series OF eI peTlHlehts,
of such satisfactory character that be repaired
forthwith to Washington with a model of a safe,
and an application for patent. This was re
fused, owing 10 some opposition, as 1t afterwards
appeared, from manufacturer of safes, who was
Intimate with one of the officials in the Patent
Oflce. Fitzgerald, however, persevered until the
year 1886; then finding his personal applications
and his correspondence of no avail, be abandoned
the Invention for time, until be met with one
Enos Wilder, who, being an ingenious mechanic,
took up the idea, struck bargain with FiiEser-
aid, purchased the Invention and repaired to
washington. There be found the same dlthcul-
ties which met bis predecessors determined
opposition seemed to be set against him-the
article was not patentsble. After several wears,
and the loss of all his money, he got into Difficult
ties, and assigned his interest in the patent to his
brother, who had advanced him money from time
to time in the hope that ii would ultiGnatel pass
through the Patent Office The death of Enos
Wilder shortly alter took place, and the invention
was laid by for short times but the fire OF 1885,
IN New York, bad proved that the old. fashioned
sale was perfectly worthless. and a fresh spplca-
non Tor patent, with offers of testing its efficiency
before the public caused little more attention to
be paid by the Commissioner of Patents; and
finally, on the lst June, lS43, a patent was
granted, being twelve years after the discovery.
During the period between the great fire of 1885
and the granting of the patent a citizen of New
York, named Crandall Rich associated with him. |
self two others named Rolf and Stearns, and COM
menced the man ufacture of these safes ma king
arrangement with Wilder that if be obtained the
patent they were to pay him for the use of it, !
which was afterwards done These parties, Rich
Co, soon discovered that the composition as in
vented By Fitzgerald dsmped the books and pa
pers; therefore an improvement made, and
patented by Rich & Co without any difficulty,
the result OF which has been that in the great fire
of New York In $40, ten years liter the frat great
fire, property to the amount of hundreds of thou.
sands of dollars was preserved in these safes while
safes of every other description totally de-
stroyed.
It was stated in court that in a period of lively.
to fifteen years no failure has ever taken place; /
and they are in such general use that scarcely
fire happens without one of these safes being tested
When We made an investment three weeks ago |
In a salamander safe, we knew that they had OBJ |
tanned such enviable notoriety, and feel |
douoly satisfied that the books and papers of the
Westchester GaSetts perfectly safe from the |
common enemy-hre!- Wsstchsstcr Gazette.
ONE THE WoMss.-Last Monday evening q
trading boat down the river with a crew,
composed of one tooman. She deck and
mana ged the oars expertIy as any man. The wind
blew the boat in against the wharf boats and
threatened its destruction, but refusing the assist
sncs OF these on shore, she gal antly pushed out
grasped the oar, and finally escaped the threaten
ing dangers and hoated safely down the river. 1t
ls reported there was attachment here for her |
husband and his boat, but she proved the fact that
there was greater attachment for him on board. |
We are GLAD it won. Hurrah for the piulmen!
[EcGnsriis lind. Journal, lSth.
WIDOWS BoUNrr LAND CLAIms-It appears
that large number of widows whose second hus-
land on account Of the services of their fret hus-
bands still valid. This superstition it will be
by the following, ia error:
Passion OFEIcE, WAsHIssroN, May 25, 1853
By recent decision of his office widows are not
entitled who have married since the death of the |
husband for whose services she claims md boun
ty,except those widows whose husbands were kill |
ed in battle.
Very respectfully, s. COLE,
For Commissioner.
A DANeEsoUs CoUSTERFEIT.-We were shown !
yesterday morning counterfeit ten dollar bill on |
the New Haven City Bank, which so well exc. |
cuted as to deceive almost every person. The plate
fhnr l.. l.LLl.