The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-04-29
Paul BOytOn's Invention.

| CAPT. PAUL BoYToN is the hero of the
hour. Royalty has congratulated him,
| while two continents have watched his
| progress and his substantial triumph with
common pride He is an American, and
| if Britannia rules the waves" il has been
| left for Uncle Sam to give lessons in cXer
cising the sway with less peril to human
| life.
Competent judges believe that Mr.. Boy
ton has invented most valuable appara-
! tus The casualties of the sea, always ap-
! palling, have been rendered doubly horri'
BILE by the heartrcnding disasters of the
last few years. Accidents to passenger
| steamers have always been attended with
| frightful loss of life in the great majority
of cases. The life-saving inventions have
really been failures In exceptional in
! stances they have served an admirable
| purpose, but the silent history Of old
oceans depths is sad evidence that in most
cases the poor victims ofthc wreck, aftersuf-
! fcring untold anguish in the struggle, sank
down to the last, long sleep. Any appli-
ancc that increases the chances of rescue
| from watery grave when disaster comes
will be hailed not only by those who so
down to do business upon the great deep,
but by the whole civilized world.
The inventor of this wonderful sea armOr
or dress is no novice in the business.
| Most of his life has been spent on the sea
shore. He is skilled surfman, having
been employed for years on the New Jcr-
scy coast in rescuing imperiled swimmers.
Last summer he gave up this sort of life,
and with his swimming costume EN-
barked on the steamer Queen, bound for
Liverpool He intended to run out about
200 miles and then jump overheard and
return. The Captain would not permit
him to carry out his intention, though,
when within fifteen miles of their dcstna-
ton, he was permitted to leap over and
try the experiment, which he did success
fully A trip across the English Channel
from Dover to Boulogne, the other day,
was so near complete that it may be set
down as grand triumph of art and skill
over those boisterous waves. He was in
the water fifteen hours and made about
fifty miles, and would have reached
Boulogne in safety and with case had not
the pilot of the boat that guided him in
creased the distance by his circuitous
route.
This wonderful apparatus weighs fifteen
pounds. Besides the person who uses it,
signals, a small sail to use when desired,
provisions, an AK, an extra suit of cloth
ing, and double bladed paddle are also
taken along and supported upon the water.
But the great question as to the value of
this armor in case of a sudden calamity is,
How far can it be made available among
people that know next to nothing of its
management and are panic-stricken with
fright? Is it thoroughly practical invcn-
ton? Is it life-prcservcr that can be
used by all classes of persons on the
shortest notice, or is it kind of a marine
vclocipcdc, excellent for pastime and ex-
hibition in practiced hands, but wholly
useless with those who are ignorant of its
control? We fear it is almost too good q
thing to be thoroughly available under all
circumstances, though, as we have said,
able judges pronounce in its favor. We
hope, however, that it can be added to the
long list of eminent Americana inventions.
| -aLbdnV EreRing Journal.