Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-06-13


ILLNESS or TnoMAs WENANa.-Re-
ports from NewpoFs. 1. l., where Thorn
Is Winans, has had his Sumnaerresndence
for several years past. represent that he
i not expected 70 survive and that bis
death 10 momentariIy looked for. Since
the abore.was written, Ar. Winans has
died. We are indebted TO the BaIimore
.Nesfor the foIlowingsketch ofhis life -
Thomas, who was the eldest son Of
the late Ross Winans, vas born In Bal
timore in the year 1920. Under the in-
structions Of bis father he was bred to
the business OF maehinist, and dis
played al an early age the inventive
faculties BY which bis ancestor was dis
tineaished. VIXEN the Emperor Mich
olas was building the railroad from St.
Petersburg TO Moscow, Major, alter
wards General Whistler. who lad gene
10 Russia Is chief engineer, end who
had been impressed with the talents Of
young Winans, invited him to Russia 10
take charge ofthe machinery. Pleased
with the idea, he formed q copartner-
ship with Messrs Eastman & Harri-on.
Of Philadelphia. They. as Ross VII
mans had done before them, entered into
contracts with the Russian government.
out Of WHICH the three amassed princely
fortunes. While in Russia Mr.. Winsns
married.
Upon his retura 10 Baltimore he pur-
chased nearly the whole of a square Of
ground, fronting on Hollins and BaEli-
more streets AtihatGime S@FfrsfneA q
part OF The suburbs Of The city, ard was
purchased for what would now be con-
sidered ibe nominal sum Of So. 600
To-day The city limits extend for miles
beyond. No part Of il is more thickly
populated, and business enterprise and
activity are almost as great in that
neigh6orhood as in any that could be
selected. The house IN which Mr..
WInans lived he designed himself. Sew
eral additions, as convenience dictated,
have been made since IL was firsterected,
and so regular is NJ in its proportions as
to be almost circular. The grounds
around were beautifully ornamented.-
The choicest flowers, the finest sculp-
ture, and, in short, all the beauties which
taste could suggest or art could furnish,
combined, as they now even to great
er extent combine, to render IL most
delightful garden. Some pieces of stat
uary which he had purchased gave Of
fence 10 certain passers-by. The at
tention Of the City Council was called
to the matter, and resolution was sub
sequently passed ordering the ''objec-
tIonable" objects to be removed. Mr..
Winans retaliated by erecting high
wall, not only concealing them bat ev-
erything else. The City Fathers recon-
sidered the matter. Mr.. Winans re-
NAMED fixed in his determination to
neither remove nor lower the WALL
Thus the public is deprived of pleas
ure OF witnessing what is. one of the
most interesting sights oil the city.
With occasional absences in Europe.
il was in this elegant residence that MIR.
Winans. inheriting from his father not
only the mechanical genius which illus
trates the name, but also the finer tastes
which enabled him to appreciate liter
allure and art, surrounded by the choicest
specimens of each, continued TO live
His summers for the last several years
have been spent at Newport. His villa
there has become almost proverbial for
its magnifcence, and all the proprieties
of high life were observed, of which
he was, undoubtedly, discriminating
judge.
Err. Winans spent large portion Of
his time in trying experiments. His
efforts in this direction were first turned
10 ventilation. With the view Of devel-
oping the proper theory much expense
was incurred in the purchase OF neees-
sary instruments. Even buildings were
erected. Among them was brick tow
er, one hundred feet high. The floors
Of some Of the rooms in his mansion
were pierced with holes, and ventila-
ting apparatus were placed on either
side. Several years ago he began the
construction of monster organ. 1t was
to have cost 500, 900. A building was
erected especially for the purpose, and
the work begun, but, after few years,
abandoned. A similar instrument was
10 have been built at Newport, but IL
was never completed. A magnificent
concert hall, however, was built in has
mansion in Baltimore, and in the CEN
ire ofhis grounds was made a skating rink.
Few have forgotten his experiment
with the cigar shaped steamer in 1859.
She was made with an iron hull, and is
vessel ship-rigged. A trial trip de-
monstrated that she was failure. She
now lies at Winan's wharf, South Balti-
more, a rusting and rotten hulk.
Another invention of Mr.. Winans' was
a patent obtained for 'notching" the
tires of carriage wheels. by which We
hicles could be readily turned out OF a
railroad track with impunIty. In all OF
these experiments he was greatly inter-
ested, as was he in all that pertained TO
mechanical and scientific pursuits. He
was to be found in his workshop daily.
With his apron and hammer and other
utensils, he placed upon practical ba-
sis that into which many only theoreti-
cally examine, and thus kept alive in
regard to all questions included within
the limits Of his profession. He was
fond Of fine horses. and only about a
year ago purchased in New York a
| splendid Russian team which attracted
much attention afterwards in Balti-
more.
Mr.. Winans lived secluded life, and
was little concerned with either local or
national events. Some years ago his
happiness suffered severe shock in the
death Of his vile, to whom he was ten
- A