Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-05-09

Colonel w. q. Church, editor Of the
Asmy and Macy J0sa-ss0} and leee OF the
6GI6ry, constitutes 10 the April Serb
asr notable and important paper On
Ericsson, The engineer. inventor Of
Steam hrs-snginss. the screw propeller.
the Xonitov, etc., etc. 4r. Ericsson
has heretofore 90 steadily avoided pub
Lie mention that the present sketch will
be 10 many the hrst adequate account
Of this interesting and noble p6sson.
Mr.. Church's paper, with it, numerous
illustrations, occupies nearly twenty
four pages Of the magazine, and, the
editor claims, 10 the fullest and most
Trustworthy account Of the man who
has, more than any other inventor, af-
fected the civilization of his age. Al
will be seen BY the following extract
from the magazine, with Ericsson, -
with others, 1.-THE child il father to the
man.:
Before he was eleven years old, dur
ing the winter Of 1918, John had pro-
duced saw.mill Of ingenious construc-
ton, and had planned pumping en-
gine designed to clear the mines Of
water. The frame of the saw-mill was
of wood; the raw-blade was made from
o watch-spring, and the crank which
actuated il was cast from o broken tin
spoon. A file, borrowed from . neigh
boring blacksmith, to cut the saw-teeth,
q gimlet, and the ubiquitous jack knife.
were the only tools available for this
work. A much more ambitious under
taking was the pumping engine. The
year before, when only nine years of
age, young Ericsson had made the
acquaintance Of drawing instruments
in one Of the draught Offices of the
grand ship canal Of Sweden, and learned
how these instruments were used to lay
out the work of construction in advance.
Meanwhile, his father had removed to
the depths of o pine forest where he
selected the timber for the lock-gates
OF the canal. In this wilderness, a
quill and apencil were the boys utmost
resources in the way of drawing tools.
Like Crusoe on his island, he had to
begin at the beginning. He made com.
passes of brentwood with needles in
serted in the ends of the legs. A pair
OF steel tweezers, obtained from his
mothers dressing case, were converted
into drawing pen, and the same good
mother was persuaded. after much en-
treaty, to allow her sable cloak to be
robbed of hair enough to provide ma
terial for two small brushes with
which to apply the coloring at thst time
deemed essential in all mechanical
drawings. The pumping engine was
to be operated by q Windmill, and
here the youthful inventor was ct fault.
He had heard much about Q windmill
but had never seen one. Following, as
well az he could, the description Of
those who had had the happiness to
view this wonderful machine, he sue
ceeded in constructing on paper the
mechanism connecting the crank Of the
Windmill shaft with the pump levers,
but how to turn the mill to the chang
ing wind he could not divine. For
tunately, Johns father made visit to
the windmill, and, in describing what
he had seen, spoke Of tball and
socket joint" The hint was sufficient;
the. boy rushed to his drawing tabls
and had soon added o ball and socket
Joint where the connecting-rod for the
driving crank ini=sa che pur:~alever.
With the execution OF this drawing be-
gan John Ericsson's mechanical career.
The plan conceived and executed under
sach discouraging circumstances by o
mere child attracted the attention. OF
Admiral Count Plateh, the President
Of the Gotha Ship Canal, on which
Ericsson's father was employed, and one
Of Sweden's great men. Continue as
you have begun and You will one day
produce something extraordinary
prophesied the count Of his young
proisge. Richly has the prophecy been
fulfilled.
Ericsson was appointed cadet in
the Swedish corps Of mechanical engi-
neers when he was twelve years old,
was soon after promoted to nicelieur
Jewellery, and at the age of thirteen
was put in charge Of section of the
ship canal over which his friend, the
count, presided. Six hundred OF the
royal troops, at work upon this section,
looked for directions in their daily
work to this child, among whose nec.
essary attendants was one who followed
after him with the stool upon which he
stood to raise himself to the height of
his leveling instruments. The anuse-
ments Of this boy-engineer are indi-
Gated by his possession at the age Of
fifteen of o portfolio Of drawings, made
in his leisure moments, giving maps of
the most important parts of the grand
canal. three hundred miles in length,
and showing all the machinery and Inn
plements used in its construction.
Many important works upon this canal,
which opens an island channel across
Sweden from the Baltic to the North
Sea, were constructed from drawings
made by Ericsson at an age when he
might rather have been expected to be
found playing football.
CHARMING CHARITY. The explosion
OF the Orsini bomb in Florence has
brought about piece Of charity done
in q charmingly pretty way. Among
the victims Of the explosion was q little
girl, Julietta Farsi, who was seriously
wounded. A number of the Florentine
ladies formed 3 commission composed
OF their children their little sons and
daughters--to collect subscriptions in
the aid Of the little sufferer, who issued
totheir young companions the following
letter |" Among the persons wounded
II ~ II =. ~ a II ..