The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-11-20
Cant. Eads's Start in Lie.

JAMES h. EADs was born in Indiana
in 1920. He is slender in form, neat in
dress, genial, courteous, and nearly
sixty years of age. In 1888 his father
started down the Ohio River with his
family, proposing to settle in Wiscon-
sin. The boat caught fire and his scanty
furniture and clothing were burned.
Young Eads barely escaped ashore with
his pantaloons, shirt and cap. Taking
passage on another boat, this boy OF
thirteen landed at st. Louis with his
parents, his little bare feet first touch
inc the rocky shore of the city on the
very spot where he afterward located
and built the largest steel bridge in the
world, over the Mississippi one OF the
most difficult feats of engineering ever
performed in America.
At the age of nine young Eads made q
short trip on the Ohio, when the eng!n'
eer of the steamboat explained to him
so clearly the construction OF the steam
engine that before he was a year older
he built little working model of it, 80
perfect in its parts and movements. that
his schoolmates would frequently 60
home with him after school to see 1t
work. A locomotive engine, driven by
a concealed rat, was one OF his next
juvenile teats in mechanical engineer
ing. From eight to thirteen he attended
school: after which from necessity ne
was placed as clerk in dry-ggoods
store. Over the store in st. Louis where
he was engaged his employer lived. lie
was an old bachelor, and having OBJ
served the tastes of his clerk, gave him
his first book on engineering. The OLD
oen,lcman's library furnished evening
COMPANIONS for him during the five
wears he was thus employed. Finally,
his health failing at the age Of nineteen,
he went on Mississippi River steamer
from which time to the present day that
great river has been to him an allah
sorbing study.
Soon afterward he formed partner.
ship with a friend and built small boat
to raise cargoes of vessels sunken in the
Mississippi. While this boat was build
ing he made his first venture in subma
rine engineering on the lower rapids o.
the river by the recovery of several hun
dred tons Of lead. He hired a'scOw OF
tlat.boat and anchored it over the
wreck. An experienced diver, clad II
armor, who had been hired at consider
able expense in Buffalo, was lowered
into the water; but the rapids were 81
swift that the diver, though incased in
the strongest armor, feared to be SUM-
to the bottom. Young Eads determined
to succeed, and finding it impracticabl
to use the armor, went ashore, pur
chased whisky-barrel, knocked on
the head, attached the air.pump hose t
it, fastened several heavy weights to tn
open end of the barrel-then swingin:
it on q derrick, he had a practical diving
bell: the best use ever heard made o
q whisky-barrel. Neither the diver no
any of the crew would 60 down into thi
Continuance, so the dauntless young en-
gineer, having full confidence in wha
he had read in books, was lowered With
the barrel down to the bottom; the low
er eud of the barrel being open. Tn
!. water was sixteen feet deep and yer
swift. Finding the wreck he RENAME
BY it a full hour, hitching ropes to pi
(; lead till a ton or more was safely hois
s., ed into his own boat. Then making
: signal by a small line attached to tt
barrel, he was lifted on deck and
: command again. The sunken care
A, was soon successfully raised and sol!
} and netted handsome profit, whicl
/: increased by other successes, enable
= energetic Eads to build larger boats vii
: powerful pumps and machinery on the
y for lifting entire vessels.-Nide A'rah