Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-09-08
ERICSSON.
An Interesting Sketch of the Inventor.
His Early Career in Sweden-A Life
Devoted to Invention.

AN interesting Sketch OF the lnv0ntOr-. :.
His Early Career in swedsn-A Life
Devoted to Invention.
New YORK, July 21.-Captain John
Ericsson, the inventor of the torpedo
boat Destroyer, is one of the most in
teresting men of his time. He was
born in Sweden in 1903, and spent
his early days in that country. His
father, Olof Ericsson, was miner,
and his son was brought up among
the Iron Mountains Of Wermland. At
the age of eleven years young Erics-
son made a saw mill and planned a
pumping engine resigned to clear the
mines of water. The frame Of the
model of the saw mill was of wood,
the saw blade was made from watch
spring, and the crank which cast it
was made from a broken tin spoon.
A borrowed file, gimlet and jack
knife were his only tools in making
this model Before beginning to
work on model he made very elab-
crate plans on paper. His only i'm
plements in this mechanical drawing
were quill and a pencil, his COM
passes were bits of brentwood twigs
with needles inserted in the ends,
and few tufts of hair from his
mothers fur cloak served him for q
paint brush. When IL years old he
was appointed cadet in the Swedish
Corps Of Mechanical Engineers, and
at the age of 13 he was put in charge
of section of the Gotha ship canal,
on which his father was employed
Six hundred of the royal troops
worked under his orders yet he was
such little fellow that a servant had
to carry around stool for him to
stand on when leveling his instru-
ments.
THE TORPEDO BOAT.
Ericsson's career in Sweden was
very brief. From there he went to
England in 1926 with no other intro
auction beyond his remarkable brain
and energy. He built locomotive
which competed with Stephenson's
in 1926, and though Stephenssn's
took the prize, the speed of Ericsson's
was greater than that of any of the
others. 1t made what was then con-
sidered the lightning rate of thirty
miles an hour. But to chronicle all
the inventions of Ericsson would
take up a good many issues Of this
paper. 1t took volumne Of 600
pages quarto in 1879 to describe what
he had done up to that time. The
Monitor, which was used for such
good service during the late civil war,
made Captain Ericsson's name known
to all the world. Since that time he
has been busily at work on an even
more terrible torpedo boat, the De-
stroyer, which is now anchored off
Sandy Hook. The Destroyer was vir-
tually completed in 1879 at a cost to
the inventor of about $4,000 Both
ends of this boat are alike, 80 that
the moment it fires the fatal missile
it can make hasty retreat by simply
reversing the engines. In appear
ance it is entirely unlike his other
torpedo boats. Instead of the old
fashioned cheese-box it looks more
like a coffin or shell. The projectile
that is thrown from the Destroyer ex-
plodes the minute it touches any
surface harder than water. One man
manages the whole machine, and
spends his time in a little iron clad
cabin or box under the water.
DEVOTED TO INVENTIONS.
Captain Ericsson's whole time is
devoted to his inventions. He lives
in q big, old fashioned house on Beach
street, which is also his workshop,
and he never goes out except for ex-
ercise or on some necessary business.
As for society, he never goes near it.
He neither gives nor accepts invita-.
tions, and his only visitors are those
who come to see him on business.
His time is divided according to
rigid rule. That he is q man OF re-
markable constitution is shown by
the fact that he devotes twelve hours
per day to sedentary work, and has
done this every day, Sundays includ-
ed, for certainly over thirty years.
Since he was 40 years Of age Captain
Ericsson has followed the most ex-
acting rules of temperance, both in
eating and drinking. According to
Colonel William G. Church, who ;s an
intimate friend Of his, one day with
him is like another so far as his
routine is concerned, and this is the
routine according to the same author
ity: He is called twenty minutes be-
fore seven, summer and winter, and
rises punctually at seven. On rising
he rubs his skin thoroughly with dry
towels, previous to vigorous scour-
ing with cold water, crushed ice being
added to the water in summer. Gym.
nastic exercises follow before dress
ing. At 8 o'clock a frugal breakfast
is taken, consisting of eggs, tea and
coarse brown bread. At half past
four he dimes, the dinner never vary.
ing from chops and steak, a few veg.
etables, brown bread and tea again.
With the exception of tea his only
beverage is ice water, and this is par
taken Of without stint. Tobacco is
never touched in any form. The
hours from dinner time till 10 at
night are usually devoted to work,
and from 10 to 12 Captain Ericsson
seeks exercise in the open air. Dur
ing working hours his time is divided
irregularly between the drawing
table and the writing desk. The