The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-01-11
s01rR ODD INVENTIONS.
A Mas WIN FveVsssA - H'laes TELEGRAPH
atatloa n MidoesAn.


statioa Ia MidoesAa.
The remarkable success Of many inventors
who began without any previous knowledge OF
the subjects on which they we're Mt work has
led to the diffusion Of the notion that for in
ventors, at least, ignorance IL bliss. People
who have talked even with inventors Of some
note have very often heard them say that q
man Of native talent who knows nothing OF
process OF man ufacture is moro likely. because
unprejudiced. to evolve q new and better
process than = man who has been long engaged
In the business. Only the examiners In
the Patent Oflce at Washington and the
various patent solicitors know about
the astounding results OF the labors
previous lack Of knowledge is q beneflt to the
inventor leads hosts Of men to suppose that
such ignorance Is the only requisite for the
successful inventor. As a result. 1t Ia probable
that would-be inventors waste much more
money than successful inventors accumulate.
The most interesting chapter. to the ordinary
reader. in O recently published history OF rail-
roads was the chapter devoted to the odd rail-
road inventions which had little or no prac-
teal value. similar chapter could be written
in the history OF the merchant marine.
There WAS \ man who. a number OF years
ago. was concerned greatly about the number
Of steamships that became disabled In mid
ocean. AMI had to make y port under made
quatc sail. to the great discomfort Of all on
board; To mitigate these evils he decided that
mid ncean telegraph station ought to 10
established near the track usually followed by
tran. atlantic steamers. He nropoaed to make
the station 81 sheet steel. in the form of great
cylinder 800 feet long by SO feot in diameter
This cylinder was to be divided by bu kheads
for baliast 40 as to float the cylinder In a vcr-
tcal. position. Tn. middle section was to b,
Allied with cork shayings. 30 that in, cas-. an
RAJ
Tns thlTl section: which was !" project
living rooms Of the station .neu. and. above
all. 30 ie"t from the water line there WAS to be
ing mariner. Having completed and launched
the cylinder. the tnven or proposed to tow il to
me plhc" snlHrteh and there anchor 1t with four
s,etl ropes Two inches in diameter secured to
anchors weighing 300 tons each. The plan was
feasible. tho inventor said where tho water did
not exceed one milo III depth.
What would be done 10y those who were in the
station in ci,se b.g treUer,, swept up against
II liz u gaze OF wlni vas NOS stated IN the circu-
lar whlcn arpe"lrd u thu public to take All in
t"r.st IN tn" INVENTION Neither was here u
statement Of TN. force Of The waves which some
times rcarhea 5000 pounds To- the square foot
A. the exposed surface Of th,- cylinder would
he equal TO u ia, sii-lac. of , 22O square ts-t
the strain winch would eventually come on u
sinsl" steel rope Two inches in diameter would
be- 1850 tons. 1t the cylinder did not give
noa'iug lighthouse would 90 dancing over tine
waves Xix" n wIl-o-the-wisp or an enormous
travelling buoy.
La the Instructions which all patent agents
issu" To- their customers the inventor is urged
To keep his eyes oprn. and II examine carefully
Whatever n"tb'd- anu PROGRESSES Tor doing
Things II" may come across. 1t was whit fo-
LOWING thl, aiyic" tnnt AN inventor sirOlled
INTO II coast fort wErr' some troops were test
ing n new cannon. He saw 1T Que. that tho
cannon recoIled whsneNer 1t was dischHrg-i.
At some previous time. he had noticed mat
ships forged ah"hl "A ion. distance otter the
paddle wheels Of the prnp"liers were reversed.
A happy inspiration struck him and lio at once
u 1 a.
venting collisions at sea: He proposed to put
large steel gun beneath the water line in the
bow OF each passenge carrying shin. rhe gun
was to b. kept charged. 80 THAI IT could be in
stanty fired when collision was imminent.
ana by the recon- overcome the heHdway OF
the snip The patent was not granted.
Not long ago ~ mna. WISER than most OF his
village and hnsteued 10 tho North River piers
To examine into the methods Of making steam
had read o the sufferings of coal Unssars and
hrrnen and he was familiar with the comforts
stoyH. He proposed 10 adapt the base burner
TO the ocean steamship fire box. but gave II up
alter ate, IN exam nation OF the rows OF boilers
Tor the pondsrous engines which propel the
modern ocean steamers
There is one part OF u ship in viii h but little
Thousand years that ST. ps have been used, and
that is tho rud'ier. Until within less than a
thousand years the ships rudi-r u steer:
ing oar and each shIr. according to very old
oral ATTEMPTS to improve the I rui%sr have Sssn
made in recent years. One inventor proposes
70 extend the propeller shaft until tn. end is u
Little more thun Hush with tho stern post.
There u b"v.iled cog wheel ia keyed, on which
work. in a sim lar wheel on the upper and Of Il
Just abaft the stern post. This asrond cog
wheel turns u third that is secured u u very
short shaft is u small two-hladed propeller
wheeI, THIS title wheel swing with the rud-
der, ana r"y"lv"., with the Lig propeller. 1t
tends 10 threw ths stern at u v"-sel around
lust as ru'idcr do"s, hut II has not been adopt
ed by the merchant marine.
IN -r.ts OF mtny failures. the persistency Of
Inventors, even OF those who hesin work on
tn" theory that IGNORANCE. Is essential TO sue
cess is very rapidly changing thu conditions OF
the nrst transatlantic line OF steamers
established. heavy subsidy being necessary
because the quantity Of cnul which the steamer
hal to carry WAS 50 great that thore was no
room Tor carso, and pass-nE"r traffic was not
twelve days. little over twenty years ago the
Mrrcantr Na''iHr Migtz,ne of London said adj
tt2raiiy that experience hhd demonstrated that
the screw Propeller gould never be used for
passenger carrying ships. In spite OF every
drawback and encouragement Inventors Ike pt nt
work. The result y most astounding. The mod
ern cargo-carrying steamer. facetin,isly called
tramp con BIZ built $. hat the energy evolved
port ton of freight over two miles. task Ihat
would reInirs AN hours labor OF n good team
OF n1rTsS This rh is"t ha. been erac'say &C.
snilel from Plymouti. England. for CiLa with
5.GOoooo pounds Of cargo on board. From
lies. she burned only 2S2 24o pounds Of c"aI.
or 49, pounds per mile. This allowed 1923 Of
me The average speei II the ship vas vas Ten ten
miles an honr, As compared with loco
mot on the bss, railroads. the consump-
will transport ton ~ freight one milo makes
NGw YETI s, r. II he
city s25OOO.OOO year for truck hire alone.