Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-03-09
CAPT. JOHN ERICSSON DEAF.
The Veteran Inventor and Engineer Passes
Away at the Age of 0l,

Il
Away at the Age of 9l.
NEW YORK, March S-J0hn Ericsson,
the great engineer, who gained world
wide reputation as the inventors and builder
Of the Monitor, died at his home, 36 Beach
street, this city, late last night, of cystitis
Mr.. Ericsson had been i'll for week when
a physician was called in, but owing TO his
advanced age he failed to rally.
John Ericsson was born in the province
Of Wermeland, Sweden, in 1903. After
having been o cadet in the enginSers, he
entered the navy as ensign in 1928, was
employed in surveys in Northern Sweden,
and rose to the rank of csptain. In 1926,
by permission, he went to England, hoping
to intro uce his invention of flame en-
gine, which should work Independently
of steam. This was substantially the same
as the ''caloric engine, (which be afterwards
perfected; but owing TO the circumstances
under which it was tried, it proved unsuc-
cessful.
Soon afterwards he resigned his commits
sion in the Swedish navy and devoted
himself in England to mecha icsl inven-
tions, including that of the steam boiler,
on the principle of artificial draught which
was extensively adopted, as it effected y
great saving in fuel and dispensed with
huge flame stacks. This principle was sp-
piled to the construction of the Novelty" Z"
a locomotive engine, which he constructed
20 compete for prize offered in 1929 by
the Liverpool aud Manchester railway for
the hghiest and fastest locomotive engine
The Novelty" starting made a speed Of
fifty miles an hour, but failed, by an acCi-
dent, to meet the conditions Of the prize,
which was awarded TO George Stephenson; !;
and another method of producing an arti-
fetal draught being soon devised, Ericsson
failed to derive any advantage from his dis
oovery.
In 1888 he reduced 10 practice his long
cherished prOjec Of a calOTic engine, which
excited much attention among the scien-
iihc men, but was not practically intro.
duced to us in England. In 1886 he
showed the practicebility of the use of the
propeller in steam navigation, but could not
convince the British Admiralty OF the value
of his invent on. In 1889 he went to New
York, where he has since resided, and hav-
ing S. cured the attention Of Mr.. Stockton,
then Secretary of ths Navy, was, 1871,
employed to construct the war steamer
Princeton. the first ever built in which the
propelhng machinery was below the water
line. and out OF the reach of shot. Besides
the propeller, or screw, the Princeton con
tanned many mechanical novelties, among
which were the sliding telescope chimney
and gun carriages, with machinery for
checking the recOil Of the gan. At the
London Industrial Exhibition of 1851, he
showed many inventions for which he re
ceived prize Meanwhile he again turned
his attention to his csloric engine, and at
tempted to apply it TO the propulsion OF
large steamers.
In 1852 be built the Ericsson, a steamer
OF ., 600 tons, fitted with such an engine.
A trial trip of this vessel was made In
February, 1853. from New York to Alex
sndris, on the POtomsc On this trip the
engines were in operation for 73 successive
hours without requiring any adjustment
the consumption OF fuel being only five
tons in 81 hours; bat the speed attained
was not satisfactory and the calorc en-
gines were replaced by steam engines.
Ericsson then turned his attention to the
manufacture of stationary calOTic engines
where a lorge amount Of power wss not
necessary, as fos pumping, printing, hoist
ing, grinding, saving, turning, working
sewing-mschines, &c, and for these pur-
poses they have proved highly satisfactory.
Mr.. Ericsson will be known IN history
from bis connection with what is called
the Monitor" system for the construction
OF vessels of war. This consists IN placing
the armament Of the vessel in a revolving
turret, impregnable to shot, aud capable Of
delivering FIRE in every direction. The
idea has been claimed by several persons,
among others by Capt. COTper Coles, OF
the British navy, in 1855; but MI Theo-
dore r. Timby had itpatented II America
some ten years earlier. Ericsson does not
claim the idea, but only the first practical
application. This consisted in placing the
revolving turrst upon hull itself imPreg-
nable to shot.
Early in the American civil war Eucs-
sop built. in a hundred days, for the
limited States Government the fret yes ell
of this class. 1t did good service in March,
1862. when it pat an end to the work OF
the Confederate iron.clad Merrimac, which
had the day before easily destroyed two oil
the finest frigates in the Union navy. Sew
eral other vessels of this order, embOdylng
many improvements on the original, were
constructed under the supervision OF
Ericsson. After the ClOre Of the civil war
he pave bis attention to the construction oil
engines, 10 which heat not IN the form oI
steam. should be the motive power.