The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-03-14
CAPT. JOHN ERICSSON.
Death OF the Noted Inventor in New
York City.


The noted inventor whose Monitor was
.u,onx .h. ,,.ootost achievements IN rseful
AIMING 'iie sreo'es' aonio'en'en'' ~
naval architecture, capt. John Ericsson,
died in New York, March 7th. He was born
in Sweden in 1903, his father being leading
miner. Brought up amorg the iron noun
tains of Wermland. the youth early dis
PLAYED the natural bent Of his talents by
building the model of a saw mill and plan
ming a jumping engine designed to clear the
mines of water, using only borrowed file, a
gimlet and a jack-knife as instruments, and
a piece of wood, watch spring an broken
tin spoon as materials of construction.
When 10 years of age he was appointed a
cadet in the Swedish Corps of Mechanical
Engineers, and at the age OF 10 was put in
charge of a section of the Gotha Ship canal,
on which his father was employed. Six
hundred of TIL royal troops worked under
his orders vet he was such a little fellow
that servant had to carry around stool
for him to stand on when leveling his in
struments. But in 1926 Ericsson went
to ENGLAND and never a ter that returned
to his native country. Three years later
a seam engine of his WIS brought for
ward in competition to George Stevenson's
famous locomotive, the Rocket hut the
latter won the first prize though Ericsson
commended that his showed great + speed. In
1888 when he invented the screw propeller,
the English admiralty scou ed at its posi-
hilities and Ericsson anpered at this, set
sail for America, He was then 30 years old
In n few wears more he had the satisfaction
of seeing his propeller scheme thoroughly
demonstrates its immense value in the aid of
navigation.
The English training that Captain
Ericsson has received led him to devote his
mechanical genius for a great time to vessels
Of war The Princeton was the first warship
he produced in America but the Moni or
was the vessel that enriched his fame. His
theory was that the machinery of a war YES
sci to he absolutely protected should be be-
low the water line and the Monitor was the
first craft ever built that demonstrated the
success OF such scheme. Its wonderful
work during the civil war is known to every
household Of America and to every city of
the world while the outgrowth of Captain
Ericsson's lea has piyen to the navy Of the
United States many vessels of great service
for this country of long coast lines and
numerous harbors. But the inventor had in
mind still more terrible vessel of destruc-
ton, which he rightly called the Destroyer
This torpedo boat was virtually completed in
1870 at cost to its inventor of about $40, 900.
Both ends of the boat are alike, so that the
moment it fires the fatal missile it can make
a hasty retreat by simply reversing
the engines. In appearance it is en-
tirely unlike his other torpedo boats.
Instead of the old-fashioned cheese-box
it looks more like coffin or she'll The pro-
jectile that is thrown from the Destroyer ex-
plodes the minute it touches any surface har-
der than water One man manages the
whole machine and spends his time in lit
tie iron-clad cabin or box under the water.
When going at the rate of Is miles an hour
she is enabled by an ingenious device to
make complete circle within her own length.
This affords her the power of rapid fire in
almost any direction, and makes it difficult
for an enemy to dodge her missiles.
A curious trait in the character of Capt.
Ericsson was hi, total absence of anxiety 10
enjoy personally the workings of his inven-
tions. For instance, during four years after
the Destroyer was completed he only once
went on board the vessel, though in his shop
he constantly worked upon plans to
improve her power In inventions OF
this kind he planned almost entirely from
drawings. Among his other inventions Of
later years was a solar engine, designed for
the utilization of western prairies for farm
ing, the motive power coming from the heat
of the sun, so that water could cheaply be
pumped by its use His reconstructed caloric
engine has been extensively used and his