Evening journal., 1889-05-20
INVENTION OF IRON cLAns.

e.
Received the First Patent Years Ago.
The Philadelphia Press of Yesterday
has the following interesting account Of
the invention of ball proof vessels.
memorial will probably be sent from
this city to the next Congress- asking the |
government to recognize Thomas Gregg
late of Connellsville. Fayette county
Pa, as the inventor of the iron clad bali |
proof monitor in the year 1918. and |
only seven years after the introduction
of steam navigation. The claim is parti- |
cularly interesting for two reasons, one
that the grandsons and numerous rela-
tions of Thomas Gregg live in this city
and state, and the other that Pennsyl-
vania, which has had so large a hand In
furnishing the new navy, should have
taken the first step toward giving the
country the first formidable iron war
vessel.
Thomas Gregg was the father Of the
Rev. John G. Gregg of this city, who
died recently The latter's two sons, J.
b. Gregg and q. S. Grant Gregg both
Philadelphia business men, are agitating
the present movement. In their posses
sion, as one of the documents they will
present as claim, is patent granted
March o. 1914, which bears the signatures
of President james Madison, Secretary
of State James Monroe andAAttorney
General Richard Rush. The patent was
renewed in 1887.
The inventor was born in New Castle
Delaware, and when quite young man
removed to Western Pennsylv ania, where
he made the first hammer and nail used
in Fayette county. He also turned his
attention to making salt, but devoted
himself chiefly TO iron manufacture, and
invented the first furnace ever used for
smelling ore by the use of anthracite
coal
While absent In Delaware his foreman,
who had been left in charge of the works
to test thoroughly the invention, made a
clean sweep of all his papers, patterns
and drawings and fed to England, where
he and others speedily became rich on
the results of Mr. Gregg's gains. Mr..
Gregg, while still an iron master during
the war Of 1912, turned his attention 70
the subject of ball-proof vessels, which
resulted in the invention in 1918 and the
patent grant In 1874
In the journal of the House of Repre-
sentatives March "a, 1914, is the entry
''Mr. Wilson presented memorial OF
Thomas Gregg of Pennsylvania, stating
that he had invented ball proof vesse
or floating batterys, and presenting 6
model for the examination of Congress
and requesting that its efficiency may bs
tested by experiment. Ordered that sale
memorial be referred to the Committe,
on Naval Affairs"
The model presented was burned IN
1896. In 1887 the patent was renewed
Then Commodore DUPONT of Delawar,
on one occasion put his vessel to severe
test and was much pleased with the prin
: ciple, so much 50, that he wrote the Hon
Messrs. A. Stewart and d. Surgen o.
Pennsylvania, and Hon. Messrs. JohI
NJ. Clayton and X. Bayard of Delaware
commencing to their favorable noticl
what he termed very valuable inven
tion.
The description Of the invention wa
that 1t was ball proof and impenetrable
In construction it was framed on an angl
of is degrees all around the hull. Tn
J top timbers elevated the balls and tn
/ lower ones were designed to direct then
/ under the keel. The power was applie
between the keels, where there was
conea7e formed to receive the motiy
machinery, the power to be reversed I
I propel the vessel either way. The priI
S ciple, it was claimed, protected men an
!, machinery effectually and was capable
Z performing more service than half
% dozen vessels Of that day.
d Mr.. Gregg died poor before his mod
r. took any definite shape and it is claim
/. that his ideas were stolen and that d
n famous Merrimac Of the late war was u
r result,
The Scientific American Of May
1864, seems to have been the first 10 di
cover this and in the next number
If voted page to the subject under h
!, head The Merrimac Patented Fort
y eight Years Ago and giving the cred
:, to Thomas Gregg. A cut labeled "'Tl
J. Early Prototype Of the Merrimac" w
n also published
d lJust after the war citizens Of Pennsy
= vania sent memorial to Congress statiI
It that Mr. Gregg had spent large amoui
of money in his efforts to benefit u
government, and, like many original m,
Of the country, had amassed nothing. al
e died comparatively poor 1t asked thi
n he be recognized as the original invent
d of the ball proof iron clad and that
f liberal appropriation should be made
widow, who was in circumstances TO a
s preciate such Justice. This was referr,
h to a committee, but nothing seems
IS have come of it. The Rev. John
+ Gregg in 1868 wrote of his father an
J. the inventions
"While sharp competition has bee
carried on both in France, England an
z this country as to who is entitled to IL
d credit Of this invention which promise
/. to revolutionize the old established sy
J. tenn Of naval warfare, humbly subm
IS that reference to the records Of II
Patent Office at Washington and to son
individuals who are still living will j
contestably establish the claim OF Thorn
e Gregg and do justice to his genius as q
It real inventor
u Wilmington Clearing House.
M !. Il ..,... !. e Al. WILT. -, L.