New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-08

some volumes Is full OF many Minus W
To Americans the chief event IN ms career "'1
ALWAYS be the building of that Monitor VIM"
appcarcd in the very nick of time TO prevent per
haps the greatest and Understanding
with which the Rebellion ever threatened thc couh
,rv Vet in This long and extraordinarily busy NE
there were 50 many Important so many '"iN
o,ocba1 discoveries and inventions. that II might
bc difficult 70 determine which OF all Of his dolrs
ovorc.sod the most widespread influence ana hao
~. creatcst consequences. In another point OF
Wow tho life of John Ericsson Is peculiarly ih'cI-
cstinc II was that Of man VINO WIS P'l"''' '''
by fortune 10 follow his own bent almost from Ia
ginning to end. All experience shows thal 'iIN L.
hv M means usual. Circumstance TOO commonly
forces orr inclinations drives MS into grooves we
would not fill if we had our own way ana COM
neIs us 70 exercise our intelligence in ways when
SOON 10 most of us To involve needless lrlc'loh
and waste of energy But John Ericsson, VINO was
n born mechanic and engineer II ever 1ncre WIS
one found if possible 10 devote himself TO 'he
work which he was specially fitted for ana though
his lines were not always cast in pleasant placeS'
and though he had only too many difficulties 10
contend with in his efforts to establish improve
mcnts. the measure of his success was, on the
whole. considerable.
Born in Sweden. of an ingenious but not thrifty
father, ana a Sa4dflOuS, tlNI-ttlP Hi''''N''
showed marked fondness for mechanics when he
was little boy making clever models OF machih-
cry before he was ten. learning To draw almost
without lessons absorbing the principles ana Jaws
of mechanics with surprising ease. and moreover
cxbihitinc from the first that aptitude for carry
ING forward and improving upon the contrivance
before him which distinguishes the born inventor
The account of his youth and early manhood Is
.,.1io only did he break away
from the strong guidance of his genius, and that
was when he yielded to a boyiSh enthusiasm for
military glory and joined militia regiment, III
which he rose to the rank of captain. retaining
that title all the rest Of his life His real career
however began when he went TO England, WHERE
he was lucky enough to form a partnership Win
John Braithwaite. Il working engineer. ana Wh"r"
he AZ once rcEaT to throw ont invention after IN
vention with the astonishing fccunditY which was
one of his most distinctive Gifts. HIS improve
uents i'm the stcam-cnsinc. rs in the usc OF com
pressed air and the artificial dr2uGli, ana IN SIr-
face condensation, We're the work Of this period
during which he also irvcnted the steam hrc-
ENGINE From the first he encountered Opposition
from the stupidity which seeks responsibility uhd'c
the name of conservatism. lie hult steam nr'-
engine and proved Its immense superiority 10 me
old hand-cncines by scnding il 10 fires, where II
did The work of score OF the ancient machines.
But he could not overcome the imbccc prciudlccS
of the London firemen who dogqcdly refused .
adopt the steam apparatus even after the ampesi
ocular e. .dence of lis advantages had been offered
them.
Then came the famous battle Of the locomotives
George Stephenson had for some time been wrc''-
ling with the slow tc'li-cnces of his time and
with the equally formidable vested interests which
oil in mo
of transportation Stephenson himself da'cl not
tell the whole truth about the Locomotive. IIal
he venturcd TO predict that the rate of twenty
miles an hour would he attained on The railway
he would have been laughed ont of court Wien
he cautiously expressed his conviction that ten
miles an hour might hc reached, plenty of good
people threw mp their hands in horror AT the idea
Of tempting Providence with so dizzy speed
The Manchester and Liverpool Railway Company,
however invited contest between rival loco'no-
tives. and Ericsson-whO only heard Of the affair
few weeks before the appointed time Of the trial
at once determined 10 compete. He and Rraith-
waite built locomotive and called if the Nov
ETY. and f. was entered for tie IA with stephen
sons Rocket and three four other machines
AL or nearly all, of the contemporary accounts OF
the trial agrec in representing the performance Of
Ericssons Novelty as by far the most srrPr;s-
ing on Inc Ground. In fact II literally ran away
from the Rocket" and accomplished what for
the time was the incredible speed of thirty miles
an hour Unfortunately the Novelty hid not
been built with sufficient solidity she had been
run up in great haste, and was clearly too li-h'.
Moreover, Ericsson had not then solved tie ap-
plication of the artificial draueht. and several
things had 70 I've perfected. Ire result was the!
his machine broke down almost in the moment Of
10, hoo ',f
by some who were present flat Ericsson WIS too
hasty in withdrawing the "Novclty7 from the
contest. and that if he had remained tie ell
CINE might have been patched mp we'll enough 10
secure the prize. However that may be, IT Is
clear that in fact the Swedish engineer built a
much faster locomotive than Stephenson Rock;
Ct; and the presumption is that if lie had had
time he would have won Tie race over all com
pctitors. For NOunS man this was great
triumph.
He went on with his inventions. and the caloric
engine was the next with which he aStonshcd
the public There can be no doubt that Erics,on's
enthusiasm sometimes nrlcd him and that be
was i'm the habit of dScCuhtng his discoveries
rather rlshly before they were perfected. I'm this
case lie was confident that steam was about -
lie superseded; but though his improved heat
engines aftcrHard obtained some vogue in this
country, they never TOOK Inc pace ic anticipated
for them. the practical difficulties proving by
actual experience 10 he Incompatible with the
production of sufficiently cheap, convenient ana
trustworthy motor. He did however devise
sounding apparatus which proved successful, and
if ne was not the actual inventor Of the screw
propeller. lie was certainly the first - apply the
principle Here, also, he found himself confronted
by the barriers Of tradition and prejudice The
introduction OF steam in any shape 10 the English
Navy opposed most vchcmcntly by all III"
old adrralS and other sca-do.s, and when that
battle had been fought out, the question of the
screw had to be dealt with in the same way. The
Admiralty would none Of il At first, and As
Ericsson must by this time have grown tired Of
fighting merely for the permission 10 benefit other
people hc was Doubtless glad Of the opportunity
given by hi, acquaintance with Captain Stockton.
Of the United States Navy 10 visit this country.
Mr. Church dcvotcs much space 70 a rccapliu la-
ton cf EricsSons relations with Stockton, and has
M dficutv i'm establishing the fact that the latter