Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-09
A Protest,

To the Editor of The Evening Star
noticed in the morning papers that among
other patent exhibits to be made during this
week is a '.life-saving car invented by Joseph
Francis" &c. If the life car is so labeled the
label will state a falsehood, as shown by the
patent Office records.
The life car was the invention Of Capt
Douglass Ottinger and Francis was simply one
of the foremen at the time QS49) in the Novelty
Iron Works OF New York. The following act
of Congress will show what that body thought
at the very time of the invention:
"An act for the relief of Capt. Douglass OF
finger:
BE it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives Of the United States in Con-
gress assembled. That there be paid to Capt
Douglass Ottinger, out of any money in the
treasury not otherwise appropriated. the sum
of $1,000 in full compensation for the use of
his invention of the life or surf car by the
United States; and also to enable him further
to test the practicability of adapting such car
TO the rescuing of passengers and crews during
violent gales at sea.
approved February IA, 1851 Page $50, vol.
III, statutes at large.
This act was based upon report of the COM
mittee Of commerce (frst session. Thirty-fifth
Congress, report No. 403) by Hon. E. b. WASH
burn This report, made May IA. 1858, said:
The committee are satisfied that Capt Ottin-
ger is the original inventor of the life or surf
car, and that he has devoted the same to the
use Of the United States and that the govern
ment is now using them at fifty-two different sta
tons on the coast. The evidence before the COM
mittee is conclusive as to tho great value of
the invention of Capt Ottinge- as a means of
saving life. The present Secretary of the
Treasury. the Hon. Howell Cobb, in answer to
letter from the committee, says lit has
proved Of incalculable value in the saving of
human life, and he mentions the case of the
wreck Of the ship Ayrshire on the Jersey coast
As Capt Ottinger, with laudable public
spirit, has for many years devoted his valuable
invention to the use Of the United States
and has received no compensation there
for your committee deem his claim for
some remuneration not unreasonable Thew
are prepared, therefore, to recommend
the passage of a bill granting him an amount
not only as a remuneration for the use of his
invention, but to enable him to make some
further experiments to test its praticability in
rescuing passengers and crews during violent
gales at sea.
sage of the bill as a remuneration
for the use Of his invention" &c. The bill be-
came q law and reads as above.
Somewhere in 1851, while Capt. Ottinger was
on the Pacific ocean, Mr.. Francis began making
claims to the invention and asked the patent
Office for patent for the life car To meet the
question judicially Capt. Ottinger in 1858 or
1853, as assignor to William Todd, applied also
for patent The result was an interference
trial before the commissioner of patents The
following decision by the commissioner settled
the matter on the evidence. once and for all
IN favor of Ottinger, affirming incidentally Mr.
Washburn's report and the preceding act of
Congress as to who was the Original inventor
Of the life car:
U. s. PATENT OFFICE. August 8, 1860.
Sir: In the matter Of the interference be-
tween the applications OF Joseph Francis and
douglass Ottinger, assignor to William Todd,
for letters patent for alleged improvements in
life boats have to submit the following re-
port:
am fully satisfied from the testimony that
the invention in question was original with
Ottinger, and that he was also the first in
yentor OF the same.
| HENRY BALDWIN. Examiner
| August 3, 1850
| The foregoing report is confirmed the inter-
| ference is dissolved and patent refused. Thirty
| days limited for appeal
| PHILIP +. THOMAS, Commissioner.
| (Ex'd, L. VI. C. FL
Thus the conclusions OF the Thirty-fifth Con-
| gress were fully sustained by the judgment of
| the patent Office. Mr.. Francis did not appeal
President Cleveland vetoed by withholding
his signature a resolution passed by a
late Congress giving q medal to Francis for
| the invention Of Efe-saving appliances, be-
| cause the report untruthfully gave the
| credit Of the life car to Francis. subsequently
| q medal was given to him for the Appliance V
| the claim for invention of the life car being
abandoned. This much deem due to an orr
Ger Of the United States for years faithful and
| resolute, and who gave to the world free from
patent rights one Of the most valuable inyen-
| tons Of the age. J. W. DOUGLASS.