St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-15
JOSEPH FRANCIS.
A Noted American to Be Laid to
Rest in Lakewood This
Morning.
Father of the American Life.
Saving Service-A Life OF Ten
der Devotion.

at Usage Lake, n. Y, May 10, arrived
in Minneapolis last evening. 1t will be
placed In the vault at Lakewood this
morning and inferred beside his wife
at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon. Sim
pie exercises will be held at the grave.
The vault OF Mr.. Francis at Lake
wood is we'll known. 1t stands on
knoll overlooking Lake Calhoun. Many
years ago Mrs. Francis stood on the
spot and thought it one of the most
beautiful ever seen, and expressed the
wish to be buried there when she died.
Francis purchased the lot, which
is No. l, section 1. His wife has
rested there for twenty years,
and every summer Mr.. Francis visited
the grave and placed flowers upon the
coffin. He was a familiar figure at
Lakewood, and virtually made his
headquarters at the cemetery. He
could not bear that his wife should be
placed beneath the ground, and he con-
structed the vault above ground for her
resting-place. On it are inscribed the
loving words: "In memory of Ellen
Francis, wife of Joseph Francis, of
New York, died March q, 1873. Just,
generous, faithful, pure" On one tab
let beneath the vault of Mrs. Francis IS
all inscription for Isaac P. Francis, the
only son Of Joseph, with blank for the
date of death. Isaac Francis accom-
panied the body Of his father to Mime
apolls. On this same tablet is an in
scription for the daughter of Isaac, but
her body is not in the family lot.
On the other tablet is the inscription
for the deceased, as follows: Joseph
Francis, the father and founder of the
United States life-Savng service, found
er of the American ShipWreck society,
1842. Inventor of the corrugated metal
lie life car, lifeboat, etc. Received the
thanks of the Forty-ninth congress.
Honored by the Fiftieth congress for
services to humanity. Honored, deco
rated, rewarded and knighted by the
crowned heads of Europe. Born March
IL, 1901" There is blank for the date
| of death.
At the back of the tomb is willow
that has received the most tender care
by Mr.. Francis and has been the SUBJ
1ect of much sollcitude. Over the tomb
! of Napoleon Bonaparte at st. Helena
was weeping willow tree. An Ameri-
can frigate, on her way to New York,
stopped at st, Helena and cut from the
tree a slip to preserve as relic. On
the arrival of the trigate at Brooklyn
the commander presented the slip to
Joseph Francis, who planted it i'll Lake
wood cemetery in 1875.
The devotion of Mr.. Francis to the
spot where his wife lay is shown by an
extract from a letter dated April "A.
1898, at the Astor house, New York,
written to his little girl friend in Min
neapolis.
Miss Ruth G. Rhodes: / know you
at times think have forgotten you, but
such has been my situation | could not
get time. If l should not see you
again, no :one can say you have not
been faithful in all you have done.
Sometimes | wish you would stop at
my tomb in the cemetery. Ii there is
any fault of the tomb, as grass or lawn,
report it to Mr.. Rhodes. the superin-
tendent of the cemetery, for he has
often told me he would protect and care
for my resting place as if it were his
| own. | should like so much to sit by
the tomb day and night and listen to a
sound shall never more hear"
Then comes this quotation, changed
to suit himself: "There is name, a
mark, sign, to tell who lies below the
tall, rank grass Where.daisie5 shine and
pale primroses blow; yet mournfully
the willows wave and sunbeams gently
| play, as III WlCnln ClaG ndlHeu grave oil
eXiled stranger lay"
1t was as a devoted worshiper at the
tomb of his wife in Lakewood that the
Minneapolis public has chiefly known
Mr.. Francis, but his name is known i'll
kings palaces for the services he has
rendered mankind.
Joseph Francis was born in Boston in
1901. At the age of eleven he was cast
adrift upon the world as poor boy,
with the name and fame which he after
ward attained to earn for himself. He
obtained position as page in the then
new state capitol on Beacon Hill. The
surroundings of his youth were favor
able to the bent of his inclination, a
near relative owning a large factory in
which were manufactured some of the
best boats and cutters of the period in
government use during the war of 1912.
With his inventive genius, mechanical
brain, and such unusual facilities, it is
not surprising that in 1872. when he
was only eleven years of age, he should
have manufactured small boat, to
which he applied cork.
In 1919 he invented and built a
light, fast boat, combining all the
life-saving qualities he had perfected up
to that time. BY close application and
determined perseverance between the
years of 1915 and 1926 Mr.. Francis had
attracted the attention Of men of liberal
ideas. which brought to his aid patron
age and capital.
In 1899 he invented the corrugated
galvanized iron life-saving car.
Besides the life car, Mr.. Francis is the
inventor of twenty-three other life-sav-
ing appliances. He spent several years
in foreign service. AS last honor, his
title OF father and founder of the life
saving service was changed by congress
to that of inventor and philanthropist
Such will be the Inscription on the case
of medals which he presented to the ma.
tioDal museum, and which will be OF
exhibition at the worlds fair.