Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-05-18

Joseph Francis, who died at Usage
Lake, n. Y, May 10, arrived at Mime
apolis Saturday evening 1t was placed
III the vault at Lakewood Sunday MORN
ing, and will be inferred beside his wife
at O'Clock tomorrow afternoon. Sim
pie exercises will be held at the grave.
The vault of Mr.. Francis at Lakewood
is well known. 1t stands on a knoll
overlooking Lake Calhoun. Many years
ago Mrs. Francis stood on the spot
and thought it one of the most beauti-
tul she had ever seen and expressed the
wish to be buried there when she died.
When Lakewood was laid out Mr. Fran
els purchased the lot, which is No. 1,
Section I. His wife has rested there
for 20 years, and every summer Mr. Fran
els has visited the vault and placed
flowers upon the coffin. He was a
familiar figure at Lakewood and virtu-
ally made his headquarters at the ceme-
terry. He could not bear that his wife
should be placed beneath the ground
and constructed the vault above ground
for her resting place. On it are in
scr1bed the loving words: I'm memory
OF Ellen Francis, wife of Joseph Francis,
OF New York. Died March 81, 1873.
Just, generous, faithful, pure" On one
tablet beneath the vault of Mrs. Francis
is an inscription for Isaac P Francis.
yet living, the only son of Joseph, with
blank for the date of death. Isaac
rtncis accompanied the body of his
father to Minneapolis. On this same
tablet is an inscription 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 Saw
ing service, 1872. Founder of the Amer
lean Shipwreck society, 1912. Inventor
of the orrugated metallic life car, life
boat, ETC. Received the thanks of the
Forty-ninth congress. HOnored by the
Fiftieth congress for services to human
ity. Honored, decorated, rewarded and
knighted by the crowned heads of
Europe. Born March l., 1901"
There is a blank for the date of death.
At the back of the tomb is a willow
that has received the most tender care
by Mr.. Francis and has been the sub
iect Of much solicitude Over the tomb
OF Napolean Bonaparte, at Helena, was
Il weeping willow tree. An American.
frigate, on her way to New York. stop
ped at ST. Helena and cut from the
tree a slip to preserve as a relic. On the
arrival of the frigate at Brooklyn the
commander presented the slip to Joseph
Francis, who planted it in Lakewood
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 at Min
neapolis:
Miss Ruth G. Rhodes-I know you
at times think I have forgotten you,
but such has been my situation I could
not get time. If I should not see you
again no one could say you have not
! been faithful in all you have done.
Sometimes I wish you would stop at
my tomb in the cemetery. If there is
any fault of the tomb, as grass or lawn,
report it to Mr.. Hobart, the superintend-
ent Of the cemetery, for he has often
told me he would protect and care for
my resting place as if it was his own.
L should like so much to sit by the
tomb day and night and listen to a
sound I shall never more hear
Then comes this quotation, changed
to suit himself:
There is name, a mark, a sign
To tell who lies below the tail rank
grass where daisies shine
And pale primroses blow, yet mourn
fully the willows wave and sun
beams gently play
AS if within that grave an exiled
stranger lay"
It was as Il devoted worshipper at
the tomb of his wife at Lakewood that
the Minneapolis public has chiefly
known Mr.. Francis, but his name is
known in kings palaces for the service
he has rendered mankind.
Joseph Francis was born in Boston
in 1901. At the age of IL he was cast
adrift upon the world as a poor boy,
with the name and fame which he
afterward attained to earn fer himself
He obtained a position as page in the
then new capitol on Beacon Hill. The
surroundings Of his youth were favorab bic
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 gov
eminent 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 IL years of age, he should
have manufactured small boat, to
which he applied cork, confined in wood,
in the bow and stern for a buoant
power. This first crude experiment
demonstrated the practicability Of buoy
ant power, as with his cork applied as
stated, his little boat, even when filled
with water, would hold up four men
This was his first success, a veritable
life boat, the first one built or seen
: the United States, a nucleus, or germ,
from which have sprung such an eX-
tensive service along the entire water
front of not only this country, but
the world. The success Of his first appli-
cation Of buoyancy gave him confidence
to continue experiments, until he reach
ed a high degree Of perfection, result
ing in the invention of a less bulky,
and, Therefore, more buoyant power,
and also the APPLICATION of amaterial
combining the largest amount Of
strength and resisting power, with elias
ITCHY and the minimum of weight.
During 1872 terrible scenes Of ship