The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-04-04
FAMOUS MEN INVENT.
SONE USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL
THINGS By THEM.
Abraham Lincoln's Great Device-Profassor
Henrv's Steam Siren-Why Franklin's
Inventions Were Not Invented.

Washington, March 2S-There are only
a very few American inventors who have
gained celebrity otherwise than by Their
inventions. The famous statesmen, scien-
lists and authors in this country who have
developed genius for mechanical construc-
ton can almost be numbered on the fingers
of one hand. One may search the patent
office at Washington, where thousands on
thousands of models are stored, without find
ing more than two or three that We're pro-
duced by persons who have attained dis
tinction in other ways
LincoIn's Invention.
One remarkable exception to this rule 10
Abraham Lincolns device for lifting steam
boats off shoals when they get aground. 1t
consists of huge attachments resembling
accordions on an enormous scale made or
wood and canvas, which are fastened be-
meath the sides of the craft. When she
gets stuck on shoal, poles thrust through
the deck from above cause the great Days
to fill themselves with air, at the same TINE
raising the boat, which is thus rendered
light enough to float off. This is a very
ingenious plan, the only point against 1t
being that it does not work any better than
the attempt of Il man to lift himself by his
boot straps.
The First Electro Magnetic Motor.
Another model, though itself Of no practi-
cal utility, represents the first electro-mag-
netic motor known to the world. patented
in 1851. BY an arrangement depending upon
alternate magnetic attraction ana repulSlon
Il sort of walking beam is made to go up
and down. This piece Of mechanism was
devised by Professor Henry, first secretary
OF the Smithsonian institution. lie pro-
duced many other inventions, his scientific
mind being throughout his life devoted to
the achievements of discoveries calculated 10
benefit the human race. For years he made
experiments for the purpose OF finding out
how to conduct the electric current through
O length of wire. AT that time it was sup
posed that the ease with which this could
be accomplished must be III direct ratio 20
the size of the electromagnetic employed.
lie constructed Il magnet that weighed
ton, but it did not work satisfactorily. At
length he found out that by multiplying the
coil on the magnet, using finer wire, and by
multiplying the cells of mis- battery without
increasing their aggregate bulk, he could
solve the problem of overcoming the ress-
tance offered to current by long wire.
This discovery made the electric telegraph
possible.
On this account Professor Henry has
been called the father of the electric tele-
graph. Nevertheless, he cannot be said to
wholly deserve the title. Great invcn-
tons are always a growth. arriving at their
development through the brains of many
inventors. The eye-pointed needle, which
was the most essential of HOwe's sewing
machine, had been used i'll France
embroidery needle for a century before
his time.
The Steam Siren.
The invention of that diabolcal contriv-
ance, the steam siren, Is commonly attri-
buted TO Professor Henry. In fact, bow
ever, lie merely adoptGd the idea from a
French device for recording the vibrations
of musical notes, and applied it il Il shape
FOR use as a fog signel. OF all the instru-
ments for making loud noises ever construct
ed, this one Is by far the most Internal.
Under favorable conditions it can be heard
forty miles ut sea. Recently it has come
into use To some extent in cities as Il sub
sutute for the factory whistle and at -
O'Clock and . O'Clock daily peaceful neigh
borhoods are disturbed by it's frightiul bel
lowing. The sounds are produced by project
ing Il jet Of steam through Il tube which is
partly INSTRUCTED by a revolving toothed
wheel. The faster the wheel goes round,
the higher is the pitch of the shrek uttered
by the machine, that il goes NJ note
after note until the listener feels az if IL
foot or two higher would render him raw
Ing Iunatc. incidentally to studying the
operation of this kind of fog signal Profess
sor Henry discovered the cause Of certain
odd acoustic freaks which had been il puz-
gle to nayagttors. 1t had often been
found that such i signal, though clearly
audible twenty miles from land could not
De heard at all ten miles from shore This
as he learned, was due to the refraction Of
the sound-wayes occasioned by wind. He
also aScertaIned that the blowing of the
fog signal. thus rendered inaudibe on the
deck of II vessel ut sea, could often be heard
loudly by ascending to the masthead-a val
liable suggestion for sailors.
Lighthouse illumination.
When Professor Henry became chairman
of the lighthouse board. sperm whale oil
was used in all the lighthouses, having
been found TO be best Of all iiluminauts
then available. II became very exueu-
slve, and. inasmuch as the CONSUMPTION
OF 1t for this purpose amounted to hundreds
al ~ tIlIS rr,,1ir -.
vas large one. As the same time il
was held thu nothing but the best thing
could be considered good enough where
the safety OF seHfaring people was concern
co. Petroleum was out of the question,
on account of the danger of using it. Ac-
cordingly Professor Henry experimented
with lard oil. which he found inferior in
syery respect II was not sufficiently
it not climb Il wick well BHt finally
he discovered that, when heated to q fairly
high temperature, IL lost all of these dis
: advantages and became even better than
sperm oil. This idea was applied simply
! by arranging the oil reservoir Of the lamp
SO that II would be constantly subjected
10 heat. 1t was necessary TO reconstruct
all the lighthouse lamps i'll the service,
but III this way Saving was made of
100000 per annum. In after years pro-
cesSes We're devised for refining petroleum
In such u manner as to render it perfectly
safe, and that mineral oil is used in all
EranIkIin's Electric Battery"
Benjamin Franklin died at just about
the time when the patent system in this
country was first started. No models of
his inventions, therefore, to be found
In the patent office. In his day electricity
was newly attracting public attention as
mysterious novelty Accidental discoy-
cry was made in 1856 of The possibility
of accommodating large quantities of the
slippery fluid in jar. People Travelled
around with such jars and generators of
simple pattern, astonishing customers by
giving them shocks. This ell that
was known about electricity, except that
the rubbing Of certain substances together
produced il. Franklin amused himself and
his friends by experiments with the new
element. Incidentally it occurred TO him TO
connect Il number of the jars together so
to give more powerful shock, the
A TIRED WOMAN,
"a Just Us much as