Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-12-31
THE IRON LlFEeoAT.
friAis Of Joseph Francis In Trying to Per
feet the Life saving Appliance.

friAls Of Joseph Francis In Trying to Per-
feet the Life Saving Appliance.
From 1880 TO 1910 Joseph Francis was
spending all his spare time and money at
work upon boat which should not only
save lives, but which could not be crushed
on the rocks when the waves were hurting
themselves shoreward His cork lined
boat were successful and were giving
him worldwide fame as an inventor and
philanthropist, but he felt that unless he
could invent boat of some other material
than wood his object was but bali attained
He resolved to try iron. Those Of his
friends who knew of this step looked upon
him-as many an inventor is looked upon
In our own day-as little less than a luna
tic. Iron for boatS Why, it would take
such vast amount Of wood to float the
iron that it would be impossible to propel
the boat-to say nothing of having it
breast the waves of furious gale and go
out through the storm to a wrecked ship.
The idea, they said, was simply preposter-
GUS. The young man acknowledged the
apparent force of the argument, but he be-
lieyed there was way out of the difficulty.
He started in the path alone. He found
many cruel and disheartening difficulties
In the way, but he bravely met all trouble,
and he nobly maintained his high purpose
and won at last magnificent victory, not
only for himself, but for all mankind
In his later years Mr.. Francis loved to
tell of the trials of that critical time.
Amid his later honors he never forgot the
days when at ono moment he seemed SO
near to success and at another so near to
the saddest of failures.
1t was now the year 1841. He had taken
his family-for he was married-to a
country place where they could live more
cheaply than in the city. He had the use
of room in house on Anthony street, in
the city of New York, in which to carry on
the work of his inventions, by the favor Of
Myndert Van Shoick, gentleman who
was much interested in the outcome of the
matter. Here, shut in from all the world,
In sore poverty, he worked for 12 months,
long, discouraging, weary year. The
end to be gained was to make iron float on
water, something which his best friends
thought the dream Of q lunatic. Day by
day and night by night he worked cease
lessly. He denied himself all luxuries,
all comforts He met with failure after
failure
He found himself one day at the close OF
the year reduced to actual want and his
object not attained He had but pit
tance in his pocket He was hungry, but
he needed one moro piece of iron to make
one last supreme effort. He went out to
junkshop with his last 25 cents. He
bought his piece of iron for IS cents With
the rest of the money he bought bread and
molasses. All that night he worked In
the morning he found that the rats had
stolen the piece of bread which he had
saved for his breakfast, but the labor OF
the night had brought victory He had
solved the problem. He had conquered in
the f1ercest battle Of his life. He had
achieved the success he sought, and this
victory meant the saving of the lives OF
many thousands of his fellow men.
The corrugation of iron, forming ridges
In lines along the sides of the boat, had
been invented. By this he was enabled tc |
make the iron float, for he could bend IL |
and shape it to the curved form of boat,
and the bendings or ridges in the sides |
took the place of all stays, supports, ribs
and timbers, furnishing in themselves the |
support and strength, while nothing was
added to the weight. The metal was put |
under great pressure to do this, but it stuid
In place, and the victory was won.-W. S. |
Harwood in st Niehnlas
A Phrase PictoriaI1y Presented.