The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-10-03
Mr. ". Il. Harris Claims that II Is the
Original 4OdGl Of The
FIRST PROPELLER BOAT EVER INVENTED
9t Came TO Him Finy..ix Yenrs Ago
lr0ut Elis Enti:cr--& StruEc q Coin
cidcmcc-Alsp Enrcntea "a System OF
short yknnd which Has Keen Lost
Very interesting Story.


affabie and courteous gentleman too, be
IL said in passing, has in his possession
q relic OF hy-gone days which money
cannot buy, and which has been among
Ms belongings Tor over h II u century
a family heirloom priced above all.
ssnce his stay in Norfolk. which has
extended over considerable period of
time. MIR. Harris has never shown his
treasure TO any on with the exception
OF one occasion not many nights ago
when he submitted 1t to the inspcotant
and curious gaze of NirFinian reporter.
VINO happened 10 catch him in comma
NEGATIVE humor at u dairy lunch room
q few minutes fore
My father" said Mr.. Harris. was in
many respects u remarkable man. His
name waa Benjamin Harris. and lie was
porn near Enfield, y. c.. on the 2Sth of
September, 1872. II died on the 2Sth
of September. 1910. exactly twenty-c!ght
Years later, almost NO the minute How
does That strike You as a curious and
unparalleled coincidence? Did you ever
hear OF similar one? never did"
He deed just before ! was born.
and consequently l don't know as much
about him as some people know about
their fathers. nut as was going TO TIL
You. he was 4 walking factory of inven-
tons His mind was full of them. and
some OF his ideas he acted upon. There
: came to me, among the family papers 4
system of shorthand which he had COLI
etructed with wond rfui ingenuity. II
was complete In every detail AS to its
practical worth, and its fundamental
principles. ! cannot say. It's been n
long thine since | saw H. and now it's
misplaced somewhere"
But the crowning invention OF his life
was the first steam propeller ever run
In American waters--;he first in the
world suppose. There are old resi-
dents hare now who will tell YOU about
tt--notahly Major w. V. Taylor, who
boards at the st. James. The Major can
tell YOU all about It, He remembers the
occasion very weM ana he knew my
father All ! know Is that the scr, w
was attached to a United States man-of-
war. which was tried in this harbor.
and did not make more than seven miles
an hour. Plans ana Il model were sent to
Washington. ana patent arpIi for,
: but shortly after this my father died,
and what became OF the invention is more
shan can say. Some one else reaped the
r5Sults, l should think, to judge by the
number of props!lcrS in use nowadays.
q number OF navy officers have advised
me TO look into the matter and investi-
gate wha tevcr title my family may have
to the Invention, IL any, bu; have new
or done so. Perhaps / may some day,
don't know"
1T Is interesting TO note some of the
experiments he made before he finally
placed the propeller screw 10 the stern
of the vessel" continued MI Harris.
Come with me, and 1 Will show you
something. Wait a minute" and the
,'t' "" pi,I me ''est ~ M
ii; ~ ','u, neu
ohjan, 10 ,,n.o5 = -, ,nt5
raoT.o, So, ~ ~ -" IN t - .io'e'
r. ,i - ~, ~ . ,"I - ."n'
,,s :, oor,, y, ~ . ~ ~.
,i jt,'.i 10 ms ,'"'I.i,C.'' ullu ''iti'
10 tirst ,,,oiei ~ ,r|,,iiia,, ne :" ~,
cnns,'i,ct,n, IN d,.oI,.. /, 80 80 W,
,fn.itv az ,bn a. 49,, 49,,
,yolnrt ,,,oGn h,,.i a. -, ni.S ,N
nf,n1.n inni,os ,n,'s, ~ '.n - aoi'ie
and r.ic dSon Is, ~" $50; 49, tn.i l.
tha ROY, 7, ~ hnn,,it,,,I - - -. 20
- soiia hioo,, ~ l1 ,,.i,, ~. 90 ON
tontin, 4, 49,, U,i 49," 80 ,' g ~ u.
n,a,,, a,,sr,, nrn,o -, ~ - ls &
rul lino siiei, ,.noI 49, 49,, :, 80
tha modni ,,SLic,, =, H., ,,,fcIi's' - W
nIsba1 AN ~ ~, re, ,"'.t"ui r az
Iurn % ~, v.baIa ,i,t,' ~ 80. ~, -
throryh ,,,bich ,ba ,,rS 81 10 ~ - MY
"a nm is IN Tho "a of ~, -, W w,
,irbt s,da irs, oiou, ~, VIZ ne nc
hoat ana NJ a ,oin. sSa,,S;,,.I Vi nv
1;stanna ,or,b"r hain, ap!I'e
tban tho ,,Ir',a.,, sr,s, '"c M"sci Inc
II is ,ntcra.,ir~ -, so',in,
what would have been tho action ~, =
screw so peculiarly placed ON Grst
thought one would say it's reyoiu,inns
would cause.-the craft to snin around ike
a top unless the illdder were SO tlys1
as to counteract this movement A sec
ond consideration would cousr = f1n,iht
to enter your mind Would MOI tba nro.
peller wheel being located cenlrnlI>. ne
regards the length of the hoat I'M.
MT Tho Same iinn ,,nJar,oo.h ~ ,..t,N