Evening journal., 1896-09-04
METAL BOAT INVENTOR
Something of the Life of the
Man Who Built Them First.
he WAS LAUGHED AT BY SAILORS
NOW HIS BOATS ARE BUILT BY
THE HUNDREDS EVERY YEAR
IN THE CITY OF WILMINGTON
ALONE.

~ 1ihH vi VI W1bMi4NO lOAN
ALONE.
In the city of Wilmington, where
every year hundreds of metal life
boats and ships small boats are turn
ed out, the trial of Francis, the inven-
tor of the iron life-boat will be read
with especial interest.
There are two firms in Wilmington
which make speciality of these boats
the city being one of the most import
ant in the country as a centre for TINS
industry.
From 1880 to 1910 Mr.. Francis was
spending all his spare time and money
at work upon a boat which should not
only save lives, but which could not
be crushed on the rocks when the
waves were hurling themselves shore
ward. His cork-lined boats were sue
cessful, and were giving him world
fame as an inventor and philanthro.
pist but he felt that, unless he could
invent a boat of some other material
than wood, his object was but hair at
tanned.
He resolved to try iron. Those of his
friends who knew Of his step looked
upon him as many an inventor is
looked upon in our own day-as little
less than a lunatic. Iron for boat?
Why, it would take such vast
amount of wood to float the iron that
it would be impossible 10 propel the
boat to say nething of having it breast
the waves of a furious gale and go out
through the storm to q wrecked ship!
The idea, they said, was simply pre-
posterous. The young man acknowl-
edged the apparent force of the argu-
ment, but he believed there was a 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 a magnificent victory
not only for himself but for all man
kind.
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 one moment
he seemed so near to success, and at
another so near to the saddest of fail
ures.
It was now the year 1S41. He had
taken his family-for he was married
Ito a country place where they could
live more cheaply than in the city. He
had the use of a room in a house on
Anthony street, in the city of New
York, in which to carry on the work
of his inventions, by the favor of Myn-
dert Van Shoick,a gentleman who was
much interested in the outcome Of the
matter. Here, shut in from all the
world, IN sore poverty, he worked for
twelve months, long, discouraging.
weary year. The end to be gained was
to make iron float on water, some
thing which his best friends thought
the dream of a lunatic. Day by day.
and night by night he worked cease
lessly. He denied himself all luXur-
les, all comforts. He met with fall
ure 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 a pittance in his pocket. He
was hungry, but he needed one more
piece OF iron to make one last su-
preme effort, He went out to a Junk
shop with his last 25 cents. He bought
his piece Of iron for IL cents. With
the rest OF the money he bought bread
and molasses. All that night he work.
ed. 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 fiercest bat
tie 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
boats, had been invented. By this aid
he was enabled to make the iron fat
for he could bend it and shape it to
the curved form of a boat, and the
bendings or ridges in the sides took
the place of all stays, supports. ribs,
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 stayed in place, and the
victory was won.
THR ATIECUENV FT0ETc