The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-11-07
THE IRON LlFE-BoAr.

\ " ~ 1 = : ~ y -
rsaals % Joseph Francis In rr ryl,g e Fer.
fest the I4ife-savinS Applisnce.
But such work - this, successful q,
1t was, was only what we might cal
amusement rthere was far moro serious
work to perform. From 1880 to 1910 the
young man 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 hurling them.
selves shoreward. His cork-lined boats
were successful, and were giving hin,
q worldwide fame as an inventor and
philanthropiss: bat he felt that unless
he could invent a boat of some other ma
tcrial than wood his object was but hall
attained.
He resolved to try iron. Those Of bis
friends who knew Of this step looked
upon him--as many an inventor is
looked upon in our own day-as little
less than q lunatic. Iron for boat?
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 q furious gale and go out
through the storm to wrecked ship!
The idea, they said. was simply prepos-
ferrous. The young man acknowledged
the apparent force of the argument,
but he believed there was a way out of
the difficulty. He started in the path
alone. He found many cruel and dis
Il ao ,%nrirrp ,y:As,,,1&:o. &, <1.o .ro,, 1.,,A
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 one moment he seemed
SO near to success and at another SO
near to the saddest of failures.
It was now the year 1s41. He had
taken his faoily-for he was married.
to q country place where he 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 pow
erty, he worked for IL months, long,
discouraging. weary year. The end to
be gained was to make iron Aoat on
water, something which his best friends
thought the dream of lunatic. Day
by day and night by night he worked
ceaselessly. He denied himself all lux
uries, 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
pittance In his pocket. He was hun
cry, but he needed one more piece Of
iron to make one last supreme effort.
He went out to junk shop with his
last Is cents. He bought his piece OF
ron for 13 cents. With the rest of The
he bought bread and mola<ses
All that night he kofked. In the morn
ing he found that the rats had stoler ]
.hs piece Of bread which he saved TO.
his breakfast, but the labor Of the nigh,
had brought victory. He had solvee
the problem! He had conquered in th. /
fiercest battle of his life. He hat
achieved the success he sought. and this
victory meant the saving of the lives
of many thousands Of his fcllow-men.
The corrugation OF iron, forming
ridges In lines along the sides Of tht
boat had been invented. By this b.
was enabled to make the iron float, for
he could bend it and shape it to the
curved form Of = boat, and the bend
ngs OF. ridges in the sides took the place
Il all stays. supports, ribs and timbers
in themselves the support
md strength, while nothing was addes'
o the weight. The metal was put
lnder great pressure to do this, but ii
stayed in place, and the victory was
won.-W. 8. Harwood, in st. Nicholas.