The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-04-03
THE IRON LlFE-BOAT.
Trials OF Joseph Francis in TT ying to Per

Trials OF Joseph Francis in TT ying to Per
feet the Life-Saving Appliance.
But such work as this, successful as
it was, was only what we might call
amusement-therew was far more serious
work to perform. From 1880 to 1910 the
young man 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 them
selves shoreward. His cork-lined boats
were successful, and were giving him
a worldwide fame as an inventor and
philanthropist; but he felt that unless
he could invent boat of some other ma
terial than wood his object was but half
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 luratic. 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 n furious gale and go out
The idea, they said, was simply prepos-
ferrous. The young man acknowledged
the apparent force of the argument,
but he believed there was way out of
the difficulty. He started in the path
alone. He found many cruel and dis
heartening 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 one moment he seemed |
so near to success and at another so
near to the saddest of failures.
Tt was now the year 1S41. He had |
taken his family-for he was married. |
to a country place where: he could live |
more cheaply than in the city. He had |
the use of a 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,
u 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 float on
water, something which his best friends
thought the dream of lunatic. Day
by day and night by night he worked
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
ron to make one last supreme effort.
He went out to junk shop with his
asst 25 cents. He bought his piece of
ron for 13 cents. With the rest of the |
money he bought bread and molasses.
All that night he worked. In the morn
rg he found that the rats had stolen
- piece of bread which he saved for
lis breakfast, but the labor of the night
lad brought victory. He had solved
he problem! He had conquered in the
iercest battle of his life. He had 8
lchieved the success he sought, and this c
'ictory meant the saving of the lives {
# many thousands of his fellow-men. :
The corrugation of iron, forming
idges in lines along the sides of the =
'oat, had been invented. By this he +
vas enabled to make the iron float, for e
e could bend it and shape it to the V
uryed form of a boat, and the bend 4
ngs or ridges in the sides took the place I
all stays, supports, ribs and timbers, 7
in themselves the support n
nd strength, while nothing was added L =
D the weight. The metal was mt ., !"
nder great pressure to do this, but it "
tayed in place, and the victory was Y
S. Harwood, in St, Nicholas, v,