The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-24
TARDY JUSTICE
FOR INVENTOR.
Bricki|rs Case in Court for
Nearly Three Decades.
AWARD OF $S94,633 TO HEIRS.
He Invented Apparatus for Keeping Water
In Fire Engine Boilers Hot
USED IN ALL new YORK STATIONS.
Patents Were Grained inventor but City Fought Tho
Ease, and Justice Vas MOI Done TIL Three
Years Alter. BrIokITs Dsah.
He Invented Apparatus for Keeping Water
In Fire Engine Boilers Hot
USED IN ALL new YORK STATIONS.

water hot in the boilers of steam fire
engines. after futile legal battle of
20 years against the city of New York
for infringement upon his patents. died
three years ago poor and heart
broken man. A special master of the
federal court awarded his heis 1884,
$3.50 last Saturday. The case had been
in the courts 20 years. So tardy has
been justice that his widow is now try
ing TO sell her little home in Belleville.
NJ j., the only legacy he was able to
leave her. Red tape still stands be-
tween her and her fortune.
Brickill was an enthusiastic fireman
in the old volunteer days. When the
city established "A paid department nc
Was retained as an engineer. He had
been an expert in operating the old
hand pumps. lie gained great local re-
nown as engineer OF the nrst steam
pumping machine owned by the city.
lie was a skilful mechanic, and wnen
not at work was thinking. The useful
ness of fire engines, he thought out,
was much impaired by the loss OF time
caused I'm getting up steam. ~ used TO
be a plan TO take the engines out of
their houses build fires i'm their boil
ers. rake out the Goals and run the en-
gines back into the houses again, this
process being repeated as often as the
water grew cold. IL required constant
labor.
Brickill invented devices which kept
the water boiling all the time, so that
-rrrSf11u vHS always ready for duty,
and remarkable to say, by fire out
side of the engine boiler. In the cellars
of all engine houses OF today may be
seen "A stove, into which runs a coil of
pipes. A pipe leads up through the
nj
leading within the boiler. Another set
of pipes completes the circle, so that
hot water Is kept in circulation contin-
ually between the stove and the boiler,
supplying a light pressure OF steam.
The hitching of the horses upon an
alarm automatically detaches the pipes;
fire is lighted in the CRATE, and be
fore the engine gets 100 yards from the
house there is a full head of steam on.
The humble nreman's genius has
saved thousands of lives: IL has kept
millions OF property from the flames.
Brickill secured patents on his i'm
vention and left the fire department.
This was i'm 1865. He soon began to
know how HfeFe a thing is gratitude. He
demanded that the fire department
cease using his apparatus unless IL paid
him. He was coolly told
You did all this while you were in
the employ of the city You were paid
salary. You did nothing more than
your duty"
Brickill. however. took different
view OF the question. He called upon
the courts to decide IT.. He entered suit
for infringement OF his patent and for
damages. City administrations came
and went. Brckill lived To see his
mechanism in every fire house in New
York. But clever corporation counsels
succeeded I'm putting off year after year
no .nf hp
of ten years Brickill had spent all his
savings in the litigation. At the end
of II years the patent expired. He Of
fered 60 settS with the city for 100000
The city replied that he must continue
10 look To the courts
In Lawyer James a. Hudson. Of New
York. his personal friend Brckil had
an ally as determined as himself. Hud-
son fought as grimly. with or without
compensation. as IL he were the wrong
ed man. But after 20 years from the
beginning or the suit BriCkill remained
without a penny from his great i'm
vention. The documents i'm the case had
grown TO a library. Brickill had come
to be an old man.
0rty death stopped his efforts.
He was taken III one day three years
ago. The doctors told him he must
"If die he said to his wife. you
keep up the fight"
lie did not survive the operation.
In Bellevillc. y. j., a little house sits
among fruit trees. which Just now are
freshly green with new leaves. Within
"A stones throw OF the cottage stands
small wooden structure which was the
workshop of the Inventor in his declin-
ing years. There he was planning a
loom Cor weaving wire clcth when
stricken down
A ell "A.
nounces that the property Is for sale.
\ ,white-haired woman came TO the
door yesterday. IL was the dead inven-
tors widow.
"Ah," she said II have heard OF this
award OF money but shall never be-
leve Il until 7 have 1t I'm my hand.
we have hoped long IN vain I am
trying to sell this home ! am very
poor and must have money. ! shall sell
81 all-the workshop there and the land
How I wish. " "a be true that the court
decides at last in his favor, that he
Mrs. Bricklls honest eyes grew
moist
So the widow struggles on. waiting
FOR the great fortune that the law has
decided Is hers by reason OF her hu--
bands genius.
Several cases have lately been record
ed I'm which the dumb have been re-
stored to speech by some sudden and
violent shock \ Airs. Paiten. 80 col
chester England. -f.-iiftd tclrc surtrtrliv
n shprt tilne ago after u siieuc" W. %
years ibe shock being caused by the
Illness of n r daughter
.a----.----a--.
ST. Petersburg IS tO have a nSV-l Kind
of. "a musrum- Onilding cunfeining
mod IL ~ faninuf ingn'a aSsluna and
specimens ~ ,infhiug ati appliances
photographs. etc.