Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-31
LINCOLN'S INVENTION.
The Record on File at the Patent Of

The Record on File at the Patent Of
fee.
In the files Of the patent office are to be
found many papers of interest, not the least
one showing that Abraham Lincoln dozen
years before he became President belonged
to that tribe known as inventors. The
jacket in case No. 6469 contains the papers,
the Endorsements thereon showing that A.
| Lincoln of Springfield. county Of Sangamon.
state of Illinois, on March 10, 1s49 filed
an application for patent-petition. affi-
davit, specification, drawing and model
which was examined by Renwick April -,
directed to issue May 10, patented May q,
recorded in volume 49, page 664, and u. G.
Robbins was the attorney.
The petition was sworn to before John l..
Smith, justice of the peace. and witnessed
by q. c. Robbins and H. H. Sylvester, the
former an attorney now OF Washington and
the latter the grandfather of Major Rich
ard Sylvester, then the chief clerk of the
office. Pencied thereon are the words:
Thirty dollars gold to be paid and ac-
eompanying is receipt therefor, signed W.
Seiden, treasurer, U. s. A; A. Hall, regis
ter of the treasury, and dated April g. 1S49.
The petition is for patent for "a new
and improved manner of combining adjust
able buoyant chambers with steamboats,
and other vessels; for the purpose of ena-
bling the draught of water to be readily
lessened; to enable them to pass over bars
or through shallow water without discharg-
ing their cargoes," and, referring to the
drawing, describes the buoyant chambers
constructed in such a manner that they can
be expanded to hold a large volume
Of air when required for use, and can be
contracted in a very small space and safe
ly secured as soon as their services can be
dispensed with"
The claim is the combination Of expansi-
Bile buoyant chambers placed at the sides
of a vessel by means of spars or shafts in
such a manner that by turning a shaft in
one direction the buoyant chambers will be
forced downward into the water and at the
same time expanded and filled with air for
buoying up the vessel by the displacement
of the water; and by turning the shaft in
| an opposite direction the buoyant chamber
will be contracted in small space and
secured against injury"
Mr.. Robbins, who was Mr. Lincoln's at
torney, has been continuously a resident of
Washington and resides now at 1850 M
street northwest. When asked as to his
connection with the case he said:
Il was introduced by Mr.. E. B. Wash
burn, who afterward came to Congress, to
Mr. Lincoln at Miss Janney's boarding
house in 1S49, and We spent a pleasant
evening. l suppose Mr.. Washburn told him
of my profession of patent agent l was
then in the Gideon block, as we called it,
at 7th and F streets, and a few days after
Mr. Lincoln came to my office and, placing
his model on the table, said: I think have
invented something and, if new, 1 would
like a patent for it,
Il had lived in St. Louis for ten years and
soon saw the utility of the invention and
that it was patentable. Mr.. Lincoln re-
marked, l thought steamboat on that
plan would run where 1t was a little damp
then prepared the papers and in a little
time the patent was issued. l don't know
that he ever did much with it. for he had
but little capital, and l believe he turned
his attention to politics.