The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-08
4. h. HEINRICH, HoR0LoGIST.
RECEIVED THE HIGHEST AWARDS
AT SEVERAL WORLDS FAIRS

And Created . Sensation by His TimesNe.
oerting instruments in Q eix.Mouth
Test In washington. Yet His Death
In Brooklyn Passed Almsst Unnoticed.
A hearse, followed by a single carriage,
appeared one afternoon last week Feb. 49,
making It's way slowly through the streets
Of Hoboken. In the hearse was the body
Of H. H. Heinrich, q famous horologist
and for many years the most celebrated
maker Of chronometers In the United States.
In the carriage were c. A. Geisler and Henry
Rolfhauser. They laid him in the grave
and returned to the frugal home at 7ei
Washington avenue, Brooklyn, where he
had died and where, two hours before, the
simple funeral services had been performed
in the presence Of but three persons. the
third one being William Joclin.
By lifetime of study and sacrifice Mr..
Heinrich had reduced the discrepancies
in time caused by variations in tempera-
ture to tho minimum. He had received
tho highest awards and diplomas from
the Worlds Fair at Chicago, from the
Exposition and ohronometer tests in Berne.
Switzerland. in 1858, and from the Paris
International Exposition in 1880. He had
created sensation and become the wonder
of the theological world with his remark
able time-recording instruments At the
prize chronometer tests in Washington
in 1880. During the six months Of this
test, in a temperature varying from IS to s6
degrees in heat. his chronometer varied
but Is seconds, an error Of only a seconds
at the highest temperature. During the
preceding years. in 1878 and 1872, the best
thermometer at Greenwich showed a varia-
ton Of 81 seconds to s.S seconds In both
temperatures. and TO seconds, 30 seconds,
90 seconds, SIS seconds and ITO seconds
TO SIS seconds during period of six months.
At the time Of his death Mr. Heinrich
had passed his eightieth birthday. He was
the son OF farmer in Cranz, Germany, In
which town he was born in 1872. He ap-
prenticed himself to matchmaker at
Hamburg. where he remained a short time
At Vienna he was q pupil OF Martin Zeller,
and subsequently, In Switzerland he made
first-class escapements and watches. and
established theological school with which
he remained ten years As teacher. During
that time he visited London and Paris
and made the acquaintance of the leading
horoloRists OF the time, such as Brequet,
Juergensen, Frodsham. Dent, LANCE and
Kullberg. Having established reputation
as one OF the foremost chronometer makers
Of Europe, Mr.. Heinrich, still a young man,
crossed the atlantic and entered the employ
of Blunt 4 Nl,hols and subsequently that
of Tiffany Il Co. Ultimately he went into
business for himself at IL John street,
New York.
Mr.. Heinrich was as simple a. a child.
He was willing to 20 to almost any extent
to help friend. He was 80 welded to his
art that he never found time TO wed any
one else, and lived and died a single man.
For him every watch had an individuality,
which made him take an almost personal
interest In It.. In the days Of his active
career he had q bench fitted up directly
"a his sleeping apartment. and when he
was unable to go to sleep at night he would
60 to his bench and work He always
considered himself a student. seeking TO
find the causes for the errors OF timepieces
and investigating the methods by which
they could be corrected.
While considering his discoveries OF the
highest importance to the Neurological
world, Mr. Heinrich carefully kept much
Of hia knowledge to himself. not dis
cioaing his finer methods OF adjustment
even to those who studied under him; 1t
was bis ambition at the end Of his life to
publish treatise, through which he should
give to tho horologioal world the results
Of his long investigation. He contributed
MAJ y valuable papers to scientific pub.
as an authority in all the subjects in which
he taught. Many scientific watchmakers
who served an apprenticeship under him
speak Of the marvellous perfection Of his
work. declaring that they would not have
believed 1t possible TO do by hand what he
had done but for the fact that they had
seen him do IT,
In spite OF his prominence in the boro-
logical and scientific world. he was buried
days before his friends were aware OF his
death.
Mr.. Heinrich figures az the hero Of Fred
Struther's Romance book published
some time ago that created something Of
a stir. He Is supposed to have left valuable
parera concerning chrononnefera.