The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-11-18
AMERICAN INVENTIONS
By FREDERIC ! HASKIN.
TRANSPORTATION

, two decades ago Motors, fixtures,
speed registers. wind gauges, altitude
records, and balancing appliances. are
only a few OF the hundreds of things
which will be required from the brain
OF the inventor As there has been
no more fruitful field of invention in
the past decade than supplying the
wants Of the automobilist, so all the
signs at the patent Office indicate that
, the flying IaChine business Will have
first call during the next decade.
One might trace the art OF transpor-
tation back TO the time when mothers,
strapped their babies TO their backs,
when men made animalskin soles for
their feet. and when humanity bore
of it's dead in sings attached To poles
resting on the shoulders of the body
bearers. But America first became
prominently identified with its devei-
opment when Oliver Evans built his
amphi0ous steam carriage in Phil
a0elphia about the same time that
Richard Treythick first harnessed
steam to transportation in England.
One Of Trevithick's engines was known
as The Puhing Devil In lSOS he
built a circular railroad TO London,
! and installed on il the Catch Ne Who
Can" charging a shilling ride.
stevenson several early locomotives
! followed In the tweuties, and his
| Rocket took the first prize OF $4,000
| I'm a contest for the best engine. II
was this engine which killed the first
man who ever lost his life in rail-
road accident.
The first locomotive ever run in
America. II We except Oliver Evans
cross between a boat. an automobile
and locomotive, was the Stour-
bridge Lion on the Delaware and HUI
son i'm May. 1929. The famous John
Bull ran on the Camden and Amboy
i'm 1881. and though II occupies a
place of honor in the National Mu.
scum II still is ft for duty II ever
called upon II travelled 20 the chi
cago Worlds Fair under its own
power and carried 10000 people
while there. The Baltimore and Ohio
first was built with the idea that
horses would pull the trains. Then
Peter Cooper wanted them to try his
engine, which had a keg-like boiler
and nucs made OF gun barrels. lie
raced horse and won. The b. 4
| O. then concluded TO offer a $4,000
prize for the best engine. and one OF
81. 800 for the second best engine
superiority 10 be determined by a
contest similar 10 those held for
flying machines today. II was won
by a Pennsylyan!a-built engine, called
the York" From that date forward
the railroad was on substantial
footing i'm the United States, and
Yankee ingenuity began 10 realize
what might be done 10 improve this
method OF transportation.
Rumsey. Fitch. and Fulton long pc
fore had been working on the ques-
ton of steam navigation. Before the
dawn OF the nineteenth century
George Washington had written let
ter certifying that he had witnessed
trials OF the Rumsey boat, and that
although he formerly had but little
faith In a. he was then convinced
that Rumsey had discovered the art
OF working boats By mechanism. He
was called Cray Rumsey" az homo,
exhibited a WORKING boat abroad. and
died I'm 1898 He had q controversy
before his death with Fitch. whom
he accused Of coming pottering
around his shop In letters 20 Lon
don friends he told OF a visit OF a