Evening star., 1911-08-19
Patent Records Prove Claim.

There is no question that Mr.. Timby S
claim to the invention of the revolving
tower which. distinguished the Monitor
was based in fact; the patent office rec
ords show that. Moreover, John F.
Winslow. John A. Griswold and c. S.
Bushnell. who built the original craft
recognized his rights as patentee by pay
ing him royalties: for it is interesting to
know that the first designs and specitica-
tions for the little gunboat called simply
for a vessel of wood and iron of certain
| dimensions, with but ten feet draft, so as
to enable her, to make a speed of nine
miles an hour, and with maSts, spars,
sail and rigging, but without mention OF
| turret. This feature, which later count
ed for everything, was not added till
| Timby's invention had been brought to
the attention of Winslow and Ericsson
by Erastus Corning, who had taken a
lively liking to it,
How came Mr.. Timby to think of this
device? AS he told the story to the
writer, he was in 1S41 making his first
| trip to Washington as a lad Of nineteen
years. In crossing the lower Hudson tc
reach the Camden and Amboy railroad
station, his eye was caught by the round
fort on Governors Island, pierced with
gun holes on the side toward the water
Now" he reasoned, when the guns
have been fired, there must follow con-
siderable delay while the gunners are re-
of the fort is of no use at all except
to shelter the inmates Why not utilize
that side. too, by piercing it with gun
holes and hanging the whole fort on a
central pivot, SO that when the guns or
the water side have been discharged al
the enemy's ships. the turn of a crank
will swing into play the opposite side
where a fresh array of guns have been
| loading while the first Were firing?''
Calhoun Was Impressed.
| With this thought filling his mind he
| finished his journey and at once sought
| an interview with John G. Calhoun, ther
a senator from South Carolina. Mr.. Cal
| houn was SO favorably impressed with
| his idea that young Timby was encour-
| aged to have an ivory model made
| though he was too poor to afford, it with
out much inconvenience. With this ocu
| lar illustration he approached other pub
| lie men, including some experts in mill
| tary engineering and ordnance, of whom
| all commended warmly the eSsentia
| merits of the invention, but none was
| willing to urge it's purchase by the gov
| ernment, because the country was IA
peace with all mankind" Nevertheless
| convinced that the day would surely come
when the device would be needed, Timby
| filed his cayeat at the patent Office, ant
| thenceforth occupied himself with the
| perfecting of the turret. He did not TAX,
| out his letters patent till 1861, and
year afterward filed on some improve
| ments slightly modifying the origina
| plan. Instead of the simple .'cheesebox'
| which Ericsson put upon the Monitor
| Timby'S first tower was more in tn,
| shape of a bell, with a small slittet
| cylinder in the place of the handle. to b,
used as a coming perch for the office
directing the fight. Later development
made the whole thing resemble more
| sugarloaf set In soupplate.
| 1t is worth nothing that in 1853 JET
ferson Dav s manifested much interes
in the invention. but was among thos,
| who insisted that there were no wa
clouds on the country's horizon, ant
hence that the inventor might safely lie
his final patent wait awhile longer, a.
his caveat would protect his rights. Sine,
his own government would not take /
up, Timbys faith In his idea was 81
| strong that he approached the Chimes,
| and the French governments. At botl
| courts he received commendation, bu
not the material aid he had hoped for
and to the day Of his death he never de
| rived any pecuniary profit from his re
| volving tower patent beyond the few
thousand dollars in royalties alread.
mentioned.
Self-Educated Scientist.
Mr.. Timby was not an educated ma,
in the technical sense, though he received
honorary degrees from one OF two insti
tutions of learning. He went through