The Coolidge examiner., 1936-01-03

1 be nailed as nfSt IN tne MONIES OF
his countrymen," because "his in
ventions and adaptations of his dis
coveries have found their way into
well-nigh every American home"
Until he invented the Franklin stove, the first
successful wOOd-burning stove in this country
Americans heated Cor tried to heat) their homes
with open fireplaces, of which it has been said
that when you tried to warm yourself, you
scOrched your front while your back froze" He
also invented the valuable contrivance by which
a fire consumes it's own smoke, and his pamphlet,
Cause and Cure of Smoky Chimneys" revealed
the correct principles of chimney construction
which rid the world of the annoyance of smoky
fireplaces and chimneys.
Franklin contributed to the health of his coun-
trymen by being the originator of the modern
science of ventilation. He was the first to dis
cover the poisonous quality which repeated res
piratOnS give to the air in a room. He was the
first to call attention to the folly of keeping
fresh air out of hospitals and sick rooms. When
most of the world slept with bedroom windows
tightly shut, he was vigorous advocate of open
windows fresh air and proper ventilation.
When there were bathtubs in American
homes and the general custom was to battle but
seldom (not even every Saturday night y, Frank
lin was an advocate of frequent bathing and
took hot bath twice a week. He also advocat-
ed and practiced airbathing, the fOreruhner of
the modern "sun bath" Although he was not
the discoverer he was the first to demonstrate
the production of cold by evaporation "a fact
up to that time unknown to science) thus paving
the way for modern "air cooling"
Franklin was the first to advocate dressing
senSibly. He made tests of various colored
cloths on snow which showed that black and
dark colOrs absorb the heat from the suns rays
and that white does not. He made recommends
white clothes trODicS
white cloth helmets for the troops in India which
were adopted many years later by the British
He invented laundry mangle, which lightened
the burden of ironing clothes after they have
been washed. washington records in his diary
the fact that he a demonstration of this
machine.)
People who wear spectacles can thank Benja
min Franklin that they do not have to carry
around two pairs-one for distant vision and
one for closeup For he invented bi-focal lenses
and made pair of spectacles with such lenses in
them for himself.
Among his many other inventions were three
wheel clock, library chair that could be con-
verted into a step-ladder, artificial arm for
taking books from high shelves in a library,
One-arm chair that could be used like a desk or
table for writing (the modern "one-arm restau
rant has added another use for it, the pulse
glass and an electric jack for turning roast
of meat
Do you know why you enjoy the convenience
of all kinds of household utensils operated by
electricity? It's because Benjamin Franklin was
the first to discover that current of electricity
can magnetic a piece of steel. He found that
wire carrying a current of electricity and
wound around a piece of iron makes the iron
magnet. 1t is upon this fundamental principle
that the telegraph, the telephone and the electric
motor based
In world that believed that lightning was
caused by poisonous gases exploding in the air,
Franklin by his famous tests with a kite was
identical. Knowing what lightning was, he was
able to control it-aS much man is able to
control any force of Nature-at least to the eX-
tent of reducing its hazards. He did this by
inventing the lightning rod, which DR.. Charles
SteinmetZ, the modern electrical wizard de-
clared to be the best and most reliable protec-
ton we have against lightning.
Another way in which Franklin protected the
American home, or, at least, compensated for one
disaster which might happen to it, was to or
ganize the first fire insurance cOmpany-the
philadelphia COntributiOnship for the Insurance
important to- his fellow citizens of Philadelphia
the fact that he established the first fire
engine company to protect the city from fire
And not content with that civic enterprise he
also did these things for Philadelphia thereby
providing an example for other cities to follow