US Ericsson, John

John Ericsson​

Born: July 31, 1803

Birthplace: Långbanshyttan in Värmland, Sweden

Father: Olaf Ericsson - 1778–1818

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Mother: Brita Sophia Yngström Ericsson

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Wife: Amelia Byam

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Married: October 15, 1836 at St John's Church, London, England

Children:

Hjalmar Elworth 1824 - 1887​

(illegitimate son of Caroline Lilliesköld & John Ericsson)​

Signature:

Antebellum History:

About 1820: Joined the Swedish Army at age 17​

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Soon promoted to lieutenant in the Swedish Army, and assigned to a field survey unit tasked with making maps of the country​

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1826: Left the Swedish Army and Moved to England​

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While in England, worked on engineering projects including: hot air engines, locomotives, and steam-powered fire engines, and developed significant improvements to the screw propeller​

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1839: Relocates to New York City, New York​

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1843: Launch of the USS Princeton, the U.S. Navy's first screw-powered warship, which Ericsson had co-designed with Robert Stockton​

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1844: In February, the USS Princeton was hosting dignitaries from Washington when one of the ship's cannons exploded, killing eight people onboard, including the U.S. Secretary of State, and the U.S. Secretary of the Navy. Although not at fault for the explosion, Ericsson was blamed, and his relationship with the U.S. Navy soured.​

1848: On October 28, John Ericsson proudly became a U.S. citizen​

1854: On September 26, Ericsson, inspired by Naval Warfare stories, presented a plan for a new iron new warship, with a dome shaped gun tower to Napoleon III of France, who praised the design, but didn't put any effort into building.​

Civil War History:

1861: Congress appropriated $1.5 million on August 3rd, to build one or more armored steamships, advertised as "iron-clad steam vessels of war". Ericsson made no submission to the board at this time.​

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1861: On September 9th & 10th, Ericsson travelled to evaluate the design of Cornelius Bushnell's new Ironclad ship U.S.S. Galena, to verify it's seaworthiness. Ericsson showed Bushnell his model of his latest ironclad design, a Monitor, which Bushnell insisted on showing the U.S. Navy.​

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1861: Despite some initial misgivings about it's ability to float, and at the insistence of President Lincoln, the U.S. Naval board accepted Ericsson's Monitor plan on September 15th, and recommended procurement on the 16th, with formal notice of the acceptance coming on the 21st. The keel was laid for the new ship on October 25th.​

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1862: The name "Monitor" was proposed by Ericsson on January 20th, and approved by Assistant Secretary of the Navy.​

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1862: The Monitor was successfully launched on January 30th, and commissioned on February 25th.​

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1862: The first battle between ironclad warships occurred on March 9, at Hampton Roads, Virginia. The battle ended in a tactical stalemate between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, neither of which appeared capable of sinking the other, but strategically saved the remaining Union fleet from defeat.​

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1862: John Ericsson wins the Rumford Prize, awarded for scientific contributions to the fields of heat and light, for his improvements in the management of heat, particularly as shown in his caloric engine of 1858.​

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1862-1865: Actively involved in designing and building over 30 monitor-type warships of several designs for the U.S. Navy​

Postbellum History:

1866-1889: Produced ironclad ships for foreign navies; experimented with submarines, self-propelled torpedoes and heavy ordnance.​

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1872: In November, John's son, Hjalmar Elworth, who had no previous direct communication with his father, sends his first correspondence, forming a relationship that would last until Hjalmar's death in 1887​

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1876: John meets with his son, who is visiting as a Commissioner from Sweden, at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia​

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1889: Death of close friend and advocate Cornelius H. DeLamater.​

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1889: On his deathbed, Ericsson left special instructions to his secretary, Valdemar F. Lassöe, for the completion of his "sun motor", something that could be described as a solar engine.​

Last Spoken Words: "I am resting. This rest is magnificent; more beautiful than words can tell!"

Died: March 8, 1889

Time of Death: 12:39 am

Age at Death: 85 years old

Place of Death: New York City, New York

Cause of Death: Complications from Bright's disease

Original Burial Place: Marble Cemetery, New York City, New York, Disinterred on August 23, 1890

Remains Transferred Via: Armored Steamship USS Baltimore, on a 22 day voyage across the Atlantic.

Reinterred at: East Cemetery, in Filipstad, Sweden

 

[CivilWarTalk]

Selected U.S. Patents of John Ericsson​

U.S. Patent No. 287, dated July 19, 1837 - Bathometer
"new and useful instrument for the purpose of ascertaining with accuracy the depth of water or soundings from a ship or vessel"

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U.S. Patent No. 588, dated February 1, 1838 - Screw Propeller
"new and useful Propeller for the Purpose of Propelling Steamboats Effectually Notwithstanding Any Variations in Their Draft of Water"

U.S. Patent No. 1,847, dated November 5, 1840 - Mode of Applying Steam Power to Locomotives, &c.
"Application of Steam-Power to Locomotive Purposes and Steam Navigation"

U.S. Patent No. 3,869, dated December 31, 1844 - Screw Propeller
Reissue No. 129, March 10, 1849
"new and useful Improvements in Propelling Ships"

U.S. Patent No. 4,181, dated September 9, 1845 - Ship Propeller
"an Improved Propeller for Steam Navigation"

U.S. Patent No. 6,815, dated October 23, 1849 - Feed-Water App's for Boilers
"Improvements in the Fresh-Water Maker for Distilling Sea-Water"

U.S. Patent No. 6,844, dated November 6, 1849 - Steam Engine
"Arrangement of engine for using steam expansively"

U.S. Patent No. 8,579, dated December 9, 1851 - Rotary Fluid Motor

U.S. Patent No. 14,690, dated April 15, 1856 - Air Engine

U.S. Patent No. 22,281, dated December 14, 1858 - Air Engine

U.S. Patent No. 30,306, dated October 9, 1860 - Air Engine

U.S. Patent No. 40,028, dated September 22, 1863 - Bathometer
"new and Improved Instrument for Taking Soundings"

U.S. Patent No. 40,830, dated December 8, 1863 - Port Stopper
"Improved Port-Stopper for Vessels of War and Fortifcations"

U.S. Patent No. 40,919, dated December 15, 1863 - Operating Gun Carriage
"Improved Means of Working and Controlling the Recoil of Gun-Carriages"

U.S. Patent No. 41,208, dated January 12, 1864 - Ordnance
"the manufacture of ordnance of a central core or barrel containing the bore, and a system of bands, hoops, or rings of wrought-iron"

U.S. Patent No. 100,514, dated March 8, 1870 - Gun Carriage
"new and improved Gun-Slide and Carriage"

U.S. Patent No. 226,052, dated March 30, 1880 - Air Engine
Reissue No. 9,414, Dated Oct. 12, 1880

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U.S. Patent No. 247,813, dated October 4, 1881 - Steam Engine

U.S. Patent No. 288,699, dated November 20, 1883 - Speed Regulator
"a new and Improved Speed-Regulator for Engines"

U.S. Patent No. 298,455, dated May 13, 1884 - Submarine Projectile

U.S. Patent No. 374,354, dated December 6, 1887 - Steam Engine
"a new and useful Improvement in Compound Steam-Engines"

 

[DaveBrt]

John Ericsson​

View attachment 446916

Born: July 31, 1803

For fun: my wife's maiden name was Erickson and the line runs to Sweden; my last name is Bright.

There are John Erickson's in my wife's line, but it does not appear to be this John.

 

[UCVRelics]

U.S. Patent No. 40,919, dated December 15, 1863 - Operating Gun Carriage
"Improved Means of Working and Controlling the Recoil of Gun-Carriages"

This patent is very interesting as controlling the recoil was a problem, especially with the bigger guns.

 

[lupaglupa]

What happened to the sun motor?

 

[Luke Freet]

Ericsson's legacy last far beyond the Civil War, much more than many generals and politicians of his time. His Monitor design, while not the first Ironclad by a long stretch, was an important iteration, and pointed the way to future warship designs with a fully enclosed armored turret housing the primary armament. Alongside his other naval designs, he's also one of the first inventors to make attempts at utilizing solar power (at least solar power as most understand it today), with his "sun motor" meant for agricultural use.

His name may not be in the same vein as Nikola Tesla or Thomas Edison, but he left his mark as one of the great inventors of history.

 

[Pollaco]

During His stay in England was from 1836 to 1839 Ericsson received 30 patents and a stay in debtor's prison.His main interest at this time was improvement on the screw propeller. He couldn't interest or convince either the British or the American government until the Tyler administration. It was then he helped develop the U.S.S. Princeton.The big gun (Peacemaker) that exploded was not one of his designs. That was designed by a Captain Robert Stockton. Due to the explosion,the U.S. Government failed to compensate Ericsson fully for his work on the development.It's really a wonder Ericsson agreed to work for the U.S. Government again.

 

[Pollaco]

Most people didn't catch the significance of the date of his death in 1889. It was the anniversary of the Hampton Roads engagement between the C.S. Virginia and his Monitor.

 

[UCVRelics]

It's really a wonder Ericsson agreed to work for the U.S. Government again.

I would say money!!!!

 

[Pollaco]

I would say money!!!!

Actually who else but a government would really need his designs? The Confederacy maybe but I would bet he wanted to be paid in gold.