PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 565 



the first and most perfect telegraph ever constructed. He also made the 

 first submarine telegraph, which was tried in New York harbor in 1842. 



Joseph Saxton was born in Huntingdon, Penn., in 1799. He is the inven- 

 tor of many philosophical instruments, the most important being the well 

 known magneto -electric machine, in which electricity is generated from 

 magnets by means of revolving helices. 



Thomas Blanchard was born in Sutton, Mass., in 1188. He is a well 

 known inventor. The most important and original of his machines is that 

 for turning irregular forms, first used at the U. S. Springfield Armory for 

 making gun stocks. 



Erastus B. Bigelow was born in West Boylston, Mass., in 1814. He 

 stands foremost in the world as the inventor of looms for weaving carpet. 



Josiah Jennings was born in Frankford, Conn., in 1782. He died in 

 1862. His prolific genius brought out many new and useful improvements. 

 The simplest and most important of all was the friction match, which he 

 invented in 1823. 



Richard M. Hoe was born in New York in 1813. He is the inventor of 

 the type-revolving press, now indispensable to newspapers having very 

 large circulation. It is in use in London and Paris, as well as in the pro- 

 minent cities of our own country. 



Elias Howe, Jr., was born in Spencer, Mass., in 1819. He was the first 

 inventor of the sewing machine, which, with several essential modifications 

 made by others, has become the most important auxiliary to domestic labor 

 ever constructed. 



Charles Goodyear was born in New Haven, Conn., in 1800, and died in 

 1861. He was the inventor of the combination of sulphur and india rubber 

 at a high heat, forming what is known as tho vulcanized rubber, which is 

 probably the most useful artificial substance ever made. 



James Bogardus was boru in Catskill, N. Y., in 1800. He is the inven- 

 tor of the ringflyer for cotton spinning; the eccentric mill; the dry gas 

 meter, and the engraving machine. He first constructed, in 1847, complete 

 cast-iron buildings. 



Samuel Colt was born in Hartford, Conn , in 1814, and died in 1861. His 

 most important invention was the chamber-revolving pistol, which for each 

 explosion required but one motion of the finger. This was the first practi- 

 cal instrument of the kind ever made. 



Cyrus H. McCormick was born in Virginia, and now resides at Chicago, 

 HI. He is the inventor of one of the reapers in common use, and which 

 received the grand prize medal at the world's fair, London, 1851. 



William T. G. Morton was born in 1819. He is identified with one of the 

 most important discoveries ever made, and the successful introduction of 

 anaesthetic agents. A committee appointed by the U. S. House of Repre- 

 sentatives, after a laborious investigation, reported that Dr. Morton was 

 the first to apply ether for the purpose of removing and preventing pain. 

 Dr. Wells, of Hartford, had previously used nitrous oxide for that object. 

 Although a patent was issued to Drs. Morton and Charles T. Jackson for 

 the method of using ether, it ie claimed that the former is entitled to tht 

 credit of furnishing to medical and surgical art this valuable auxiliary. 



Frederick E. Sickles was born in New Jersey in 1819. Ho is best kuowa 



