FITCH

FITCH 21.01. 1743 Winsor CT/USA 02.07. 1798 Bardstown KY/USA John Fitch established a brass shop at East Windsor CT in 1764 and was in charge of the Trenton Gun Factory during the Revolutionary War. He surveyed lands along the Ohio Valley and the North-western Territory from 1780 to 1785. He invented in 1787 a steamboat and in 1788 launched an 18 m long steam paddle-propelled boat used to carry passengers from Philadelphia to Burlington NJ. He received in 1791 French and US patents for a steamboat, but he lost the financial support through inefficient handling of financial affairs, even though he had perfected and constructed four steamboats. A rival of Fitch was James Rumsey (1743-1792). Fitch thought to discard his original idea of paddle boards on continuous chains for the jet-propulsion idea proclaimed by Benjamin Franklin. But Fitch was persuaded by his mechanic to adhere to the original paddle-board idea, though this was soon changed to a system of crank-mounted paddles driven by a self-designed steam engine. A skiff so propelled made its first short trip to Delaware with two fabricators as passengers in 1786, and an improved craft was publicly demonstrated in the following year. Later, a better-streamlined boat with stern rather than side paddles was built, and by 1790 Fitch operated a passenger and freight service between Philadelphia and Bordentown NJ. Fitch, as Rumsey, sought exclusively patent and operating rights for his steamboat from various states, essential to which was the proof of priority of invention. However, Rumsey had the better claim but a bit of skullduggery seems to have been introduced by his supports if not by Rumsey himself. The model that Washington certified was apparently a mechanical device not utilizing steam at all, as should be apparent from his forthright comments. The other certification evidently describes the 1786 boat, for it agrees in detail with Rumsey’s own description of 1788. Though Fitch secured many affidavits correcting such misstatement, Rumsey seems to have won the case. Dissatisfied with the recognition he received in the States, Fitch sought support in France, but with even less success. Plagued by unfortunate personality traits and bad luck, he returned home a bitter man. Anonymous (1963). Fitch, John. Who was who in America 1607-1896: 182. Marquis: Chicago. Boyd, T. (1972). Poor John Fitch, inventor of the steamboat. Ayer: Manchester NH. P Rouse, H. (1976). John Fitch. Hydraulics in the United States 1776-1976. Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research: Iowa City. P https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fitch_(inventor) P

FITZGERALD 20.05. 1846 Nassau/BS 22.09. 1926 Brookline MA/USA Desmond Fitzgerald was born on the Bahamas Islands, where his father was a captain in the British Army. The family moved to Providence RI when Desmond was a child. Here he became acquainted with engineering in the office of a firm. In the early 1870s Fitzgerald was appointed chief engineer of the Boston & Albany Railroad, but in 1873 began his career as a hydraulic engineer by becoming superintendant of the western division of the Boston water works. Most of his pioneering work was done in connection with the sanitary protection of water supplies, the improvement of reservoirs, and the study of related biology in drinking water. He also built some of the largest and most important storage reservoirs of Boston City during these years. Fitzgerald was a pioneer in the study of colour in water and of methods of reducing it by swamp drainage, as well as of the sunlight in bleaching stored water. He established a biological laboratory in connection with water supply. Fitzgerald made a long series of tests at Chestnut Hill Reservoir on the evaporation from water area aiding to establish fundamental knowledge on this subject. When the Metropolitan Water Board absorbed the Boston supply works in 1898, he continued in charge of operation until resignation in 1903. As a consultant, he was connected with many projects, including the Chicago Drainage Canal, and the water supplies of Washington DC, San Francisco and Manila. After retirement, Fitzgerald, a distinguished lover of art, erected in Brookline MA his art gallery, which became a center of interest in paintings, and Korean and Chinese pottery. The 1886 and 1892 papers published in the ASCE Transactions were awarded the Norman Medal. He was a Member ASCE and president ASCE in 1899. Anonymous (1924). Desmond Fitzgerald. Engineering-News Record 92(16): 644-645. P Anonymous (1926). Desmond Fitzgerald dead. Engineering-News Record 97(14): 555. P Anonymous (1928). Desmond Fitzgerald. Trans. ASCE 92: 1656-1661. Anonymous (1931). Fitzgerald, Desmond. Dictionary of American biography 6: 434-435. Scribner’s: New York. Anonymous (1938). Early presidents of the Society: Desmond Fitzgerald. Civil Engineering 8(8): 557-558; 8(11): 759-760. P Fitzgerald, D. (1886). Evaporation. Trans. ASCE 15: 581-646. Fitzgerald, D. (1892). Rainfall, flow of streams and storage. Trans. ASCE 27: 253-306. Swain, G.F. (1927). Desmond Fitzgerald. Proc. American Academy 62(9): 255-257.