chief Cornplanter, an invitation was given him to take an excursion up the river; he at first hesitated, but on being assured that there was no danger, went on board with his family. He witnessed the various parts of the machinery, the engine, paddle. wheels, &c., with astonishment, exclaiming, in broken English, "Great!—great !—great power!" The Alleghany drawing only eighteen inches of water, was enabled to ascend many of the small streams that empty into the Ohio, and so established the practicability of navigating small and rapid rivers, that this kind of boat has since gone into universal use.

Like all other inventors, Blanchard has experienced his share. of wrong from the selfishness of his fellow men. He has secured no less than twenty-four patents for as many different inventions. But a small portion have been of sufficient benefit to pay for the expense of getting them up. Many of them have been used without consent, or even so far as giving him the credit of their invention. While making his first model for turning irregular forms, a neighbor attempted to defraud him of it, by obtaining others to privately watch his movements, who would copy as fast as he pro. gressed. On Blanchard's going to Washington to secure the right, to his great astonishment he found a caveat had been lodged for the same invention only the day previous. Luckily he had taken the precaution, at the time his model was first put into operation, to call two witnesses to view it, and note the date; so he was enabled on trial to sustain his right. Scarcely, however, was this difficulty surmounted before another attempt was made to deprive him of it. A company was about forming in Boston, to put it into operation for turning ships' tackle-blocks, for which right the inventor was to receive several thousand dollars. Two individuals, discovering, on examination, (as they thought,) that the claim was too broad, informed Blanchard of it, at the same time threatening that, unless he would give them one half of what he was about to receive, they would make it public: he rejected these proposals with scorn and indignation. Thereupon an article appeared in the prints, cautioning the public, and stating that the inventor had claimed more than he had invented. This so alarmed those interested, that a stop was put to the formation of the company; he thereupon surrendered up the patent, and took out another.

After he obtained a renewal of his patent by act of congress in 1834, he was determined to prosecute, in order to realize something from his labors. On bringing a suit before Judge Story, of Boston, he was nonsuited through two defects in the patent: one of which was in the date of the patent set forth in the act, and the other in terming the invention a machine,

instead of an engine. On application to congress, although strenuously opposed by the defendants in the former case, the mistake was rectified. Subsequently another suit was commenced against the same violators. The defence set up was,—first, that the plaintiff did not describe his machine so clearly in the specification as to enable a skilful artist to build it; secondly, that the machine was not the invention of the plaintiff; and thirdly, that the claim was for the function, and not for the machine itself. But not any proof being brought to establish this defence, the court overruled all objections, and gave judgment for the plaintiff. His honor Judge Story, on making his remarks, paid the following high compliment to Mr. Blanchard, viz.: "That after much trouble, care, and anxiety, he will be enabled to enjoy the fruits, unmolested, of his inventive genius, of which he had a high opinion; and it afforded him much pleasure in thus being able publicly to express it."

Mr. Blanchard, at the present time, is residing in New York city, where he is engaged in an invention promising to be of superior utility. We trust that success will attend all his future efforts: and may he continue to merit the increased gratitude of his fellow. citizens by the productions of his inventive talents.

HENRY ECKFORD.

Birth.-Is placed with an eminent naval constructor at Quebec.-Commences ship-building in New York.-Establishes the reputation of the naval architecture of that city.-Improvements.-Indebtedness of our country to his exertions during the late war.-Verplanck's tribute to his memory.-Builds the steam-ship "Robert Fulton."-Is appointed naval constructor at Brooklyn.Builds the Ohio.-Resigns.-Is engaged in constructing vessels of war for the various European and some of the South American governments.-Plan for a new organization of the navy.-Unfortunate connection with a stock company. -Honorable acquittal.-Is appointed chief naval constructor of the Turkish empire.-Death.-Character.

We are indebted to the kindness of a friend for the following memoir of one, whose talents and industry evinced in improving the popular arm of our national defence, should render our country proud of ranking him among her adopted children.

Henry Eckford was born at Irvine, (Scotland,) March 12, 1775. At the age of sixteen he was sent out to Canada, and placed under the care of his maternal uncle, Mr. John Black, an eminent naval constructor at Quebec. Here he remained for three or four years, and in 1796, at the age of twenty-one, commenced his labors in New York. His untiring industry and attention to business soon procured for him numerous friends; and the superior style in which his ships were built excited general attention. At that time the vessels constructed at Philadelphia stood highest in the public esteem; but it is scarcely too much to say, that those built by Mr. Eckford soon occupied the first rank, and gradually New York built ships bore away the palm from all competitors. Equally con versant with the theoretical as well as with the practical part of his profession, he never frittered away his own time or the money of his employers in daring experiments, which so often extort applause from the uninformed multitude. He preferred feeling his way cautiously, step by step. Upon the return of one of his vessels from a voyage, by a series of questions he obtained from her commander an accurate estimate of her properties under all the casualties of navigation. This, connected with her form, enabled him to execute his judgment upon the next vessel to be built. In this way he proceeded, successively improving the shape of each, until those constructed by him, or after his models, firmly estab

lished the character of New York built ships over those of any other port in the union.

It would be impossible, within the limits prescribed by the nature of this work, to point out the various improvements in the shape and rig of all classes of vessels suggested by the fertile mind of Mr. Eckford; and perhaps their technical details would be unintelligible to ordinary readers. It is sufficient to observe, that after his models our vessels gradually dispensed with their large and low stern frames, the details of their rigging underwent extensive changes, and in the important particulars of stability, speed, and capacity, they soon far surpassed their rivals.

Mr. Eckford had married and become identified with the interests of his adopted country when the war broke out between America and England. He entered into contracts with the gov ernment to construct vessels on the lakes, and the world witnessed with astonishment a fleet of brigs, sloops of war, frigates, and ships of the line, constructed within an incredibly short space of time. At the present day, we can scarcely appreciate the difficulties and discouragements under which operations on so extended a scale were obliged to be conducted. The country was comparatively wild and uninhabited, the winters long and severe, provisions and men, with the iron-work, tools, rigging, and sails, were to be transported from the sea-coast, the timber was still waving in the forests, and, to crown the whole, the funds provided by the government were in such bad repute, that, to obtain current funds therefrom, Mr. Eckford was obliged to give his personal guarantee.

Under all these embarrassments, he commenced his operations with his accustomed activity and judgment, organized his plans, and offered every inducement to the interests, the pride, and the patriotism of those in his employ to labor to the extent of their ability. Encouraged by his presence and example, they entered upon their labors with enthusiasm, and neither night nor day saw a respite to their toils. The consequences were quickly apparent. A respectable fleet was soon afloat, and our frontier preserved from the invasion of a foe as active and persevering as ourselves. In allusion to these efforts, one of our intelligent citizens, Mr. Verplanck, in a discourse delivered before the Mechanics' Institute, has happily observed, "I cannot forbear from paying a passing tribute to the memory of a townsman and a friend. It is but a few days since that the wealth, talent, and public station of this city were assembled to pay honor to the brave and excellent Commodore Chauncey. Few men could better deserve such honors, either by public service or private worth; but all of us who recollect the events of the struggle for naval superiority on the lakes

during the late war with Great Britain, could not help calling to mind that the courage, the seamanship, and ability of Chauncey would have been exerted in vain, had they not been seconded by the skill, the enterprise, the science, the powers of combination, and the inexhaustible resources of the ship-builder, Henry Eckford."

At the conclusion of the war, his accounts, involving an amount of several millions of dollars, were promptly and honorably settled with the government.

Shortly after this, he constructed a steam-ship, the "Robert Fulton," of a thousand tons, to navigate between New York and New Orleans. Unlike the light and fairy-like models of the present day, which seem only fit for smooth water and summer seas, she was a stout and burdensome vessel, fitted to contend with the storms of the Atlantic, and her performance, even with the disadvantage of an engine of inadequate power, far exceeded every expectation. The sudden death of her owner, in connection with other circumstances, caused her to be sold; and it is no slight commendation of her model, that when she was afterwards rigged into a sailing vessel, she became the fastest and most efficient sloop-of-war (mounting twenty-four guns) in the Brazilian navy. It is to be regretted that the model then proposed by Mr. Eckford for sea steamers has not been followed. The vain attempt to obtain speed, without a corresponding change in the shape of the model, that would enable them to contend successfully with heavy seas, has been attended with disgraceful failures, involving an immense loss of lives.

A strong feeling of professional pride induced Mr. Eckford to accept an invitation from the Secretary of the navy to become naval constructor at Brooklyn. He was desirous of building a line-of-battle ship for the ocean that should serve as a model for future vessels of that class, and in the Ohio, we believe, it is generally conceded such a model has been obtained. Her ports, it is true, have been altered to suit the whim of some ignorant officer, who has thus weakened her frame in order to imitate an English model, and her spars have been curtailed of their due proportions, to gratify a commissioner's fancy; but, under all these disadvantages, she is to remain a model for future constructors. Unfortunately, our marine was then encumbered, as it is now, with a board of commissioners composed of old navy officers, who fancied that because they commanded ships they could build them,—an idea as preposterous as it would have been to have intrusted the naval constructors with their command. Under this sage administration of the affairs of the navy, six ships of the line, costing four