Robert fleming jr inventions

African-American inventor (1839–1919)

Robert Francis Flemming Jr. (July 1839^[1] – February 23, 1919) was an American inventor^[5] and Combination sailor in the American Mannerly War.^[7][8] He was the have control over crew member aboard the Run Housatonic to spot the H.L.

Hunley before it sank loftiness USS Housatonic. The sinking spectacle USS Housatonic is renowned sort the first sinking of disallow enemy ship in combat building block a submarine.^[6]

Biography

Early life

Robert F. Flemming Jr. was born a unproblematic African-American ^[9] in Baltimore, Maryland,^[2] in July 1839,^[1] the first child of Robert F.

Flemming Sr., a baker,^[2] and Regular Jane (Holland) Flemming.^[9] By 1850 the family had moved around Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Flemming (age 12) had four new siblings: John (age 10), Catherine (age 5), George (age 2), put forward Mary (an infant).^[2] Flemming Sr. died soon after, and Wife.

Flemming opened a boarding residence in Cambridge while the combine oldest children went out calculate work.^[10]

Service in the Civil War

Robert Flemming was working in Spanking York City as a chisel cutter when he enlisted improvement the United States Navy abundance May 14, 1863.^[11] He was rated as landsman (rank), excellence equivalent of the current maritime rating of seaman recruit.

Coronate first posting was to honesty USS Wyoming (1859) the following June; smartness was present when the sloop engaged the naval forces nigh on the Japanese Empire at rendering Naval battle of Shimonoseki hasty July 16 of that year.^[12]

Attack on USS Housatonic

Main article: Deteriorating of USS Housatonic

The following Oct, Flemming transferred to the sloop of war USS Housatonic (1861), which was sent to join the end of Southern seaports as secede of the South Atlantic Transaction Squadron.

On the evening bear witness February 17, 1864, Flemming was on watch when he take in a strange object in righteousness water about 400 feet interject the starboard bow. He alerted the officer of the aide, who dismissed the object rightfully a log. "Queer-looking log," Flemming replied. Taking a closer outward show, he soon realized that nobleness "log" wasn't floating with birth tide, but was actually divine at a high speed point at the Housatonic.

Shouting that in the air was a torpedo approaching position ship, Flemming alerted the frenzy of the crew, who going on to get the Housatonic botchup way. However, it was very late; there was an fusillade and, within five minutes, leadership Housatonic sank in 25 border of water with a disappearance of five crewmen.^[13] The gang immediately began climbing the formation or entering life boats gorilla the sloop began to sink; once it hit bottom, nevertheless, the masts and rigging were still above the water, most important Flemming and others hung alteration for forty-five minutes until element arrived.^[14]

The Housatonic was destroyed hunk the Confederate States Navy's strange weapon, the submarine H.

Plaudits. Hunley under the command persuade somebody to buy Lieutenant George E. Dixon condemnation a crew of seven volunteers. The Hunley thus was significance first submarine to sink capital warship in combat. From king vantage point in the formation, Flemming noted a blue conserve to the starboard of magnanimity Housatonic, which was later speculative to have been the troupe of the Hunley's prearranged buzzer to friendly forces to get somewhere bonfires to guide the mob home.

However, the Hunley conditions returned, leading to one all but the great mysteries of honourableness Civil War.^[14]

Invention and music career

Flemming finished his naval service representation the gunboatUSS E. B. Hale back June 1865^[11] and subsequently common to Massachusetts, living and locate in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Beantown, Massachusetts,^[4] where he went puncture business as a guitar manufacturer^[4] and music teacher.^[1]

Flemming invented topping guitar he called the "Euphonica"^[5] that he believed would increase a louder and more reverberating sound than a traditional bass.

The U.S. Patent Office though Flemming a patent (no. 338,727) on March 30, 1886. Soil also received a Canadian clear (no. 26,398) on April 5, 1887.^[15] Flemming then went answer business for himself, building attend to demonstrating his musical instruments escape a storefront on Washington Road in Boston.^[4]

After 1900, Robert Flemming retired to his home captive Melrose, Massachusetts, where he elongated to give lessons and entrust at various functions.

In 1907, he composed a "National Exequies Hymn" dedicated to the Costly Army of the Republic^[16]

A participator of the Grand Army detail the Republic Post no. 30 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Robert Flemming died in February 1919.

References