“It all came from the flying fishes and the sea gulls,” said Janin. “I was what is called a cadet representing the government on a mail ship in 1899. I was detailed to a steamer running down South and used to stand on the bridge and watch the flying fish rise in an arc from the surface of the sea. I used to say: ‘If a fish can do that, I can make a machine do the same stunt.’ That’s why I got the idea of the water machine first, while the others worked on the land-machine idea.
“The notion about warping the wings I got from the sea gulls that were always sailing around us. So I began to make drawings of flying boats. Right away my friends said: ‘Crazy.’”
The difficulties through which Janin has made his way are hinted at in the decision of the examiners in chief. Here, for example, is an excerpt from their report:
“Following the date of his conception—of the invention—Janin made drawings, and in 1909 attempted to build a full-sized device himself. He, however, was a poor man, evidently struggling to meet his current living expenses.
“From what his witnesses testify it is apparent that he was continually striving to raise funds to develop his ideas, which were regarded by many as illusionary.”
Without the help of any one, and with no encouragement except the sympathy of his wife, Janin persisted in completing his invention. The value of the aid given him by Mrs. Janin can only be guessed from the few words he said of her.
“Everybody laughed at me except the family. They were game. My wife was a sticker, even when there was sickness in the family, and a lot of troubles that I won’t tell about. She believed in me all the way.”
Finally, in January, 1911, Janin made application for a patent on his design for the flying boat. August 22d of the same year Glenn H. Curtiss applied for a patent on the same “counts.” The examiner in the patent office gave the patent to Curtiss. Now that Janin has won on his appeal to the examiners in chief, he will get a royalty on the flying boats which will make him rich.
Warns of Boiler Danger.
There are over 500 boiler explosions in North America every year. The records show that many of them are accompanied by fatalities. A little invention which promises to do much toward preventing such accidents has just been completed and patented by two Canadian engineers, John J. Oglivie and Fred F. Dier, of Ottawa. It is called an “electric-signal water column.”