Behind every celebrated technological and scientific invention there is a history; a story which might not seem too pleasant . Many inventions we see perfected today were actually started by some daring and risk taking scientist who boldly took dangerous steps to further their experimentations even at the face of death. Below are some men who had died while creating or trying out their new inventions.
LOUIS SLOTIN:
This nuclear physicist was an American,who embarked on the Manhattan project after the second world war. Louis Slotin proceeded with the experimentation of a potential nuclear weapon called plutonium. Unfortunately,a burst of lethal radiation was mistakenly set off causing a fission reaction. Knowing the resultant damage of his action, Slotin covered up himself with the materials created to stop the radiation from spreading further,while his other companions ran to seek refuge far away from the laboratory. Louis Slotin died from exposure in May 30, 1946,two weeks after the incidence.
THOMAS ANDREW:
He was the infamous architect who designed the legendary titanic ship. On the very first voyage of the ship, he was compelled by honor to sail with the Titanic ship. Thomas Andrew had built the ship perfectly but for a slight inhibition to its vulnerability to iced water surfaces. He had earlier requested that the Titanic be equipped with forty six life boats in a case of eventualities. He was given twenty instead because of the high cost of purchasing these. In April 15,1912 the Titanic hit an ice berg while sailing in the ocean. Thomas Andrew was reported to have acted heroically, saving as many people as possible by helping them into the available life boats. After the crash Thomas Andrew’s body was never recovered. Ironically, He is remembered by many for saying that even God could not sink the Titanic.
SYLVESTER H ROPER:
This inventor made the firstever motorcycle in the world. He named this invention the Velocipede. It was made of a bicycle powered by a steam engine. Roper attempted riding the velocipede on a bicycle racing track and had ridden the pedal powered wheeler on an overrated speed that set it running at a very high pace. He collapsed and died from a heart attack caused during the crash. Roper died at the age of seventy two in 1st June 1896 but would be ever remembered in the auto mobile industry.
WILLIAM BULLOCK:
He was the first inventor of the today printing press. He died in 1867,April 12 from complications that developed from a surgery. He had gone about in his usual business to Philadelphia to install a printing press machine for the public ledger, but unfortunately one of his legs got mangled when he tried kicking a belt onto a pulley. This accident caused him to develop a gangrene that badly affected his leg to the extent it needed to be amputated.
KAREL SOUCEK:
He was a hard headed inventor who died from his adamant stance despite serious warnings of how dangerous the experimentation was. This Czechoslovakian who had first successfully built a shock proof barrel, Karel Soucek later he invented a capsule which was to be tested by been thrown into a water container from a top roof of the Houston Astrodome. On testing this experiment he missed his target and got killed by the resultant impact in Jan 20,1985.
FRANCIS EDGAR STANLEY:
He died in July 13,1918, while testing one of the steam powered automobiles he invented. Edgar Stanley had before was famous as a photographer been that he invented the photographic dry plate, but later on sold the patent to George Eastman of Kodak fame. It is from the profits made that Francis Edgar used in establishing the Stanley Motor carriage company. His death was an unlucky one because the accident occurred while he was trying to dodge some farm animals that strayed his part while driving.
HORACE LAWSON HUNLEY:
Hunley was one of the most daring inventors. He was the inventor of the today submarine. He had first created a prototype sub that when tested killed seven sailors and many others by trapping them under water. Horace didn’t get discouraged he forged ahead,went back to his planning board and rebranded a newly improved sub named the H L Hunley. This time around he test ran it himself by skippering the submarine off the coast of the Charleston,a sea side at South Carolina. Disappointingly, the Hunley failed to return to the surface, hence killing its inventor and other crew members on board. This happened on the 15th Oct,1863,a very sad death but necessary for a birthing.
JEAN FRANCOISE PILATRE DE ROZIER:
He was the first inventor of the hot air balloon flight in 1783. De Rozier was also the first scientist to experiment with hydrogen as a propellant. This he did by taking a mouthful of hydrogen and blowing across a fire. After this experiment his eyebrow and hair got badly burnt. Because of this,he disapproved hydrogen as a propellant because of its volatility. Years after makers of the Hildenburg confirmed hydrogen as a propellant. De Rozier had died while tryingto cross the English channel with hishot air balloon flight. The accident also took the life of his passengers. Jean Francoise Pilatre De Rozier is indeed the true father of aviation today.
MAX VALIER:
This inventor was a renowned rocket scientist from Austria. Earlier, he invented missiles that could be fuelled by solid and liquid materials. Valier desired to improve on his work by inventing a rocket propelled car. Alas,it worked perfectly! Never relenting Max Valier sought to better his experiment with alcohol as its combustible this time around. Unluckily for him this didn’t go well. On testing the alcohol powered rocket car, a colossal fire explosion occurred, killing Max Valier at the spot and setting his workshop ablaze.
Conclusively, the quest for scientific and technological discoveries has not exactly been a rosy one. But the resilience and doggedness of certain inventors to forge ahead even in the face of danger and death had birthed some of the noteworthy and indispensable scientific inventions of our world today. This ultimately tells us that the road to success is a rugged one that demands sacrifices.
