Posted 8 years ago
UncleRon
(41 items)
Here is an unusual tool I’ve had for some time. The torch is 16 ¾” long o/a with the removable hood attached. The body of the torch is hollow cast iron, 3 ½” long, and has a threaded fill-hole in its base into which the handle screws. There is a lead seal at the junction. Heating the body causes gasoline fuel to vent from the tube through a hole next to where the tube is crimped shut. The gas is directed away from the head, over the tube. When ignited, the flame heats the tube and subsequently the body, resulting in a high-pressure jet of gas shooting out of the tube, until the fuel is exhausted. The removable shield helps direct the burning gas. On the body are cast the words “COLUMBUS / OHIO” on one side and “J MFARLAND / PAT / JAN 23 or 28, ___.” (This could be J. M. Farland or J. McFarland.) The year is completely gone. Update: the writing represents Josiah McFarland, Patent 186,593 dated Jan 23, 1877. Excellent detective work by Celiene!
Josiah McFarland. Fire Kindler, Filed Sep. 1876.
https://books.google.com/books?id=Ts06AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA796&lpg=PA796&dq=patent+farland+columbus+ohio&source=bl&ots=EkDXC27hIV&sig=WJTroY5F20x-jtwCWBmLk53V6zo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjr3K3PvufNAhUEx2MKHZypACQQ6AEIODAG#v=onepage&q=patent%20farland%20columbus%20ohio&f=false
Patent #186,593!
Sheesh - they have his name spelled: Mofablakd!!
https://www.google.com/patents/US186593?dq=186,593&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjv3YHTv-fNAhUK02MKHVTYCvkQ6AEIHDAA
Issued Jan. 23, 1877.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=0186,593.PN.&OS=PN/0186,593&RS=PN/0186,593
Go to the last link, and click on 'images' for the full patent photo & claims.
Yikes - he and his wife were killed by a train in 1901. He was a member of the 57th Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Civil War.
"Saturday last, on the arrival of the passenger train from Albion at the depot here, the community was shocked by the news that just a few minutes before, Mr. and Mrs. Josiah McFarland had instantly lost their lives, being struck dead and most fearfully mangled, at the third crossing west of the Fish pond, on the Union Pacific branch just beyond the city limits.
The public wagon road at this point runs north and south, and makes with the railroad track an angle of about forty-five degrees. Besides the fireman and the aged couple in their buggy, there were two little children of Mr. Stabb who saw the accident at close range--George McFarland, son of the aged couple, from his farm, seeing the train, the buggy, the cloud of dust and the stopping of the train, was nearly beside himself with apprehension as to what had happened.
The train was stopped at a little east of the next crossing, the bodies taken from the engine's pilot where they were lying side by side, placed in the baggage car, and from there taken in charge by Mr. Gass, the undertaker, and prepared for burial at his establishment.
The buggy was torn to pieces, and was disengaged from the staid old horse, that immediately started back for home, and was met a short distance from the wreck by George McFarland.
Coroner Metz drove down from Humphrey Sunday morning, summoned a jury consisting of Ed. Rossiter, August Dietrichs, Fred. Curtis, J.E. Kaufmann, Horace Ward and Ed. Hoare, who met at the court house, and heard testimony.
George B. McFarland testified, (besides as related above) that he found on the body of his mother, a watch that had stopped at 1:15. He thought the train was a little late, but was not sure of that. Both father and mother were hard of hearing.
Engineer F.B. Wambaugh, mainly in answer to questions, stated that the engineer's place is at the right side of the cab. There were no trees to obstruct the view. The train left Oconee square on time and they were running on time. It was very near to the crossing before he knew anything of the buggy, the fireman, on the left side of the cab calling his attention, the fireman being the only one who could see the buggy. Two long and two short whistles were given, and the sand used, but were too near the crossing to prevent the accident. The east-bound train can from this point be seen at least four miles, half way to Oconee.
Fireman William Moran testified as to the usual signals given at both the crossings; to seeing the buggy and its occupants from his place in the cab of the engine; to calling the attention of the engineer to his own impression that the folks were going to keep on the north side of the railroad; to Mr. McFarland's pulling on the lines and striking the horse with them, which did not change his gait; to the engine striking between the wheels of the buggy, the man and woman slightly turning to look at the engine.
Conductor Hugh Compton knew that something was wrong when the alarms were given and the train stopped. He saw both bodies as they lay on the pilot with some parts of the buggy. The train was running on time at the usual rate of speed. In answer to a question by George McFarland, as to how long it took to stop the train when running at its usual rate of speed, he said about the distance of five or six telegraph poles, and he guessed they were about ninety feet apart. The train stopped right on the next crossing.
The engineer, being recalled, said that thirty miles an hour, is forty-four feet in a second; he judged that the two crossings were eighty to one hundred yards apart. There were four cars in the train. They stopped in less than a quarter of a mile.
Brakeman A.E. McKenna didn't know much about the accident. The train was running at the usual rate; he knew by the whistles that something was wrong, and saw the horse running away from the train.
After viewing the bodies in the upper room of Undertaker Gass' establishment, the jury returned to the court house and rendered a verdict in substance that the "death was accidental, and not due to any negligence on the part of the train crew."
Josiah M. McFarland was born May 22, 1822. Mary Stanton was born October 1, 1825, both in Mercer county, Pennsylvania. They were united in marriage September 11, 1845, living in Pennslyvania until 1865, when they moved to Fairbault county, Minnestoa, removing from there to Columbus in 1877, where they have since resided, except about a year, during which they occupied a pre-emption in Cherry county, this state.
As The Journal goes to press, 2 o'clock, Tuesday, funeral services are being held at the Baptist church, southeast corner of Sixteenth and North streets, Rev. Pierce officiating.
We could readily believe that neither Mr. nor Mrs. McFarland had an enemy on earth. Their affection for each other and for their friends was singularly strong. On this side the seemingly very thin veil which separates the visible from the invisible, their last minutes on the earth were together and the probability is that death came so quickly that they were not conscious of its usual accompaniments of pain, anguish and despair."
I guess that about says it all. Thanks. The device operates as I suspected but I had its intent wrong. Good work Celiene!
I questioned that it would hold enough alcohol to heat it to a temp. to even solder.
I'd never heard of fire kindlers before but I've seen many small alcohol torches that had chambers of similar volume.
An alcohol flame doesn't make much heat.
True, but there are many old alcohol torches available. I see them all the time at antique sales. They must have been used for something.
Look at the patent - it could use many types of fuel. You only needed to ignite the kindling. It's like a precursor to the long butane lighters we use to light out BBQs now! I use a chimney for my coals..