UNTIMELY DEATH.

Auckland Star, Issue 17, 21 January 1932, Page 7

UNTIMELY DEATH.

BRITISH INVENTOR. Car Smash Hastens Passing of Louis Brennan. DESIGNER OF TORPEDO. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Keeeived 1 p.m.) LONDON, January 20. The death is announced of Mr. Louis Brennan, the famous British inventor. He was suffering from an attack of bronchitis and went to Montreux to recuperate. He was knocked down by a motor car on December 26. He continued to the last to discuss, with liis chief technical assistant, the progress of a secret invention which he considered would be his most important achievement. This work will be continued. Louie Breunan was born in Ireland in 1852, and later worked as a watchmaker in Melbourne. When he suggested th-a addition of the gyroscope and several other appliances to the famous Whitehead torpedo, the British Admiralty, recognising the value of his invention, invited him to go from Australia to England, and in 1882 he was paid a retaining fee of £5000, and engaged for three years at a salary of £2000 a year and expenses paid, for which he was to give his whole services to the improvement of his invention. He was afterwards given a reward of £110,000 and a salary of £1000 for five years. Breunan was for many years afterwards and during the Great War, consulting engineer to the Government Brennan Torpedo Factory. lie has since been interested in the monorail as a means of passenger and traffic transport, but this, though theoretically practicable, has never been successfully applied to use. His latest interest was directed towards aeronautics, and he carried out various experiments in connection with the helicopter. He was attached for several years to the Air Ministry confidential research branch.