THE Wellington Independent "Nothing extenuate; Nor set down aught in malice." SATURDAY MORNING, 27th JUNE. THE HYDROSTATIC SHIR-LIFT AND IT'S INVENTOR.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1887, 27 June 1863, Page 2

THE Wellington Independent "Nothing extenuate; Nor set down aught in malice." SATURDAY MORNING, 27th JUNE. THE HYDROSTATIC SHIR-LIFT AND IT'S INVENTOR.

Real inventors do not always reap tbe fruits of their ingenious labours. The years of laborious investigation, and patient toil, the sacrifice of hard won savings, which are necessary to bring ah invention to perfection and practical use, have often been unavailingly glvjen^ and keener, though less taleated men bustle the originator out of tbe field and become reoipi* cots of tbe honor and profit which are justly his due. We have been led into those remarks by observing in tbe Daily Telegraph* report by Messrs. Millar and Sboli to tbe Dunedin Chamber of Commerce recommend*^, ing the construction of " a Hydrostatic Ship Lift" there, after the patent of Mr Edwin Clarke. A similar proposal has also been submitted by the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, to Mr O'Shannassy, the Chief Secretary, and in both, instances a unanimous ' intention has been evinced to have the undertaking carried out under tbe same patent, viz : that under which five years ago the first work of the kind was constructed at the Victoria Ducks in London. N

The alleged inventor in this case, is Mr Edwin Clarke, and as at all events he carried out the undertaking in .question, 'it is to him application is now to be made by those who wish a similar work executed 1 in' the colonies. As we conceive a great injustice is thereby being inflicted on the real Mtoventor, which will probably shortly becomtf> f ihatter (by legal investigation, we take tbe earliest opportunity of publishing the facts that have come into our possession, which will at least serve to place tbe matter in its proper light, and show, that it is rather to Mr James Scott than to Mr Ed. win Clarke that the credit of this invention is really duet

In the year 1850, Mr James Scott, of* F*l« kirk, obtained a patent for certain improvements in Docks, Slips, and apparatus cqnnected there* with, the claims which he made in bis invention being "first;— a system or mode of lifting. vessels by Hydrostatic power ; and second ;— the application and use of vertical Hydrostatic lifting cylinders, for the elevation of vessels." The patent granted him extended to the colo* nies, and British America . Mr Scott left Glasgow for Australia in 1853, and afterwards came to New Zealand. While residing in this coidny io 1858, he ascertained that a Patent Hydrostatic Ship-lift bad been constructed for the Victoria Dock Company, by Mr Edwin Clarke, who had also obtained a patent in 1857. He there* fore immediately wrote to his agents, enclosing a power of attorney, and directed that proceedings should be taken against Mr Clarke, for an infringement of his patent right. This woufd undoubtedly Lave been done, . but for the in* judicious action of his brother«in»law. a Mr Melville, who had it appears been inducediorae time previously to hand over to the Londoo engineers the whole of Mr StiottY plans and specifications ; and who further, when, the work had been finished, in consideration of a sum of money paid by the Company^ relinquished on behalf of Mr Scott all. further claim on it, Ultimately it was found by Mr Scott's agentt. that this would virtually bar all fuitber claims on bis behalf, and thus so far as the Victoria Dock Company was concerned the matter was at an' end. Not so, however, as to any other works involving the use of the patent. In the practical Mechanics' Journal, of December 1858, the following advertisement was inserted.