en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Bessemer
2 corrections found
it never received a proper seagoing test
This is contradicted by maritime records: the SS Bessemer did make sea voyages and trials before its famous Calais crash.
Full reasoning
The statement that the ship “never received a proper seagoing test” is incorrect.
Evidence shows the SS Bessemer did go to sea:
- Royal Museums Greenwich describes the vessel “during her delivery voyage from Hull to Dover” and says she was taken out of service only after “a few crossings” proved unsatisfactory.
- A University of Manchester thesis on nineteenth-century anti-seasickness technologies states that “A public trial journey to Calais had been organised and so a rehearsal was conducted beforehand.”
Those sources show the ship was not limited to garden or dockside testing. It undertook an actual delivery voyage and at least one rehearsal/trial crossing before the better-known Calais collision.
2 sources
- Bessemer (1875) | Royal Museums Greenwich
A broadside view of the experimental cross channel paddle steamer Bessemer (1875) ... during her delivery voyage from Hull to Dover ... She was taken out of service after only a few crossings proved she was entirely unsatisfactory.
- Steadiness at Sea: The History and Expression of Anti-Seasickness Efforts in the Nineteenth Century | University of Manchester thesis
A public trial journey to Calais had been organised and so a rehearsal was conducted beforehand. During the rehearsal, on its second attempt to enter the harbour the Saloon hit the pier, causing extensive damage.
effectively nullifying Bessemer's 1855 US patent.
Bessemer’s relevant U.S. patent was issued in 1856, not 1855. The 1855 date applies to his British patent, so the article is mixing up the UK and US patent timelines.
Full reasoning
The date given here for Bessemer’s U.S. patent is incorrect.
- Google Patents lists Bessemer’s U.S. patent US16082A, “Improvement in the manufacture of iron and steel,” with both publication date and grant date of November 11, 1856.
- IEEE REACH, summarizing the same patent, likewise identifies it as “US Patent #16,082, Nov. 11, 1856.”
So while Bessemer did obtain an important British patent in 1855, calling the U.S. patent a “1855 US patent” is wrong. Kelly’s successful challenge concerned Bessemer’s U.S. patent rights, but the relevant U.S. patent date is 1856.
2 sources
- US16082A - Improvement in the manufacture of iron and steel - Google Patents
Google Patents lists Bessemer’s patent US16082A with publication date 1856-11-11 and states “Application granted” on 1856-11-11.
- Henry Bessemer, US Patent | IEEE REACH
IEEE REACH identifies the document as “Henry Bessemer of London, England - US Patent #16,082, Nov. 11, 1856 ‘Manufacture of Iron and Steel’.”