Theodore Timby

Theodore Ruggles Timby is credited as the inventor of the revolving turret that was used on the USS Monitor, the ironclad warship that fought in the Civil War. He was born in Dutchess County, New York on April 5, 1822. Early in life, at the age of 16, he invented a method for raising ships out of the water for repairs by sinking a water-filled box beneath it, then forcing the water out through pumps in order to raise the ship. ["People's Book of Biography" by James Parton, 1868, p. 233]

Throughout the 1840s, Timby perfected a revolving gun turret for use on land or water. He constructed a 21 foot-long model and brought it to Washington, but met with little success, as war was not imminent. However, with the outbreak of the Civil War, Timby brought his model to the Lincoln Whitehouse, and this time met with a much warmer reception.

Meanwhile, a Swedish-born architect named John Ericsson had submitted a proposal to build an ironclad ship for the Union navy. Lincoln appointed a naval board to assess the situation, which recommended that Ericsson's ship be constructed with Timby's turret. The Monitor was built for $195,000 and was sold to the Union Navy for $270,000. Timby received a 5 percent commission of $13,500. ["The Brooklyn Daily Eagle", various issues 1902]

Timby spent much of his life in Saratoga Springs, New York, having moved there in 1860. He patented a wide variety of other inventions, such as a door sash, water wheel, paper cutter, needle case, and a globe clock that was sold in such numbers that some can be seen today on auction sites. [ [http://www.historyofsaratoga.com Saratoga County History: "Invented in Saratoga County"] ]

There was an effort in the early 1900s to give credit to Timby for his turret invention. The "Washington Post" stated in 1909 shortly after his death that "John Ericsson has for years monopolized all of the credit for inventing and building the "Monitor", but as a matter of fact he was joint inventor with Theodore Timby." ["The Washington Post", articles in 1902 and 1909]

See also

*Saratoga County inventions

References

External links

* [http://www.monitorcenter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132 Theodore Timby and the Revolving Turret]
* [http://www.historyofsaratoga.com Saratoga County Industries, Railroads, and Inventions]