Ericsson
JOHN, an American inventor; born in Langbanshyttan, Sweden, ERIE July 31, 1803; entered the Swedish army in 1820; was promoted captain; resigned in 1827. He soon became known as an inventor. In 1828 he made the first application to navigation of the principle of condensing steam and returning the water to the boiler; later he brought out a self-acting gun-lock by means of which naval cannon could be automatically discharged at any elevation without regard to the rolling of the ship. In 1833 he designed a caloric engine; and in 1836 invented the screw propeller, which revolutionized navigation. Ericsson came to the United States in 1839 and two years later built the screw-propelling warship "Princeton" for the government. This vessel was the pioneer of modern naval construction and the foundation of the steam marine of the world. The achievement, however, which made him famous in the United States was the construction in 1861 of the ironclad "Monitor," which arrived in Hampton Roads just in time to defeat, on March 9, 1862, the Confederate ironclad "Merrimac." A fleet of monitors was soon built and did important service during the remainder of the war. Ericsson died in New York City, March 8, 1889. After his remains had been paid marked honor, they were sent back to Sweden on the new cruiser "Baltimore," and interred with imposing ceremonies.
ERIDANUS (ē-rida-nus), in Greek legend, the name of the river Po. In astronomy, one of the 15 ancient S. constellations. It winds like a river through the sky from the star of the first magnitude, Achernes, in the constellation Phoenix, past the feet of Cetus, to the star Rigel in Orion.