Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/350

 COLT

COLT

town of 2000 or more inhabitants in the United States, Canada, and Nova Scotia, illustrating his experiments by administering laughing-gas. He paid all his expenses and saved enough money to continue his work. In 1835 he went to Europe, secured his patents there, and returning early in

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1836, began to manufacture arms at Paterson, N.J., with the "Patent Arms Manufacturing Company, " with a capital stock of $300,000. The first rude model had been changed into a pistol with a rotating cylinder containing six chambers discharging through a single barrel. Mr. Colt used every effort to prevail upon the U.S. gov- ernment to adopt the arm, and after an examin- ation the committee reported, ' ' that from its complicated character, its liability to accident, and other reasons, this arm was entirely unsuited to the general purposes of the service."' In Octo- ber, 1837, Mr. Colt received a gold medal from the American institute, and was elected a mem- ber. The opposition of the government greatly injured the sale of the arms, but many were sold to the Texan rangers. Soon after the breaking out of the Seminole war in 1838, he went south, carrying some of his arms which met with approbation. Fifty were piu'chased and General Harney reported, " I honestly believe that but for these arms the Indians would now be luxuriating in the everglades of Florida." In 1839 a second patent was taken out covering several improve- ments, chiefly the loading lever. In IMarch, 1840, a board of naval officers tried the arms and made an unfavorable report, recommending them, however, for arming boat expeditions, and ac- knowledging the great superiority of the percus- sion to the flint lock. A subsequent examination resulted in the purchase by the govei-nment, in 1841, of 160 carbines. In 1842 the company failed, and until 1847 all manufacture of arms was sus- pended. Meanwhile, Mr. Colt became interested in the offing telegraph, and in 1842-43, laid sub- marine telegraph lines from New York city to Coney island, and to the Fire island light, the first submarine cables ever successfully operated. At the beginning of the Mexican war in 1847, he

received an order from the government for 1000 pistols, which marked the beginning of his suc- cess. In 1848, he returned to Hartford, his native city, and began the manufacture of arms on Pearl street. In 1852 the business had so greatly in- creased as to warrant the erection of a new armory, and he bought up a large tract of land in the south meadows, enclosing it by a dyke one and three-fourths miles long, and from ten to thirty-two feet in height, for protection from inundation. The armory consisted of three large buildings, to which a fourth was added in 1861. As early as 1854, he had sold to the viceroy of Egypt 5000, and to the British government 200,000 revolvers. He was married June 5, 1856, to Elizabeth Hart, daughter of the Rev. William Jarvis of Middletown, Conn. See Armsmear : the Home, the Arm, and the Armoi'y of Samuel Colt (1866). He died in Hartford, Conn., Jan. 10, 1862. COLT, 5amuel Pomeroy, lawyer, was born at Paterson, N.J., Jan. 10, 1852; son of Christo- pher and Theodora (DeWolf) Colt; grandson of Christopher Colt, and of Gen. George DeWolf; a nephew of Samuel Colt, inventor, and grand- nephew of James DeWolf, United States senator from Rhode Island. His great-grandfather. Gov- ernor William Bradford, was of the sixth genera- tion from William Bradford of the Maijjlou-er. Samuel P. Colt received his early education at Hartford, Conn., at Bristol, R.I., and at Antlion's granunar school. New York citj'. He was grad- uated from the Massachusetts institute of tech- nology in 1873, and passed a year travelling in Europe. He was graduated at the Columbia law school. New York, in 1876 ; was admitted to the New York bar in Maj^ 1876, and to the Rhode Island bar in 1877. He was aide-decamp on the staff of Gov. Henry Lippitt, 1875-77; a mem- ber of the general as- sembly of Rhode Is- land, from Bristol, 1876-79 ; assistant

attornej'-general of Rhode Island, 1879- 81 ; and attorney-gen- eral, 1882-85. He founded the Indus- trial trust company of Providence, R.I., in 1887, and re-organ- ized the National rubber company of Bristol in 1888, being president of both or- ganizations from

their foundation. He was also president of the National eagle bank ; vice-president of the First national bank of Bristol, R.I., and a director, sec- retary, member of the executive committee

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