Skip to main content

1878

First Oil Tanker
Society: SPEMain Category: PetroleumSub Category: TransportationEra: 1870-1879DateCreated: 1878Bibi-HeybatState: BakuCountry: AzerbaijanWebsite: http://www.spe.org/industry/history/timeline.phpCreator: Nobel, Ludvig

 

The Zoroaster, commissioned and completed in 1878, is widely considered to be the world's first successful oil tanker. It was designed by Ludvig Nobel, who notably refused to patent any part of it, leading to the design being widely studied and duplicated around the world. The tanker was built in Gothemburg, Sweden and was intended to navigate the Caspian Sea, running between Baku, Azerbaijan and Astrakhan, Russia.

 

Pelton Impulse Water Wheel
Society: ASCEMain Category: CivilSub Category: Power GenerationEra: 1870-1879DateCreated: 1878CamptonvilleState: CACountry: USAWebsite: http://www.asce.org/Project/Pelton-Impulse-Water-Wheel/Creator: Pelton, Lester

Water wheels have been used to power mills and pumps for centuries. However, the traditional water wheel was inefficient: water hitting a bucket would splash back against the next bucket, slowing the wheel. This is especially true when water is delivered to the buckets under very high pressure.

YearAdded:
1973
Image Credit: Public Domain (Author's Choice)Image Caption: Pelton Impulse Water WheelEra_date_from: 1878
keeseville
Society: ASCEMain Category: CivilSub Category: BridgesEra: 1870-1879DateCreated: 1878AuSable RiverKeesevilleState: NYCountry: USAWebsite: http://www.asce.org/project/bridges-of-keeseville/Creator: Townsend, Soloman , Berlin Iron Bridge Company

A 214-foot single-span covered wooden bridge, built above the cribs of stone in the AuSable River that served to break log jams and ice floes, collapsed during the winter of 1875 under the weight of a three-foot snowfall and high winds. The "Upper Bridge" (pictured) was built in its place.

YearAdded:
1987
Image Credit: Public Domain (Released by Creator)Image Caption: The Keeseville Suspension Bridge built 1888, Keeseville, one of the three "Bridges of Keeseville" that span the AuSable RiverEra_date_from: 1878
Society: ASMEMain Category: MechanicalSub Category: ManufacturingEra: 1870-1879DateCreated: 1878John M. Browning Firearms MuseumOgdenState: UTZip: 84401Country: USAWebsite: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/manufacturing---2/-141-browning-firearms-collection-%281878%29Creator: Browning, John Moses
This collection recognizes the inventive talents of John Moses Browning (1855-1926), a prolific and significant designer of sporting and military firearms, whose designs were known for simplicity, accuracy, and reliability. He held more than 128 patents covering 80 distinct firearms produced by Winchester, Remington, Colt, Fabrique Nationale, Savage, and General Motors (during wartime), among others.
YearAdded:
1989
Image Credit: Public Domain; Produced prior to 1/1/1923Image Caption: Browning Firearms CollectionEra_date_from: 1878
Subscribe to 1878

Innovations

This collection recognizes the inventive talents of John Moses Browning (1855-1926), a prolific and significant designer of sporting and military firearms, whose designs were known for simplicity, accuracy, and reliability. He held more than 128 patents covering 80 distinct firearms produced by… Read More
keeseville

A 214-foot single-span covered wooden bridge, built above the cribs of stone in the AuSable River that served to break log jams and ice floes, collapsed during the winter of 1875 under the weight of a three-foot snowfall and high winds. The "Upper Bridge" (pictured) was built in its place.…

Read More
Pelton Impulse Water Wheel

Water wheels have been used to power mills and pumps for centuries. However, the traditional water wheel was inefficient: water hitting a bucket would splash back against the next bucket, slowing the wheel. This is especially true when water is delivered to the buckets under very high pressure…

Read More
First Oil Tanker

 

The Zoroaster, commissioned and completed in 1878, is widely considered to be the world's first successful oil tanker. It was designed by Ludvig Nobel, who notably refused to patent any part of it, leading to the design being widely studied and duplicated around the world. The tanker…

Read More

We hope you enjoyed this essay.

Please support America's only magazine of the history of engineering and innovation, and the volunteers that sustain it with a donation to Invention & Technology.

Donate

Stay informed - subscribe to our newsletter.
The subscriber's email address.