[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1790]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WATERS' ``ENDLESS CHAIN''

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                          HON. WALTER B. JONES

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 29, 2000

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, North Carolina has produced 
many notable individuals and accomplishments. From Andrew Jackson to 
Michael Jordan and from the first American born child to first in 
flight. North Carolina has a lot to brag about. There is one North 
Carolinian in particular who I wish to remember today, Mr. Benjamin 
Franklin Waters.
  Mr. Benjamin Waters was from the small town of Dover, which is 
located in historic Craven County, North Carolina. In 1907 Mr. Waters 
received a patent for a revolutionary new invention, which he called 
``the endless chain.'' The principle behind his invention is used today 
as the tracks of our amphibious military tanks and in machinery such as 
farm equipment.
  Mr. Waters invented the ``endless chain'' as a useful improvement for 
boats. The original patent specifications give Mr. Waters credit for 
``propelling mechanism . . . comprise(d of an) endless chain of 
propeller blades which travel about and below the boat and which are so 
constructed that water will be prevented from getting behind the blades 
and thereby retarding the progress of the boat.''
  As is often the case, it was only by accident that Mr. Waters 
realized the potential use for his invention on land. He and his 
brother, Frank Waters, who had helped him build his invention, were out 
testing their model one Sunday afternoon using a clock spring as a 
power source. They placed the boat into the water and sent it to the 
other side, only to have the boat quickly run up the bank and onto 
land. This amazing discovery led Mr. Waters to begin work on obtaining 
a new patent for use of his invention on land.
  Unfortunately, plans for the new patent were not completed before Mr. 
Waters was tragically killed at the age of 35. He was deaf and did not 
hear the oncoming train that would take his life as he attempted to 
cross the railroad tracks. His family claims that Mr. Waters' workshop 
was broken into and all of his drawings and sketches stolen soon after 
his death. Thus he never received credit for the invention's capability 
and utility on land. In 1924 the right to his patent on water also 
expired.
  However, today, the ``endless chain'' lives on in daily use by our 
military, our farmers, and our industries. I wish to officially 
recognize Mr. Benjamin Franklin Waters and thank him for his ingenuity 
in providing us the principles of the ``endless chain.''

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