Inventions that killed their inventors

Any inventor is a dreamer by nature. Only believing that the impossible is achievable allows him to make discoveries and move the entire civilization forward. There are hundreds and thousands of failed attempts behind almost any important invention.

Sometimes, they cause bankruptcy and loss of image and reputation. Some inventors lose touch with reality, finding themselves in the position of outcasts. It is not uncommon for one’s invention to kill its creator.

5 inventions that killed their inventors

1. Valerian Abakovsky

Russian inventor Valerian Abakovsky was born in 1895 in Riga, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. The end of the XIX and the beginning of the XX century were a time of unrestrained scientific and technological progress. Then, it seemed that man was capable of conquering the planet and subjugating all the elements.

The first developments in the field of electric transport also appeared. Valerian Abakovsky studied the concepts of the high-speed railway with particular interest. It turned out to be the most relevant for Russia. Connect Vladivostok with Moscow or Riga, so the journey takes hours rather than days or weeks.

At the age of twenty-five, Valerian designed his aircar. The design was a metal body, similar to the usual wagon, but with a large propeller in front. He had to accelerate the car to incredible speeds. Electricity served as fuel, which did not need to be loaded on board, making the structure light.

On July 24, 1921, an accident occurred during an aircar test. The car really picked up a lot of speed, but it derailed. Many other engineers died along with Bankovsky.

2. Otto Lilienthal

The Wright brothers made the first controlled flight on an airplane. However, attempts were made to climb into the sky before them. For example, Otto Lilienthal is known as the “flying man.” The German inventor is considered one of the pioneers of aviation, inspired by birds’ soaring.

His cars would never have been able to cross the ocean or fly over the territory of several countries. Nevertheless, the first hang gliders showed potential. Unlike the huge balloons, Lilienthal’s devices were compact and did not require any fuel reserves.

Newspapers and magazines of the 1890s wrote admirably about attempts to conquer the air element. This increased Otto Lilienthal’s authority, which, in turn, convinced the general public of the need to master high-speed flights.

During his life, Otto made more than two thousand flights, carefully documented the results, and continuously searched for the best wing design. In the end, he succeeded.

The concept of modern airplane wings originates from the work of a German inventor. Otto Lilienthal planned to establish mass production of gliders, but on August 9, 1896, a tragedy occurred. Eyewitnesses said that the hang glider hovered in the air, then spun and crashed to the ground like a stone. Otto Lilienthal was seriously injured and died the next day.

3. John Day

John Day was born in 1740 and devoted his life to the design business. It is difficult to say who the first and actual inventor of the submarine was. Attempts to sink to the bottom of the ocean have been made since the Middle Ages and maybe even earlier.

John also sought to explore the depths of the sea. This required a car with wide autonomy without any hoses. The wooden device, called the “Diving Chamber,” was made in 1774. It remained to be convinced of the invention’s effectiveness. John Day was not famous for his wealth, so he had to play the role of a test subject personally.

The submarine was towed to the dive site by the vessel Maria. John took on board a few candles, a small supply of food, and water. There was enough space inside the boat to hang a hammock. The inventor had to spend 12 hours underwater. In any case, he voiced such an intention and seemed to have confidence in the event’s success.

In the early morning of June 22, the submarine was detached from the ship, and it became clear that John’s calculations were wrong. Instead of a smooth dive, the boat plunged rapidly into the depths of the sea and did not surface again. It is unknown what exactly caused John’s death. Perhaps he drowned or successfully reached the bottom, where he died when his oxygen reserves ran out.

4. Michael Hughes

Michael Hughes was born in the USA, worked as a driver, and lived an everyday life. It is not known under what circumstances, but one day, Michael became interested in the Flat Earth hypothesis. He was so imbued with this concept that he decided to personally check and prove the correctness of the conspiracy theorists. To do this, it was necessary to break the rules of the “World Government” and rise into the stratosphere for real.

Mad Mike began mastering engineering and building his transport rocket. On February 22, 2020, Michael Hughes arrived in the California desert filled with determination. A similar homemade rocket was on the makeshift launch pad. Hughes filmed the whole process because he needed irrefutable evidence.

This meant there should have been no pauses, gluing, or editing. By the time of the launch, many onlookers and journalists had gathered around. Some supported Mike’s ideas, others were just curious.

Finally, the rocket soared into the sky, taking its only passenger. However, the flight was interrupted after only a few seconds. It looks like a parachute designed for a soft landing opened during takeoff. The structure collapsed to the ground along with Mike.

5. Webster Wagner

Webster Wagner began his career as a successful entrepreneur and later became a famous politician. In the middle of the 19th century, New York was experiencing a period of rapid development. The city was growing at a fantastic pace, so new infrastructure was needed for the convenience of the citizens. Wagner’s company started with the production of wagons but soon shifted to the railway industry, which looked much more promising.

Webster Wagner did not invent anything fundamentally new but introduced modern standards of passenger transportation. He owns the concept of a sleeping car, where a person has little personal space and can spend long hours in relative comfort. Soon, such wagons became the norm in all countries, but they were used on the New York Central Railway for the first time.

On January 13, 1882, Webster Wagner, already a popular politician, was going on a tour of the state as part of the election campaign. Naturally, he preferred to travel comfortably in a luxurious compartment. In the afternoon, two trains collided in the Hudson Bay area. Many people died in that disaster, including Wagner himself.