On October 11, 1913, sailors on the Dutch steamer ship Coertzen noticed a curious object floating in the water at the mouth of the Scheldt River along the English Channel off the coast of the Netherlands. As the ship approached, the crew discovered that the object was a corpse. Though badly decomposed the personal effects found on the body were identified as belonging to Rudolf Diesel who had been reported missing 9 days earlier. Suspicions continued to mount regarding the fate and motive for the disappearance and now apparent death of the famous inventor.
The turn of the 19th into the 20th century is commonly referred to as the period of the industrial revolution. The countries of the United States and Europe were undergoing a rapid transition from rural-agrarian economies to urban industrial economies. During this time period there were several prominent innovations that drove this technological shift.
In 1769, James Watt perfected the steam engine which was later adapted by Sir Charles Parsons into the steam turbine engine in 1884 allowing for a transition from sail to steam power on the sea. The discovery of the electric light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1879 brought a new form of illumination that could push the usable boundaries of the day into the dark hours of the night. John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil controlling the production and refining of petroleum oil which ultimately became the predominant fuel source of the 20th century. These innovations, and more, resulted in massive changes in society as well a profound centralization of wealth and power in the hands of the leaders of industry.
On a geopolitical front, the dawn of the 20th century was witness to an imperial scramble between the great European powers of Great Britain, France and Germany. Each country's quest for dominance in Europe and colonies abroad resulted in a great deal of diplomatic tension that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War 1.
It was into this context that German born, French raised inventor, Rudolf Diesel made his mark on the world. Diesel was a curious and intelligent boy who enjoyed deconstructing mechanical devices and discovering how they worked. Though raised with limited economic means, he was able to attend university and study engineering. After his training, he was obsessed with trying to improve the energy efficiency of motive power. He believed that through the development of an internal combustion engine he could improve engines from the 6% efficiency provided by steam powered external combustion engine to something much greater. Utilizing the heat generated through the compression of air coupled with an oil-based fuel, he developed the engine technology that now bears his name - the diesel engine.
Diesel's initial motive was to create an engine that would provide power and elevate the position of the common man. But his innovation was quickly seen by leaders of industry and leaders of nations as a technology that would revolutionize motive power for the coming century. While his engine dramatically changed the face of industry, it also played an important role in the military arms race between Germany and Great Britain that would be tested at sea over the course of two world wars.
It is safe to say that the diesel engine is one of the few technological innovations that has most profoundly changed the course of history and industry in the last century. Diesel engines provide power that supports every industry from agriculture to energy to transportation. Every product in our economy has at some point been produced or transported with a diesel engine. Personally, I have three diesels in my own fleet of engines. This book, by author Douglas Brunt, is a fascinating look at the life, work, and mysterious disappearance of one of history's most influential yet forgotten men – the man who changed the face of industry - Rudolf Diesel.
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