Marc Seguin
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Marc Seguin | |
Marc Seguin
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Born | April 20, 1786 Annonay |
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Died | February 24, 1875 |
Nationality | French |
Known for | suspension bridge |
Marc Seguin (April 20, 1786 - February 24, 1875) was a French engineer, inventor of the wire-cable suspension bridge and the tubular steam-engine boiler.
Born Annonay near Lyon, France to Marc François Seguin, founder of Seguin & Co. and Thérèse-Augustine de Montgolfier niece of Joseph Montgolfier, he was an inventor and entrepreneur. He developed the first suspension bridge in continental Europe, building and administering toll-bridges for a total of 186 bridges throughout France. He also invented the tubular steam-engine boiler, which enabled steam-engine trains to increase power and velocity from 4 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour making railroad a more viable mode of transportation. Later he would collaborate with George Stephenson to help him win the speed contest at Rainhill Trials, where Stephenson's Rocket won using the fire-tube boiler.
Inventor but also entrepreneur, teaming with his brothers, Camille, Jules, Paul and Charles, as well as his brother in law Vincent Mignot he continued his father's successful business in textiles, paper, gas-lighting, coal mines, construction and added to it a railroad company and a bridge construction business.
Marc Seguin was voted into the Académie des Sciences in 1845, received the Légion d'honneur in 1836 and wrote numerous books on the use of physics and mathematics in building bridges and locomotives engines.