Mode of providing steam power to locomotives.

Early career
John's and Nils's father Olaf Ericsson who worked as the supervisor for a mine in Värmland had lost money in speculations and had to move his family from Värmland to Forsvik in 1810. Apparently in the post Civil War era some time before or around 1882 from the publishing date a ship was purchased by a Captain CHARLES L DINGLEY called the Ericssan with a weight of 1645 tons that was built by John Ericssan (Although the above section on John Ericssan's Friendship with Cornelius H. The Monitor appeared the next day initiating the first battle between ironclad warships on March 9 1862 at Hampton Roads Virginia.

John Ericsson (July 31 1803 – March 8 1889) was a Swedish-American inventor and mechanical engineer as was his brother Nils Ericson. He is remembered best for designing the steam locomotive Novelty (in partnership with engineer John Braithwaite) and the ironclad ship USS Monitor. He was born at Långbanshyttan in Värmland Sweden but primarily came to be active in England and the United States.