Ithiel Silsby Richardson

Ithiel Silsby Richardson was a prolific inventor. On October 15, 1836, he was granted U.S. Patent No. 56 for a new and improved mode of constructing door-plates. Among his other inventions was a self-acting fire alarm and a hovercraft.

"Ithiel S. Richardson also invented a "self-acting fire alarm," as well as an atmospheric telegraph, propelling "mail balls" according to one contemporary account, for which he received Congressional approval in 1854 to build a tube from Baltimore to Washington in order to test its viability. The tube was never built, but his efforts in aviation and communication were well-regarded by their communities and pushed the boundaries of possibility in an age of innovation." https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24897/lot/123/aeronautics-richardso...

The Providence News, February 2, 1892, page 1.