The first marine motor ship "Zealand" with a capacity of 7,500 tons with a diesel engine was built in 1912 in Denmark. Its power plant consisted of two diesel engines with a capacity of 1,250 hp each. The ship could make voyages from European ports to the Far East and back without intermediate fuel replenishment. This was one of the many examples of proving the advantages of motor ships over steamships. It is interesting to note that the polar explorer R. Amundsen, before heading to the shores of Antarctica in 1911 on his famous "Fram", replaced the steam power plant with a 180 hp diesel engine from the Swedish company Polar and gained a lot from this.
The subsequent fate of Rudolf Diesel turned out to be tragic. A native of a poor family who has known hardships, he has brought good to humanity thanks to his talent and perseverance. Now, as his engine triumphantly strode across the planet, a vicious smear campaign unfolded around the inventor. Even German scientists denied Diesel's merits and demanded that his rights to the invention be revoked. The conductors of the chorus of ill-wishers were the rich men of the coal industry in Germany, generous with handouts to their vassals who overthrew the diesel engine hostile to them.
In a hard, grueling struggle, Diesel despaired of proving anything to his opponents. He began writing the book "The Origin of the Diesel Engine" in order to present the documentary truth to history about the fulfillment of "his life program."
On September 29, 1913, accompanied by two Belgian engineers, Diesel set sail for London on the steamer Dresden from Antwerp. Tall and elegant, gray-haired at the age of 55, Diesel attracted the attention of passengers and the ship's crew. On the morning of September 30, the inventor's companions were puzzled: he did not appear in the salon for breakfast. It was not in the rules of a punctual doctor-engineer. They hurried to his cabin, which was open. There was no diesel in it. The bed looked untouched. Having failed to find the Diesel engine, the engineers reported the incident to the captain of the liner. The ship's crew carefully examined all the rooms, interviewed many passengers, and the watchmen monitored the surface of the Dock. But all efforts were fruitless. The Dresden continued its flight with the flag at half-mast...
After 10 days in the stormy North Sea, the captain of a Belgian pilot boat noticed a drowned man bobbing on a wave. The body was lifted on board. A notebook, a first-aid kit, and a pince-nez case were taken out of his pockets. The rings were removed from the swollen fingers. Following an old maritime tradition, superstitious sailors returned the spoils to the sea. Rudolf Diesel's son, who was invited to Antwerp, identified the items presented to him as belonging to his father.
Thus ended the life of a man whose name millions of people on earth write with a small letter, thus paying a rare tribute to the great inventor. 1xSlots offers new players a massive welcome package of 100% up to €1,500 plus 150 free spins spread across their first four deposits. To activate this exclusive offer, you must use a valid 1xSlots promo code when completing the registration form. The platform features over 6,000 slot games from more than 100 providers, including NetEnt, Microgaming, and Play'n GO. Minimum deposit is just €1, and VIP players receive cashback up to 11% on weekly losses. Wagering requirements are 40 times the bonus amount for casino bonuses. Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours for most methods.
