1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,279 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy Vie Wilson. This is 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: an episode that's illustrative of how one episode can lead 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: to a completely unrelated episode or a mostly unrelated episode, 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: because the subject that we're covering today came up because 7 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: while I was working on that Zipper episode, uh, and 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: it had some legal happenings in nine thirteen, I came 9 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: across a mention of Rudolph Diesel and the big event 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: that happened in his life story that same year, and 11 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,639 Speaker 1: then I couldn't stop thinking about it. So here we are, 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: although you know they do existing in similar lifetimes on 13 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: the timeline, so that I guess that links them a little. 14 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: Lynwood Bryant, writing for the journal Technology and Culture in 15 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy six, described the difficulty in writing about the 16 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: invention of the diesel engine this way quote. So the 17 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: diesel story is well documented in the sense that much 18 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: has been written about it, but the literature is mostly 19 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: polemical or promotional, so that there are still many uncertainties 20 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: about what actually happened. Now we have enough pieces of 21 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: the story of Rudolph Diesel's life that remained consistent that 22 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: we can fairly confidently construct his biography and how he 23 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: ended up working on what came to be known as 24 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 1: Diesel Engines. But the way his life ended will forever 25 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: be a mystery, and we're going to talk about all 26 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: of that today. Heads up, there's gonna be quite a 27 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: bit of discussion of suicide in this episode and a 28 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: person's mental state and whether or not that might have 29 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: indicated that they were suicidal. So if that is something 30 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: that you are not interested in listening to, feel free 31 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: to skip this one. Rudolph Christian Carl Diesel was born 32 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: in Paris, France, on March eighteenth, eighteen fifty eight. Born 33 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: at home on thirty Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, that address, 34 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: incidentally is now the site of a burger restaurant called 35 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: the Cultran. His parents were Theodore Diesel and at least 36 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: Strobl Diesel. Theodore was Bavarian by birth and had moved 37 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: to Paris to pursue work as a book binder, although 38 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: he transitioned to manufacturing leather goods after moving to France. Elise, 39 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: whose family was from Nuremberg was already living in Paris 40 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: when the two of them met and got married, and 41 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: Rudolph was their second child. And while Rudolf was a child, 42 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: he and his family continued to live in Paris. They 43 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: were not wealthy. Rudolph worked in his father's leather workshop 44 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: to help keep the family afloat, and then when the 45 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: Franco German War broke out in eighteen seventy, the diesels, 46 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: because they were German, were deported from France to London, England. 47 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: Rudolph had been about to enter the Code Premier Superier 48 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: that's upper primary school, and this was really quite a blow. 49 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: So rude Off went from London to Germany for school, 50 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: although his parents stayed in England. His father had grown 51 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: up in the town of Oxford, Germany and Bavaria. It 52 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: was about thirty miles or a about fifty kilometers west 53 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: of Munich. Rudolph went there to live with an aunt 54 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: and uncle, Barbara and Christoph Barnacle, where his uncle Christoph 55 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: was a math teacher. At this point Rudolf would have 56 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 1: been only about twelve, so he was getting his foundational 57 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: primary schooling and he finished that in Augsburg at the 58 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: Industrial School of Augsburg before moving on to Munich to 59 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: attend Technical High school there. From his very early life, 60 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: Rudolph Diesel naturally excelled at anything related to engineering, in 61 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: the related sciences and math, and he had won awards 62 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: for his achievements in these areas at school. Throughout his 63 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: education he was an all around good student, but that 64 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: really was the area where he just seemed to shine. 65 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: And when he decided to continue his education at the 66 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: Royal Bavarian Polytechnic of Unich, which he got a scholarship 67 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: to do, his parents were concerned. They thought that he'd 68 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: really just be better off going right into a career 69 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: and starting to earn some money. They continued to worry 70 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: about money, and they were concerned that in continuing his 71 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: education and engineering instead of starting to bring money in, 72 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 1: Rudolph was dooming his future. Man. There was an issue 73 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: of concern about the timeline of Rudolph's schooling because he 74 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: was not able to graduate on time. This was because 75 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: of an illness, probably typhoid fever, and it prevented him 76 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: from taking his final exams. He had to wait a 77 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 1: whole year before the graduation exams would be administered again. 78 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: He made use of that time by working for an 79 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: engineering firm, and the following year he took his exams, 80 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: passed and received his degree. While he was studying in Munich, 81 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: Diesel had caught the attention of one of his teachers, 82 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 1: Karl von Linda, and the engineer became his mentor. Linda's 83 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: claimed to fame in history is refrigeration, and he developed 84 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: some of the first mechanical refrigeration methods. And as Linda's 85 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 1: work in that field gained momentum, he took his protegee 86 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: Diesel with him. Lynda opened a Paris office, the lend 87 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: Ice Machine Company in eighteen eighty, but then twenty two 88 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: year old Diesel moved there to work as a refrigerator engineer. 89 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: Already Diesel was working on developing combustion engines in his 90 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: spare time. He had really been inspired by a lecture 91 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: on thermodynamics that he had heard while studying in Munich, 92 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: in which the lecturer had discussed the way heat could 93 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 1: be harnessed as energy. This drove his interest in combustion engines. 94 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 1: He tried out a number of different ways to generate 95 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: heat for an engine, even solar power, but it took 96 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: him a while to figure out a design that would 97 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: actually work. Yes, some sources credit that lecture to lend 98 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: as the lecture, but not all of them, so just 99 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: know that if you're looking around for more info on it. 100 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: From eighteen eight need to eighteen ninety, Diesel settled into 101 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: both his engineering career and into family life. In eighteen 102 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: eighty three, Diesel married Martha Flash. The two went on 103 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: to have three children. Rudolph Jr. Was born in eighteen 104 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: eighty three, a daughter named Hetty was born in eighteen 105 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: eighty five, and a third child, Oigan, was born in 106 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty nine, ten years into his time with Linda's company, 107 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: and just after his third child was born, Rudolph was 108 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: promoted to the head of the engineering department. This also 109 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: required them to move to Berlin, where the company had 110 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: an office, and it was in Berlin that he envisioned 111 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: what we know today as the Diesel engine, at least 112 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: in its infancy. In eighteen ninety two, he had a 113 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: development patent with the German government. Diesel had called his 114 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: invention the new Rational heat Engine, and he was still 115 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: working on these engines as a side project in his 116 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 1: time off from Lynde's refrigeration company. That meant that he 117 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: didn't have to involve the company in his patents, but 118 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: it also meant that he need financial backing if he 119 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: was going to start actually trying to build the engines 120 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: that he was designing. He published a paper titled Theory 121 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: and Construction of a Rational Heat Motor. In this paper 122 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: described in detail how his engine worked. In Diesel's engine, 123 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: a piston compresses air to a very high pressure that 124 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: also raises its temperature significantly. The air is drawn in 125 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: on the down stroke of a piston and it's compressed 126 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: as the piston is on his upstroke as it starts 127 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: to drop again. The fuel is then injected and it 128 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: ignites from the high temperature of the compressed air. So 129 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: this is different from a gasoline or a petrol engine, 130 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: which compresses the air and the fuel and ignites them 131 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: with a spark from a spark plug. So once that 132 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: paper was out, Diesel's work started getting a lot of attention, 133 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: enough that there were some large companies willing to bankroll 134 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: the assembly of models of his engine based on his designs. 135 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: Both the Krupp Company and Augsburg Machine Works, which is 136 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: usually seen as m A N funded his work in 137 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: the eight nineties. The two companies shared expenses and paid 138 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: Diesel thirty thousand marks a year's his salary, along with 139 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: all of the expenses needed for experimentation and prototyping, with 140 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: the agreement that they would have some priority when it 141 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: came to licensing the patents, and that they would also 142 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: make money from the patents that were licensed to other companies. 143 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: His early engines were focused on fuel efficiency, but he 144 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:35,199 Speaker 1: ran into issues with reliability. Diesel was really carefully notating 145 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: every aspect of his work during this time in his life, 146 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: and later used these meticulous notes to write a book 147 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: about it. He wasn't working in a vacuum. He was 148 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: in constant contact with colleagues to get their thoughts on 149 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: various components of his idea, and also with potential business 150 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 1: partners who he thought might be interested in the engine 151 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: once he finished developing it and design after design, he 152 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: was making adjustments to get the right pressure, the right timing, 153 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: the right temperature, the right fuel, and the right cooling 154 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: to make the whole thing work. In the support of 155 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: Diesel's corporate backers paid off when Rudolph unveiled a four 156 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: stroke compression engine with twenty five horsepower that worked consistently 157 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: and well. And this prototype was displayed at Augsburg on 158 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: a test stand and it received a lot of visitors. 159 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: Business executives and engineers came to see it from all 160 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: over and it was lauded as a breakthrough at the 161 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: Society of German Engineers annual meeting in June that year. 162 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 1: We'll talk about how Diesel parlayed his prototype and see 163 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,319 Speaker 1: a great deal of success in just a moment after 164 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: we pause for a sponsor break. With so many engineers 165 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: and businessman so excited about his engine, Rudolph Diesel was 166 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: in a unique position of being able to partner with 167 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:06,119 Speaker 1: almost anyone he wished to license manufacturing rights in Germany. 168 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: It was decided that three companies would split the market, 169 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,839 Speaker 1: and then Diesel negotiated with manufacturers in twelve other countries 170 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: for royalties. And he made a lot of money in 171 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: a very short period of time because just about every 172 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: contract involved an upfront advance on future royalties. Since he 173 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: was negotiating for royalties, it wasn't like he would have 174 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: made any money before. They would, you know, have the 175 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: long ramp of getting a manufacturing facility up and running. 176 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: So he always baked in an upfront fee, so soon 177 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: manufacturing facilities throughout Europe and North America were hard at 178 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 1: work making their first attempts at actually building Diesel's designs. 179 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: In the summer of the first diesel engine in the 180 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: United States went on display at Madison Square Garden. That 181 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: same year, Diesel founded two new companies with the financial 182 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:00,079 Speaker 1: backing of M. A. N. One of those companies was 183 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: essentially a business firm to handle things like contracts, patent licensing, 184 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: and other administrative aspects of his work. The other was 185 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 1: to manufacture diesel engines and sell them. But there were many, 186 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: many problems. None of the manufacturers, not Diesels, and not 187 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 1: any of his licensees, were having luck actually building reliable engines. 188 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: Engines that worked in the factory failed in the field, 189 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: and Diesel instituted a policy that customers could return engines 190 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: that didn't work to his factory that ultimately bankrupted it. 191 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: He continued to tweak his designs, always searching for ways 192 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: to improve efficiency and actually make them work. He had 193 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: been largely handling marketing and licensing since he got that 194 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: first consistent prototype up and running, but then he pivoted 195 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: back to the shop himself. And started experimenting again. He 196 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: tried a number of changes to his original designs, and 197 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: at one point he was even touting a version of 198 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: it that ran on peanut oil, but none of his 199 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 1: experiments really addressed the issues with the faulty engine. His 200 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: reputation was really damaged by all these failed engines in 201 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 1: the market, and in late eighte he suffered a nervous 202 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 1: breakdown while he was convalescing. Mechanics from M a N 203 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: started a comprehensive field examination of diesel engines in their 204 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 1: real world environments to see where, when and why they failed. 205 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: Through this process, which involved taking one of the engines 206 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: apart and sending it back to the factory with notes 207 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: to be reworked, the company was able to fix these issues. 208 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: This fixed the diesel engine, but critics noted that the 209 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: machine only became usable once the inventor was out of 210 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: the picture. Rudolph, though, had been operating since eight with 211 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: the confidence that a lot of engineers had agreed that 212 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: his prototype was functional and ready for market. Yeah, this 213 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 1: is one of those things where a lot of people 214 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: are like, well, he galloped into this industry way too quickly, 215 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: and it's like he had so many people visit and 216 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: be like, yes, this is absolutely we are ready for this, 217 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: So there's some shared responsibility in whether or not it 218 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 1: was ready. By nineteen o four, the French government was 219 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: using these rework diesel engines and their submarines. The fuel 220 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: needed for diesel engines was less expensive than the fuel 221 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: needed for gasoline engines. This wasn't and still isn't a 222 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,439 Speaker 1: gallon to gallon price comparison. Diesel is often more expensive 223 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: per gallon, and look it up today and you'll see 224 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: that's the case. But you need a lot less of it. 225 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: And it's lower fume production means that it's much less 226 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: flammable than gasoline, and that made it perfect for military applications. 227 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 1: In nineteen twelve, Diesel got wind of the fact that 228 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: a man named Adolph Nagel from Dresden, Germany, was working 229 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: out a book about the diesel engine. This is a 230 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: pretty good indicator of just how much people recognize that 231 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: the diesel engine was an important development, even in Rudolph's lifetime. 232 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,079 Speaker 1: Keep in mind, his engine was less than twenty years 233 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 1: old from its first inception at that point. But Rudolph 234 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: Diesel was concerned about the way someone else might characterize 235 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: his work. As we've noted, there had been problems and 236 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: setbacks along the way, as with any invention, and there 237 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: were a lot of critics of his work from day one. 238 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: A lot of them believe that while he may have 239 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: been the idea man, the men working in his shops 240 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: to actually fix and produce a working engine based on 241 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: his designs were the real masterminds. Diesel couldn't stop Adolf 242 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: Nichol's book from coming out, so he wrote his own 243 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: version of the Diesel story. Concurrently, two other books came 244 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: out around the same time about the diesel engine in 245 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: addition to the two that we're talking about here, so 246 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 1: that brings up to the total to four books about 247 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: the diesel engine story, all in the same year. Rudolph's was, 248 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: of course the most complimentary to the subject, while the 249 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: other three publications were viewed largely as criticism of the man. Yeah, 250 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: that's uh why that quote at the top was like, Okay, 251 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 1: we have a lot of documentation of it, but they're 252 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: all either pretty contentious about the whole thing or really 253 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: promoting how great he was. In autumn of nineteen thirteen, 254 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: Diesel and his associates headed for London for some meetings there. 255 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: Diesel sailed for England to board the s S Dresden, 256 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: leaving port from Antwerp, Belgium, on September At ten pm 257 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: that night, Diesel went to his cabin on the Dresden 258 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: to go ostensibly to bed, but he never made it 259 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: to bed. When a porter called on Diesel's room in 260 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: the morning to wake him at six fifteen am, as 261 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: had been requested, the engineer was not there. He had 262 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: not slept in the room, His bedclothes were still laid 263 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: out on the bed, and his coat was found carefully 264 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 1: folded on the ship's deck. Early reports of Diesel's disappearance 265 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 1: were pretty brief. The story that ran in numerous papers 266 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: was as follows and its entirety quote London. In October one, 267 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: Dr Rudolph Diesel, inventor of the Diesel motor, is believed 268 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: to have been lost overboard from the Channel steamer Dresden 269 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: on the voyage between Antwerp and Harwich. Doctor Diesel embarked 270 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 1: at Antwerp Monday night for London. On arrival of the 271 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: vessel at Harwich, he was missing. His birth had not 272 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: been disturbed, although his night attire had been laid out 273 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: the paper. The Gloucester Echo expanded on the state of 274 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: Diesel the night he disappeared, with some speculation that passage 275 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: read quote. It is conjectured by his friends that doctor 276 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: Diesel fell overboard during the voyage. He had complained to 277 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: a friend some time ago that he was occasionally troubled 278 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: with insomnia, and it is possible that when his friends 279 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: retired to their cabins, he decided to continue his stroll 280 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: of the deck. He was in the best of health 281 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: and in very cheerful spirits, and had expressed the most 282 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: sanguine expectations of the future of his engine and the 283 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: developments of the company. The New York Times included an 284 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 1: account of Diesel's last night from George Correll's director of 285 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,679 Speaker 1: the Consolidated Diesel Engine Company, who had been traveling with Rudolphin. 286 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: He vanished Carrel's statement of the press reads quote. All 287 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 1: three of us dined together immediately after the boat left Antwerp. Afterwards, 288 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: we strolled on deck, talking and smoking. Doctor Diesel was 289 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,880 Speaker 1: in the very best spirits. The conversation was cheery and buoyant. 290 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: Just about ten o'clock, when inside of the lights of Flushing, 291 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: I remarked, well, I think it's time to be in bed. 292 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: This was assented to by Dr Diesel, and all three 293 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: of us descended to our cabins. We passed his cabin, 294 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: he stepped in, but immediately afterward came along the corridor 295 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: to my cabin, shook hands and wished me good night. 296 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: I will see you tomorrow morning were the last words 297 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,360 Speaker 1: you spoke to me. Your references to the three of us, 298 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: and that there was another consolidated Diesel executive with them. 299 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: George Correll's had also examined Diesel's room when it was 300 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: discovered that the man was missing, and he d ailed 301 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: what he and that other colleague, her Lukman, had found. Quote. 302 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: We returned to doctor Diesel's cabin. An inspection of the 303 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: bed showed that it had not been slept in. The 304 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: coverlet was turned down, and a night shirt lay ready 305 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 1: for Doctor Diesel on the bed. His keys were in 306 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: the lock of his little handbag, and he had hung 307 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: his watch on the side of the bag in such 308 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,719 Speaker 1: a position that he would be able to see it 309 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: from where he lay. Everything appeared orderly in the cabin. 310 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: I could not say whether any money was missing, because 311 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: I do not know how much he had in his possession, 312 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 1: but there was nothing to indicate interference with his belongings. 313 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,240 Speaker 1: The last section of Karl's statement that The New York 314 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 1: Times included suggested a level of incredulity that Diesel might 315 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: have harmed himself on purpose. He reiterated Rudolf's good spirits 316 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 1: that night, saying quote, he was quite jolly in humor 317 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: when I parted from him overnight. If one has to 318 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: put aside the thought of accident, I can only say 319 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: that something must have given way in his brain. He 320 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,479 Speaker 1: was most steamius, did not smoke, as far as I know, 321 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 1: did not suffer from giddiness. Follow Up articles about Rudolph 322 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: Diesel's last days insisted that he was in a very 323 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 1: good place in his life. The subtitle of an article 324 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,719 Speaker 1: from October two, also appearing in The New York Times 325 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: read German inventor was a millionaire and his home was happy. 326 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 1: Was not working hard. That article mentions the breakdown that 327 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: he had thirteen years earlier when he was overworked, but 328 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: it also insists that he was past that and at 329 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 1: this point in his life he had everything that one 330 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,360 Speaker 1: could want. It reads, in part quote the initial difficulties 331 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: and trials which he suffered, common to the experience of 332 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:44,719 Speaker 1: most great inventors, had long ago been surmounted. His patent 333 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:47,439 Speaker 1: rights in the Diesel engine were sold for huge sums 334 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 1: in various countries, and having a mass of fortune, he had, 335 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 1: to all intents and purposes, retired from active business. That 336 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 1: right Up states that Diesel's fortune was worth an estimated 337 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,400 Speaker 1: two point five million dollars, and that while he attended 338 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 1: occasional meetings to the various companies working with his inventions, 339 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: the rest of his time was quite leisurely. Because the 340 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: circumstances of his disappearance from the Dresden didn't evidence any 341 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: sort of issue with the ship's railing, and there had 342 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: been quiet seas on September twenty nine, it didn't seem 343 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: like an accident had happened on deck. But also no one, 344 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,360 Speaker 1: it seemed, could fathom any sort of problem that might 345 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 1: lead Rudolph Diesel to end his own life. His son 346 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: in law, Baron Schmidt, told the press that the idea 347 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: of suicide was quote entirely unsupported. It's important to keep 348 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 1: in mind that all of this is playing out at 349 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: a time when any kind of mental illness was viewed 350 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: with a high degree of negativity and a lot of shame, 351 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: so it's not surprising that everyone close to Diesel insisted 352 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,360 Speaker 1: that he was in excellent spirits prior to his disappearance. 353 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,440 Speaker 1: We'll talk about the mystery of what happened to Rudolph 354 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: Diesel after we hear from some of the sponsors that 355 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: keep stuff you missed in history class going. A week 356 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,639 Speaker 1: and a half after Rudolph Diesel vanished, on October tenth, 357 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: a body was spotted in the North Sea by a 358 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: Belgian sailor aboard a steamer Kurtzon. The location specifically was 359 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: right at the mouth of the estuary Western Shelt, near Flushing, Netherlands, 360 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 1: which opens into the North Sea. This is basically right 361 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: where Correll's had said they were when he suggested that 362 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: it was time for bed on the night the Diesel vanished. 363 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: The body was that of a man, well dressed who 364 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: matched the size of Diesel. There are some variations in 365 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: what happened when this body was found. We do know 366 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 1: that the body was not recovered, but that some of 367 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: this person's effects were. There are two different reasons given 368 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,440 Speaker 1: for why the body was left in the sea. One 369 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 1: is that the boat that found him was too small 370 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: to take him on, and that seems a little odd 371 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 1: because it was a steamer. And the other is that 372 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: the body was just too decomposed for the sailor to 373 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: be able to bring aboard. That's possible, although that then 374 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: makes the collection of personal effects from the body seemed 375 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 1: kind of odd. One newspaper account that came up in 376 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: research made it sound like one of Diesel's sons had 377 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 1: seen the body and believed it to be his father, 378 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: but had not made any positive identification. That's also a 379 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: little confusing. It actually seems more likely that in the 380 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: relaying of the story of the sun seeing Rudolph's wallet, 381 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,479 Speaker 1: eyeglasses case, and pocket knife, which that actually did happen, 382 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: somebody got confused and thought he had seen more than that. 383 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: In any case, there was never a positive identification of anybody. 384 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: Although that sounds like his son had said that those 385 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: were his personal items they were, so yes, it gets 386 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,680 Speaker 1: a little strange. Um that placed into more strange theories. 387 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: Around the same time that the body believed to be 388 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: Diesel was found, the tone of the news reports about 389 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: Diesel's life and finances started to shift pretty dramatically after 390 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: all of those pieces that have been published in the 391 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,120 Speaker 1: days immediately following Diesel's disappearance claimed that he was very 392 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: wealthy and very happy. A New York Times piece appeared 393 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: on October thirte under the title Diesel family in straits. 394 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,440 Speaker 1: Missing inventors said to have left them in extreme need. 395 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: This particular article is very brief. It's just two fairly 396 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 1: succinct paragraphs, but it indicates that news was breaking in 397 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: Berlin and Munich that Diesel had invested almost all of 398 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,679 Speaker 1: his money into various business ventures which were unsuccessful and 399 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:46,959 Speaker 1: had left him nearly destitute. The write up concluded by saying, 400 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,400 Speaker 1: it's being alleged quote that a realization of his position 401 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: is responsible for his disappearance, so intimating that him realizing 402 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: he was in too deep might have led him to 403 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:01,159 Speaker 1: take his own life. Within days of those first articles 404 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 1: that things had not been as they had seemed for Diesel, 405 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:08,679 Speaker 1: the headlines shifted simply to Diesel was bankrupt. His creditors 406 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: and Munich met on October fourteenth, and they laid bare 407 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: the extent of the engineer's financial problems. His liabilities totaled 408 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: three seventy five thousand dollars and his tangible assets were 409 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: worth only ten thousand dollars that was reported quote. The 410 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,199 Speaker 1: meeting found itself unable to take definite action regarding the 411 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:31,639 Speaker 1: administration of doctor Diesel's wrecked fortune, as the exact state 412 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: of affairs remains to be cleared up. One of the 413 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,919 Speaker 1: problems was that in reporting his assets to creditors, Diesel 414 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: had overvalued his real estate holdings by as much as 415 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: a hundred and twenty five thousand dollars. So while these 416 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: reveals about Diesel's monetary problems had led most people to 417 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: accept that he had died by suicide, the mysteries surrounding 418 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 1: his death led others to theorize that the engineer had 419 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 1: met with foul play. Diesel's own family never he believed 420 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,360 Speaker 1: that he would have killed himself, and that only fueled 421 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: those theories. On the one hand, there were quite a 422 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: few pieces of circumstantial evidence suggesting that Diesel had died 423 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:14,399 Speaker 1: by suicide. He had given his wife a bag containing 424 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: all of the ready cash that he could get his 425 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: hands on, as well as detailed information about the grave 426 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: state of his financial affairs and instructions that she should 427 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: open it in a week. His diary was also said 428 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: to have been marked with the black X over the 429 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: date of September twenty nine. None of that is truly definitive, though. 430 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,719 Speaker 1: One of the more engaging what if scenarios related to 431 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: Diesel is whether he would have steered the global fuel 432 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: industry away from crude oil and towards biodiesel. This is 433 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 1: something that's been written about a lot in recent decades. 434 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: In the last year of his life, Rudolph Diesel started 435 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:53,400 Speaker 1: really championing the use of vegetable oil as a fuel source, 436 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,400 Speaker 1: which he predicted would eventually be vital to the global 437 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: fuel market. You'll remember he was, you know, at one 438 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: point running his injury and on peanut oil as a demonstration. 439 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: He really believed that readily available fuel sources like vegetable 440 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,439 Speaker 1: oils would enable agricultural communities away to keep pace with 441 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: people in more industrial and metropolitan areas when it came 442 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: to technology. He had always hoped from the beginning that 443 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 1: his work would help democratize motorization so that small, independent 444 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: producers and craftsmen of all kinds might be able to 445 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: compete with large corporations. So even at the time of 446 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,880 Speaker 1: his death, there were people that thought that he might 447 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 1: have been murdered by someone in the crude oil industry 448 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: because of this ideology. The other and maybe most common 449 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,919 Speaker 1: theory was that German agents had murdered him fearing that 450 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 1: Diesel was about to give the British Navy pad licenses 451 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:52,359 Speaker 1: to his diesel engines, just as tensions in Europe were escalating, 452 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: as tensions would of course lead to World War One. 453 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: One British paper is said to have run the speculative 454 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 1: headline quote inventor own into sea to stop sale of 455 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:06,360 Speaker 1: patents to British government. Yeah, Diesel engines are apparently very 456 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,439 Speaker 1: important in the development of U boats, and Germany is 457 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: said to have been concerned that they would lose their 458 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:15,119 Speaker 1: edge if the British government also had access to that 459 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: same technology. The possibilities regarding Diesel's demise also included the 460 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:23,880 Speaker 1: belief by some that he had met no demise at all, 461 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: but had in fact faked his death. For anyone who 462 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: had been thinking as much during the months after Rudolph disappeared, 463 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: there was a huge jolt of validation the following spring. 464 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: In March nineteen fourteen, stories began hitting German and then 465 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 1: US papers that Diesel was living in Canada and had 466 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,120 Speaker 1: been sending letters to Germany. Those kind of sputter out 467 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: they never come through with any real evidence, So if 468 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: they gave people the idea that that was really happening, 469 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 1: they didn't follow up. Diesel's date of death is normally 470 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: listed in September twenty nine, thirteen, even though some questions 471 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 1: regarding his disappearance and death remain. His cause of death 472 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: was ruled a suicide. In a nineteen fourteen article titled 473 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: the Tragedy of Genius, which ran in papers across the US, 474 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:14,120 Speaker 1: it was noted how many brilliant men had met bad ends, 475 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: and Rudolph Diesel is described this way quote. He was 476 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 1: a broken hearted, bankrupt, a genius without business sense. His 477 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: engine is used in every quarter of the globe. Next 478 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: to what he is ranked by some as the greatest 479 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: figure in the development of power. For all the good 480 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: he did in advancements of science and industry, his reward 481 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 1: was smile. Indeed, harassed by creditors by his urgent needs. 482 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: His life had been one of misery for years, although 483 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: he may have been in rough financial times when he died, 484 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: Diesel's engine was just about to really gain success beyond 485 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: military uses. Although as we said, many subs in World 486 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: War One did have diesel engines. In the nineteen twenties, 487 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: diesel engines became the standard on ships, replacing steam. In 488 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties, diesel gained a foothold in the truck market. 489 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: The first car with a diesel engine was the Citruan 490 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: Rosalie that was built in nineteen thirty three and was 491 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: quickly followed by other models by other makers, including Mercedes Benz. 492 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: The locomotive industry largely shifted to diesel in the nineteen fifties, 493 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: and now diesels still everywhere, although less less so on 494 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: the consumer market, more still in the industrial market. Yeah, 495 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 1: although I have had friends with diesel cars that will 496 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: talk to you for a long time about how their 497 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,920 Speaker 1: car can run on almost anything if it has to. Yeah. 498 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: I've known people who have had like biodiesel cars. Um, 499 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: those are kind of great because they often smell like 500 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: French fries. Yeah. The one person I knew who had 501 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: a biodiesel car who I rode in the car with 502 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 1: them a lot, it did always smell like like French fries. 503 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: There are, of course, still lots of issues related to 504 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: like climate and pollut and stuff. Like that, because even 505 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 1: though it is more fuel efficient than a gasoline engine, 506 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: there are still like a lot of mission emissions concerns 507 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: involved in diesel fuel. Yes, for sure, Yeah it's interesting, 508 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: right we I mean, diesel as a word is very 509 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: very common. I don't know how many people really think 510 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: about the fact that there was a person named that, 511 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 1: for whom the whole thing is named. Uh. And you know, 512 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: of course his story takes such a weird turn and 513 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 1: becomes for me an interesting examination of how the press 514 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: handles things. We'll talk about that some on Friday. Um. 515 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: You know, I always want to talk about that the 516 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,560 Speaker 1: press handles things. But in the meantime, I want to 517 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 1: talk about two fun things because once again I am 518 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 1: dipping into the pile of physical mail that I have, um, 519 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: that has been sitting in the office. So both of 520 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 1: these are old, for which I apologized, but I wasn't 521 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 1: in the office to get them. But I wanted to 522 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: point out both of these pieces of mail. One is 523 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 1: from our listener, Sandy, and it makes me smile so big. 524 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: She writes, high ladies. I spent several wonderful months listening 525 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 1: to the back catalog at my desk job. Once I 526 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 1: was caught up. I didn't know what to do, so 527 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: I signed up for grad school. Thank you so much 528 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: for encouraging me to be curious and keep learning. Here 529 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: I am two years later, graduating virtually for the time being. 530 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,600 Speaker 1: Thank you for keeping me company for all of this time. 531 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:26,239 Speaker 1: Best regards, Sandy. And it is a picture from her 532 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: graduation which was in so it's a couple of years 533 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: back now. But Sandy, congratulations. That is awesome and amazing. 534 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: She has her master's degree now and related to this 535 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: because it is sustainability leadership, so was her her degree program, 536 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: so that is kind of perfect for the diesel the 537 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: diesel discussion. That is amazing. Seriously, congratulations. I don't know you, 538 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: but I'm very proud of you. The other thing that 539 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: I wanted to mention is a Christmas thing that we 540 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: got from our listener, father Dan, who has written us 541 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: I believe a few times, but he sent us Christmas 542 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: waffles Um, which are are now through time and having 543 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: been stacked at work, kind of Christmas crumbles. I apologize 544 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: we didn't get them, but I appreciate the very very 545 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: kind um shipment. It was very sweet of you to 546 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: think of us and send those along, so thank you, 547 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 1: Father dan Uh. If you would like to write to us, 548 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: you gotta go with email. At this point we've said 549 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 1: before we're we're not in a physical office right now, 550 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 1: So you can do that at History Podcast at iHeart 551 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: radio dot com. You can also find us on social 552 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: media as Missed in History and you can subscribe to 553 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 1: the podcast if for some reason you have not gotten 554 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: around to that yet. I promise it's super duper easy. 555 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: You can do that on the iHeart Radio app or 556 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: wherever it is you listen to your favorite shows. Stuff 557 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: you Missed in History Class is a production of I 558 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit 559 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 560 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: to your rich osm