A Place in Florida – Honoring the Unsung Hero of Air Conditioning

Author: Gene Ingle
Source: ezinearticles.com

There’s a place in Florida that honors the almost-forgotten inventor of air conditioning who received little fame and died a pauper.

Through the years, Willis Carrier has been credited with inventing air conditioning, without which Florida would be an unbearable place to live. Most textbooks call him ‘the father of air conditioning’. And it is true that Carrier invented the first modern electrical air conditioner in 1902 and applied it to commercial use.

But without Dr. John Gorrie and Stuart W. Cramer, who coined the term air conditioning in 1906, Carrier could not have done what he did when he did. And the state’s growth in the 20th and 21st centuries can be traced directly to Gorrie. Whoever gets the credit – and probably all three deserve some – the invention arguably might be more important than Edison’s light bulb, Edison’s movies or Edison’s phonograph.

This place in Florida, better known for its world-famous oysters, honors Gorrie as the inventor. While textbooks barely mention Gorrie’s role, Apalachicola has not forgotten what he did:

· There’s the John Gorrie State Park and Museum in Apalachicola.
· Gorrie Square in Apalachicola is named for Gorrie.
· The John Gorrie bridge across Apalachicola Bay connects Apalachicola with East Bay.

He also has been honored posthumously in other ways:

· In 1914, Florida gave a statue of Gorrie to the National Statuary collection in Washington.
· At least two Florida schools are named for him: Gorrie High School in Jacksonville and John Gorrie Elementary School in Tampa.
· The University of Florida annually gives the John Gorrie Award to the medical graduate most likely to become a successful general practitioner.
· The Liberty Ship USS John Gorrie was named in his honor.

So how did Gorrie invent this significant machine in Apalachicola? And why did he die a pauper?

Gorrie, trained as a physician who studied tropical diseases, came to this place in Florida in 1833 because it was the third largest port on the Gulf Coast, harboring ships carrying cotton to New England and Europe.

A resident physician at two Apalachicola hospitals, Gorrie became convinced during a yellow fever outbreak that cold was a healer. He cooled hospital rooms with ice in a basin suspended from the ceiling, which led him to experiment with artificial ice.

He couldn’t wait for ice to be imported from Northern lakes, so he invented a machine that made ice – a machine that laid the groundwork for modern refrigeration and the machine that Carrier made a household word.

In 1851, Gorrie was granted Patent No. 8080. The original model of the machine and scientific articles he wrote are at the Smithsonian Institution. A replica is on display at the John Gorrie State Park and Museum in Apalachicola.

Gorrie failed to profit from his important invention. Impoverished, he tried to raise money to manufacture it, but the venture failed when his partner died. Humiliated by criticism, financially ruined, his health broken, Gorrie died in seclusion in 1855. He is buried in Gorrie Square in Apalachicola.

Copyright (c) 2009 Gene Ingle, an award-winning editor-writer-cartographer, is an expert on places to see in Florida. He has driven nearly a million miles in Florida researching places on maps you probably never heard of. This place in Florida is one of 213 featured in “The Famous Florida Trivia Game” available free at http://www.ebookserendipity.com – Test your knowledge of Florida free.

Why an Air Conditioned Car is Essential

Author: Michael J Lee
Source: isnare.com

The wonderful climate of sunny Spain lends to people wanting and in some cases needing an air conditioned car hire. In some parts of Spain the climate is not always so good and air conditioning is not essential but just maybe preferred. In southern Spain temperatures in August can reach over 100 degrees and an air conditioned car hire is an absolute must.

Most of the cars in Spain have air conditioning as standard unlike British cars where it is sometimes an optional extra. If in doubt when ordering your car put in a specific request for air conditioning but as it’s almost a standard item you should not encounter any problems.

Lots of cars may have a sun roof and / or sun blinds but these are no substitute for the luxury of having air conditioned car hire at your disposal and only serve to send hot air around the vehicle and not actually cool the inside of the car down.

A standard air conditioned saloon hire car is far more popular in Spain and hotter countries generally than a soft top car. If you have a soft top car it is more comfortable to keep the roof on with the air conditioning on than have the roof down and the hot sun beating down. Roof down and air conditioning on would not be effective.

When you are on a long journey in the hot weather and especially with children or babies on board we all know the importance of keeping them happy and comfortable. Without an air conditioned car a family outing could be very difficult and unpopular with everyone on board spoiling the day out all together.

Most air conditioning systems within the car have clearly marked controls on the dash board and can be operated with ease. Many can be set to automatic mode so that as soon as the engine is turned on the air conditioning system begins to work cooling the car down within minutes of you starting to drive and making your journey as comfortable as possible in the hot weather.

Fuel consumption is not affected to any great extent by the current air conditioning systems installed in modern cars. The effectiveness and cooling level of each system is dependent on the model of the car and the manufacturers design specifications but all do a good job in very hot weather. Once the temperature inside the car is sufficiently cool the temperature can be regulated manually. Again in some car you can set the air conditioning controls to automatic and they will go on and off as required.

So do not be surprised when you are driving through Spain to see all of your fellow drivers with all their windows closed enjoying the comfort of their air conditioned hire car.Wherever you decide to travel throughout Spain and how ever long your journey you can be assured that your journey will be comfortable with an air conditioned vehicle.

Air Conditioned Car Hire . One search to compare the best car hire companies online. With so many interesting places to discover a Car Hire Spain is the recommended and most cost effective transport option.