9 inventors who died with their own creations

1. Died from breathing too much oxygen

In 1870, engineer Henry Fleuss designed a diving respirator. His idea was that the device would assist in the repair of flooded ships. The equipment consisted of a rubber mask attached to an oxygen tank, but Henry filled the tanks with pure compressed oxygen, which is toxic to humans. After all, the air we breathe is a complex mixture of gases, with about 21 percent oxygen, 78 percent nitrogen, and 1 percent other gases. Unfortunately, he found this out the hard way and eventually died.

2. Under the sea

Horace Lawson was a naval engineer and, during the American Civil War, created "hand-powered" submarines. Simply put, they worked by force, through a seven-man crank that was attached to a double gear. In 1863, the inventor decided to check the operation of the contraption during routine exercises, but one problem eventually killed everyone on board.

3. The flying car

The biggest dream of Henry Smolinski and his friend Harold Blake was to create a flying car. The AVE Mizar prototype was being tested when, in 1973, its wings came loose, causing an accident that took their lives.

4. Recorded Death

Franz Reichelt was an Austrian tailor and spent a lot of time working on creating a parachute attached to a suit. His first tests with a doll proved satisfactory, so Franz decided to test the equipment himself. With the presence of the press and many onlookers, Franz chose the Eiffel Tower to show everyone his creation. Unfortunately, the parachute did not open and Franz died immediately on the ground.

5. The rocket cars

Max Valier was a rocket pioneer and was studying the creation of "rocket cars". In 1920, his inventions began to test well until one of the alcohol-powered cars exploded and killed Max.

6. Radioactive Elements

Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize. His research brought great breakthrough in chemistry with the discovery of the radio and polonium elements. At the time, the negative effects of radiation on the body were unknown. Marie, who worked without any protection, eventually died of leukemia caused by exposure to these elements.

7. Sacrifices for evolution

Known as the “Father of Gliding, ” Otto Lilienthal was a pioneer in the history of aviation. His studies of birds and wing curvature were essential to the aeronautics base. From 1891 to 1896, Otto performed about 2, 000 planned flights, but on August 10, 1896, he fell from a height of 17 meters and broke his backbone. His last words were: "Sacrifices must be made."

8. Choked by Ropes

Thomas Midgley Junior was a great American engineer and chemist. He developed tetraethylchumbo (TEL), a gasoline additive, as well as some of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Like Curie, he became ill from exposure to chemicals. Struggling to move, he designed a system of pulleys and levers to help him out of bed, but was choked to death by one of the ropes.

9. Deadly Race

Motorsport engineer and driver JG Parry-Thomas dreamed of having the fastest car and setting the land speed record. Its creation, the BABS vehicle, had several modifications, as an area that left the engine exposed. During one run, one of the chains came free and hit Thomas's neck, which nearly decapitated him.

* Posted on 8/13/2015