Background
Dupuy de Lôme, the son of a retired naval officer, was born at Ploemeur, near Lorient, on the 15th of October 1816.
Dupuy de Lôme, the son of a retired naval officer, was born at Ploemeur, near Lorient, on the 15th of October 1816.
Henri was educated at the École Polytechnique and in 1842 was sent to England to study and report on iron shipbuilding.
In 1844 Dupuy de Lôme wrote a report, subsequently published under the title of Mémoire sur la construction des bâtiments en fer. Acting on his report, the government built their first iron vessels under his supervision Le Napoléon.
In 1857 Dupuy de Lôme was appointed “chef de la direction du matériel, ” at Paris; and in 1861, “inspecteur général du matériel de la marine. ” In 1866 he was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences. At the beginning of the Franco-German War he was appointed a member of the committee of defence, and during the siege of Paris occupied himself with planning a steerable balloon, for carrying out which he was given a credit of 40, 000 fr. ; but the balloon was not ready till a few days before the capitulation. The experiments that were afterwards made with it did not prove entirely satisfactory.
In 1875 he was busy over a scheme for embarking a railway train at Calais, and exhibited plans of the improved harbour and models of the “bateaux porte-trains” to the Academy of Sciences in July. In 1877 he was elected a senator for life. He died at Paris on the 1st of February 1885.
Dupuy de Lôme planned and built the first steam-powered battleship “Napoleon” (1848-1852), and devised the method of altering sailing ships of the line into steamers, which was afterwards extensively practised in both France and England. He also showed the practicability of armouring the sides of a ship, and the frigate “Gloire” gave a very clear demonstration of his views. It was the beginning of the great change in the construction of ships of war which has been going on ever since. He received the cross of the Legion of Honour in 1845, was made a commander in 1858, and grand officer in December 1863.
Member of the Academy of Sciences
