Inventors Who Were Killed By Their Inventions

We Should Have Stayed With Steam Power

By the time Francis Edgar Stanley became interested in the concept of an automobile, he already owned a successful photography business. He used the money from the sale of that business to Eastman-Kodak, to fund the development of his steam-powered car. It was quickly crowned the Stanley Steamer by some and by others The Flying Teapot. Production of the car grew to five hundred per year. Eventually, it's popularity was overshadowed by the more efficient and powerful combustion engine. While driving a Steamer, Francis swerved to avoid horse-drawn wagons blocking the road and crashed into a woodpile. The company was sold soon after his death.