Marc Seguin

Genealogy

This man out of the commun run had 19 children and lived 90 years.
His/her mother was Augustine-Marie-Therese de Montgolfier, it is thus by his mother the small nephew of Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier the inventors of the balloons with hot air.
He married at 24 years in 1810, Augustine Duret d' Annonay who gave him thirteen children.
At 53 years, in 1839, it Maria in second weddings with her niece younger than him 33 years, Augustine de Montgolfier, who gave him six more enfants.
Between elder and the young person of his nineteen children, 47 years ago of difference in age.
Marc Seguin discovers in Paris thanks to his uncle a whole world of machines which impassions it.
He is the grandfather of Louis, Laurent and Augustin Seguin,

Bridges

The suspended bridge was known since antiquity, but one knew like support only cords or chains out of wrought iron. This system made it possible to cross only narrow rivers.
Well before the end of the XVIIe century, the need for solid bridges became necessary, but the enormous cost and the technical difficulties were major hurdles.
The construction of suspended bridges by Marc Seguin helped of his four brothers (Camille, Jules, Paul and Charles), represents an event of international importance as regards history of the techniques.

In 1822, Marc Seguin builds a footbridge of 18 meters, on the Cance, small river close to Annonay in Ardèche.

The footbridge measured 18 meters. It brought also many other inventions in the realization of the piles, in particular of the first achievements out of concrete run under water.
It concretized the whole of these inventions in the construction of the bridge of Tournon in 1825.

In 1823, it builds its second bridge on the Galaure, close to Saint-Vallier (Drome) in the Drome (department).

This bridge is length a 30 meters, and broad of 1,65 meter.

In 1824 it builds its third bridge, on the the Rhone, between Tournon and Silvering-the Hermitage. Marc Seguin and its brothers sets up the first large light suspended bridge built in continental Europe, with wire cables of iron and spans of 85 m says the " Passerelle".
work is completed in 1825, it will be brought into service the same year. It will be with toll in order to refund the expenses of construction.

This bridge will be used until in 1963, date of its destruction.

In 1827 the bridge of Andance, close to Serrières in Ardeche, is built. It is the oldest suspended bridge of France still used today. It was destroyed mainly, by the troops of occupation, the August 30th 1944, to cover their retirement. It was rebuilt and raised in 1946 to allow the passage of the ships large tonnage.

This type of construction will be the prelude to construction by the Seguin brothers, both in France and abroad of 186 other suspended bridges on the same model, Tancarville and the Golden Spoils Bridge San Francisco in 1937, while being the most famous descendants.

It took part with his brothers Camille, Jules, Paul and Charles, with the construction of large numbers of works (65 identified) in France, but also in Italy, and Spain.

The tube boiler and steamers

Thereafter Marc Seguin creates a shipping company river in order to assure a regular service, on the Rhone, between Arles and Lyon.
In 1824, the first steamer (with 3 boilers) designed by Marc Seguin , the " Voltigeur" , leaves a building site of Andance.
This boat which made several voyages on the the Rhone between Vienna and Lyon, made it possible to validate the principle of the " boiler tubulaire" that Marc Seguin had imagined. This process multiplies by ten the heating surface while making pass in tubes the air burning from the hearth what produces an enormous quantity of vapor.
It is this process which ensured the success of the engine of Stephenson, the " Rocket" (" Fusée") with the " Rainhill Trials" October 6th 1829, between Stockton-one-Tees and Darlington, at the speed of 14 miles/h with a traction 12 tons and a speed of 18 miles without convoy.
Seguin will apply later its invention to the construction of the engines at high speed.

The tube boiler and the railroad

During a voyage in England it conceives the idea of a railroad between St Etienne and Lyon.
This railroad it considers it only like one complement of its company of navigation. For the beginning, the railway, is intended to connect between them the industrial rivers and centers. The railroads are thus appendices of navigation.
To get the machines necessary, Seguin often goes in England where the trains are drawn by the engines from George Stephenson at a speed which does not exceed nine kilometers per hour.
In March and April 1828, it buys with the workshops Stephenson of Newcastle, two engines " Locomotion" of occasion model 1825, it builds 12 machines equipped with its own model of tube boiler (1828) and of forced pulling (passage of the vapor in the chimney, which increases pulling), thus multiplied by 6 the power and increased the speed of the initial machine from 6 to 40 km/h. Indeed, the boiling caused by the circulation of gases from the hearth in “tubes with fire” crossing the radiator, sextuples the power developed by these machines.
The first engine of Marc Seguin operated fine 1829, on a way of test located at Perrache. A second machine was completed 1830.
The March 27th 1826, Marc Seguin and its brothers (Camille, Jules, Paul and Charles), and Edouard Biot (the son of Jean-Baptiste Biot of the Institute) obtain the adjudication of the railway line of Saint-Etienne to Lyon for the " Company of the Railroad of Saint-Etienne to Lyon ".
The railroad passes in the broken valley of the Gier, by Saint-Chamond, Bank-with-Gier and Givors, on a distance of 58 kilometers.
The layout comprised a bridge on the the Saone, a viaduct, bridges and fourteen undergrounds, of which that of Terrenoire which measured 1500 meters. The ways are double except for the crossing of the tunnels.
It uses iron rails posed on wood cross-pieces, instead of the cast iron rails posed on cubes of metal or stone.
- In 1830, the first section of line of Givors to Bank-with-Gier, is finished - In June 1832 the second section of Lyon to Givors is open.
- In October 1832 the last section of Bank-with-Gier with Saint-Etienne, is brought into service.
The totality of the line from now on is exploited.
For the rise, the slope Bank-with-Gier until Saint-Etienne being too strong for the only energy released by the tube boilers of other modes of traction will be used according to the difficulties of the course: harnessed horses, engine with vapor, winch with vapor…
For the descent, it happened that the coaches, by effect of gravity, are pulled by their own weight. Fortunately, each car was equipped with a brake… however, one pushed with the shoulder for starting…
The solution of the problem was discovered by Claude Verpilleux a ripagérien.
It is him which is at the origin of the engines with tender driving of Verpilleux. Its invention allowed total suppression of horse traction in 1844.
Claude Verpilleux also invented a tug boat " with grappins" who functioned on the Rhone between Lyon and Arles until the Guerre 14-18.
In 1835 Marc Seguin withdraws its railroad company.

The retirement

In 1838 it settles, with its family (including/understanding 25 people approximately…), with the unused Cistercian abbey of Fontenay in the Coast-with Or, bought in 1820 by one of his/her parents Elie de Montgolfier, going down from the inventors of the balloons.
It continues however its research and publishes, in 1839, its work: " Influence of the railroads and art to build them and of the tracer" He is elected corresponding Academy of Science in 1845.
Marc Seguin dies the February 24th 1875 with Annonay.

Homages

Its name is registered on the Eiffel Tower.

External bonds

Marc Seguin

ARPPI - functional reconstitution of the " Marc Seguin"

Marc Seguin and his descendants

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