Daniel Treadwell, an American inventor, born in Ipswich, Mass., in 1791, died in Cambridge, Feb. 27, 1872. While still young he invented a machine for making wood screws. In 1818 he produced a printing press of a new construction, and went to England in 1819. He there conceived the construction of a power press, which was completed the year after his return, and was widely used. In 1822, in connection with Dr. John Ware, he established and conducted the "Boston Journal of Philosophy and the Arts." In 1826 he devised the system of turnouts upon single-track railroads. In 1829 he completed the first successful-machine for spinning hemp for cordage. Works capable of spinning 1,000 tons in a year were erected in Boston in 1831; and in 1836 he furnished to the Charlestown navy yard machines for spinning the hemp and cordage for the navy. His circular hackle or lapper has been generally adopted in spinning hemp for coarse cloth. In 1834 he became Rum-ford professor of technology in Harvard college, and held this post till 1845. He devised a method of making cannon of wrought iron and steel, and executed a contract with the government for 12 six-pounders. But his first plan being found too expensive, he improved and simplified it, and described his new method in a memoir before the American academy in 1835. He secured his invention by patent in the United States and in England, and published an account of it in 1856. It is certain that 18 years before the Armstrong gun was produced in England Treadwell had made his; and that some years after his English patent had been published Sir William Armstrong produced his gun, formed upon the same plan, and adding thereto rifling and breech loading.