John Matthews (soda water manufacturer)
Encyclopedia
John Matthews was an English-born American inventor and soda water manufacturer. He is known as "The Soda Fountain King".
Matthews manufactured carbonating machinery and distributed his product through retail stores. The equipment was a lead-lined cast-iron box where carbonic acid gas was formed by mixing sulphuric acid with marble dust. The gas was then purified by passing it through water, and then into a tank partially filled with cool water. The tank was rocked for a quarter to a half hour, until the water was impregnated and bubbly.
Matthews created a fountain apparatus that could be positioned on a pharmacist’s counter to dispense carbonated drinks, leading to its popularisation and rapid growth.
He is buried at Green-Wood Cemetery
, Brooklyn
, New York
. His monument was designed by Karl Muller and cost $30,000.
Matthews manufactured carbonating machinery and distributed his product through retail stores. The equipment was a lead-lined cast-iron box where carbonic acid gas was formed by mixing sulphuric acid with marble dust. The gas was then purified by passing it through water, and then into a tank partially filled with cool water. The tank was rocked for a quarter to a half hour, until the water was impregnated and bubbly.
Matthews created a fountain apparatus that could be positioned on a pharmacist’s counter to dispense carbonated drinks, leading to its popularisation and rapid growth.
He is buried at Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His monument was designed by Karl Muller and cost $30,000.
External links
- John Matthews - Father of the Soda Fountain by Donald Yates, published in Bottles and Extras, Summer 2006
- The Soda Fountain by Joseph L Morrison