Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/460

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
428
WELLINGTON
WELLS

lery of art since 1877 he has devoted much time to its development, visiting in 1887 the studios of the chief art- ists of Europe in its interest. In 1884 he was appointed a regent of the Smithso- nian institu- tion, and soon afterward he was elected chairman of its executive committee. He

is an active

member of the Philosophical and Anthropological societies of Washington, was chosen in 1884 presi- dent of the former, and has contributed valuable memoirs to the published proceedings of both bodies. He is president of the Copyright league of the District of Columbia. For many years he has been a contributor to periodicals.


WELLINGTON, Arthur Mellen, civil en- gineer, b. in Waltham. Mass., 20 Dec, 1847. He was graduated at the Boston Latin-school, and was about to enter Harvard when his eyesight failed, and he turned his attention to civil engineering, studying under Prof. John B. Henck in Boston. On the completion of his studies he engaged ac- tively in the work, and among other places has held those of chief engineer of the Interoceanic railway from Vera Cruz to Mexico and assistant feneral manager of the Mexican Central railway, [e devised a plan for multiplying the traffic facili- ties of the Brooklyn bridge fivefold, which was recommended in 1887 by the board of experts in preference to all others. Mr. Wellington has been a member of the American society of civil engi- neers since 1881. In addition to his professional work, he is editor of the " Engineering News " in New York city, and has published " Computation from Diagrams of Railway Earthworks " (New York, 1878) ; " Economic Theory of the Location of Railways" (1878; enlarged ed., 1887); "Car- Builders' Dictionary ; ' (New York, 1884) ; and " Field Work of Railway Location and Laying out of Works " (1889).


WELLS, Clark Henry, naval officer; b. in Reading, Pa., 22 Sept., 1822 ; d. in Washington, D. C, 28 Jan., 1888. He was appointed a mid- shipman in the navy. 25 Sept., 1840, attended the naval academy at Annapolis in 1846, and be- came a passed midshipman on 11 July of that year. During the Mexican war he served in the brig " Somers," which was capsized and sunk in a squall off Vera Cruz, after which he joined the " Petrel," in which he participated in covering the landing of Scott's army and in the bombardment of Vera Cruz. He also took part in the expeditions that captured Tampico and Tuspan in 1846-'7. He was promoted to master, 1 March, 1855, and to lieutenant, 14 Sept., 1855, served in the steam frigate "Niagara, laying the first Atlantic sub- marine cable in 1857. When the civil war opened he was appointed executive of the steamer " Sus- quehanna," in which he participated in the captui'e of Port Royal, S. C. He led several boat expedi- tions in engagements with batteries in the in- land coast waters of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and was present at the capture of Fer- nandina. He commanded the sloop " Vandalia," on the blockade of Charleston, and took the sloop "Dale " home in 1862. He was commissioned a lieutenant-commander, 16 July, 1862, was execu- tive of the Philadelphia navy-yard in 1868, and commanded the wooden steamer "Galena" in the Western Gulf blockading squadron in 1863-'4. He participated in the battle of Mobile, in which his vessel was lashed to the " Oneida." When they were passing the forts a shell from the ram " Ten- nessee " exploded in one of the " Oneida's " boilers, and he towed her along, in command of both ves- sels because the commander of the " Oneida " had been wounded. He was highly commended by Admiral Farragut in his official report and by a special letter. He served in the Eastern Gulf squadron for a few months, was refitted at Phila- delphia and joined Admiral Porter's fleet at Hamp- ton Roads, where he remained until the close of the war. He commanded the steamer " Kansas " on the Brazil station in 1865-'6, where he rendered assistance to a British gun-boat that was stranded in the river Plate, and also to a British merchant- vessel, for which he received a letter of thanks from the British government through the presi- dent. He was commissioned a commander, 25 July, 1866, captain, 19 June, 1871, and with the " Shenandoah " rendered valuable assistance to the iron-clad " Compt de Verde " which had broken from her moorings at Spezia. He received the decoration of the Legion of honor from President Thiers of France for this service. He was chief signal officer of the navy in 1879-'80, was pro- moted to commodore. 22 Jan., 1880, and on 1 Aug., 1884, to rear-admiral, and he was placed on the retired list, 22 Sept., 1884.


WELLS, Darius, inventor, b. in Johnstown, N. Y., 26 April, 1800 ; d. in Paterson, N. J., 27 May, 1875. He was apprenticed to the printers trade in his native place, and after serving for six years re- moved to Amsterdam, N. Y., where, with William Childs, he established the first newspaper. In 1826 he went to New York, and continued the printing business. At that time the largest metal type that was made was only twelve-line pica, and it cost more than the average printer could afford to pay. This led to his making large type from wood, and he followed the method of engravers by using cross- grained sections. The advantage of wood-type having been established, it was found necessary to devise means of manufacturing it with greater ra- pidity and less labor. Mr. Wells found that by using a vertical revolving cutter a more speedy re- moval of the superfluous wood could be effected. This device, improved by various modifications, is known as the routing machine. Subsequently he engaged in the business of furnishing wooden type, and also made a specialty of preparing boxwood for engravers. This was gradually extended to in- clude printers' materials, and in 1840 he established a factory at Paterson, N. J. He continued in this occupation until 1856, when he retired. During 1861-74 he was postmaster of Paterson, except that he was removed from office by President Johnson in 1866, but restored a short time later through the efforts of Charles Sumner.


WELLS, David Ames, economist, b. in Springfield, Mass., 17 June, 1828. He is a lineal descendant of Thomas Welles, governor of Connecticut, and, on his mother's side, of David Ames, who built and established the National armory in Springfield. In 1847 he was graduated at Williams, and, with others, published a " History and Sketches of Williams College" (Springfield, 1847). For a time during 1848 he was on the editorial staff of the "Springfield Republican." While thus engaged, he suggested the idea, and was associated in the invention, of folding newspapers and books by ma-