potassium chloride and potassium sulphate from similar sources (1850); methods of preparing pure alkalies and alkaline earths (1852); applications of sodium amalgams (1865); new modes of manufacture of fuel gas by the alternating action of air and steam on cheap coal (1869); the production of magnesia by precipitation from sea-water by means of calcium hydroxide (1877); the discovery of the minerals animikite and huntilite (1878); a new method of concentrating and caking granular materials of all kinds by mixing with small percentages of metallic iron and a solution of ferrous sulphate (1882); and a new method of distilling coal to obtain liquid products. He was engaged until 1888 in perfecting processes by means of which greater yields of the heavy paraffin oils, paraffin wax, carbolic acid, and other products can be obtained from coals of all kinds more quickly, also in developing the generation of electricity by methods the chemical products of which will be of sufficient value to pay all costs. Prof. Wurtz entered the employ of Thomas A. Edison as chemist in October, 1888. In 1876 he served as a judge on the international jury of awards at the World's fair in Philadelphia, making a special report on “The Chemistry of Japan Porcelain and Porcelain Minerals,” and in 1877 the degree of Ph. D. was conferred on him by Stevens institute of technology. From 1868 till 1874 he was editor of the “American Gas-Light Journal,” and he was assistant editor in the chemical department of “Johnson's Universal Cyclopædia.” He has made numerous reports to various corporations, and is the author of about sixty scientific memoirs.
WYANT, Alexander H., artist, b. in Port
Washington, Ohio, 11 Jan., 1836. He studied under
Hans Gude in Carlsruhe, and also in London.
After his return to this country he was elected an
associate of the National academy in 1868, and an
academician the following year. Among his works
in oil are "A Storm" (1861); "Staten Island,
from the Jersey Meadows" (1867); "Scene on the
Upper Susquehanna " (1869) ; " Shore of Lake
Champlain ' and " Pool on the Ausable " (1871) ;
"View on Lake George" (1875); "Wilds of the
Adirondacks " (1876) ; " An Old Clearing " (1877) ;
"Any whither" (1883); and "Evening" (1885).
His water-colors include "Scene on the Upper
Little Miami" (1867); "New Jersey Meadows"
(1870); "Sunset on the Prairie" (1876); "Late
Autumn, Ausable River" (1877); and "Reminis-
cence of the Connecticut " (1878).
WYATT, Sir Francis, governor of Virginia, b.
in England about 1575 ; d. in Bexley, Kent, Eng-
land, in 1644. He was appointed governor of Vir-
ginia in 1621 to succeed Sir George Yeardley, and
with a fleet of nine sail arrived there in October of
that year. He was accompanied by his brother,
Rev. Haut Wyatt, as clergyman of the party, Will-
iam Claiborne as surveyor, John Pott as physician,
and George Sandys, the translator of the " Meta-
morphoses of Ovid," as treasurer. Sir Francis
brought with him a new constitution for the colo-
ny, by which all former immunities and franchises
were confirmed, trial by jury was secured, and the
assembly was privileged to meet annually upon the
call of the governor, who was vested with the right
of veto. No act of that body was to be valid un-
less it should be ratified by the Virginia company ;
but, on the other hand, no order of the company
was to be obligatory without the concurrence of
the assembly. This famous ordinance furnished
the model of every subsequent form of govern-
ment in the Anglo-American colonies. During
his first year of governorship 21 vessels arrived
in Virginia, bringing more than 1,300 settlers;
but in March, 1622, the Indians rose and massa-
cred 347 persons, including 10 members of the
council, and the remainder of his service was dis-
turbed by continual strife with the savages ; but
he persisted in giving larger liberties to the peo-
ple, and in March, 1623, appointed monthly courts.
He was wise and pacific in his management, and
the colony grew and prospered. Meanwhile the
Virginia company incurred the ill-will of King
James by its opposition to his appointment of its
officers. He sent commissioners to Virginia to
gather material to work its ruin, and on 16 June,
1624, its charter was annulled; but Sir Francis
was continued as governor by royal commission,
and retained in 1625 by Charles I. The death of
his father, Sir John Wyatt, recalled him in 1626;
but he returned in 1639, and, displacing Sir John
Harvev, who had offended the king, held the gov-
ernorship till 1842, when he was succeeded by Sir
William Berkeley.
WYATT, William Edward, clergyman, b. in
New Manchester, Nova Scotia, 9 July, 1789 ; d. in
Baltimore, Md., 24 June, 1864. He was graduated
at Columbia in 1809, entered the ministry of the
Protestant Episcopal church, was ordered deacon
in 1810, and ordained priest in 1813. He settled
in Baltimore as associate rector of St. Paul's par-
ish in 1814, succeeded to the full pastorate in 1827,
and occupied that charge until his death. He was
president of the standing committee of the diocese
of Maryland for many years, and president of the
house of deputies of the general convention from
1828 till 1853, when he declined re-election. He
published several occasional discourses and " Chris-
tian Offices, for the Use of Families and Individu-
als" (New York, 1825), and "The Parting Spirit's
Address to His Mother" (1863).
WYCKOFF, Isaac Newton, clergyman, b. in
Hillsborough, Somerset co., N. J., 29 Aug., 1792 ;
d. in Albany, N. Y., 28 March, 1869. He taught
to obtain means to enter college, was graduated at
Rutgers in 1813, and at New Brunswick theological
seminary in 1817, and while a student at the lat-
ter institution was principal of a young ladies'
school in New Brunswick. He was pastor of the
1st Reformed Dutch church in Leeds, N. Y., in
1817-'34, of that in Catskill in 1834-'6, and of the
2d Reformed Dutch church in Albany in 1836-66.
During the last-named pastorate 1,000 persons
were received into his church. He received the
degree of D. D. from Union college in 1838, and
from Rutgers in 1839. Dr. Wyckoff was an able
and at times an eloquent preacher. He was active
in benevolent and educational enterprises, and a
volunteer commissioner of immigration to the
numerous Hollanders that came to the vicinity of
Albany between 1845 and 1865. He contributed
to the religious press and to Dr. William B.
Sprague's " Annals of the American Pulpit," and
published seventeen sermons (Albanv, 1827-'66).
WYCKOFF, William Henry, educator, b. in New York citv, 10 Sept., 1807; d. in Brooklyn, N. Y., 2 Nov., 1877. His father, the Rev. Cornelius C. Wyckoff, was a well-known clergyman in the Baptist church. William was graduated at Union college in 1828, and was the principal of the classical department in schools in New York city, where he fitted a larger number of pupils for Columbia and the University of New York than any other private instructor. He founded the " Baptist Advocate " (now the " Examiner ") in 1839, edited it till 1846, aided in organizing the American and foreign Bible society in 1835, and the American Bible union in 1850, was corresponding secretary
