on his return was formally appointed superintendent of the coast survey, but did not begin his field-work until 1817. During the following year the work was discontinued, and was not resumed until 1832. After this he was the active head of the survey until his death. During his administration a base-line had been measured in the vicinity of New York. The triangulation had been extended as far east as Rhode Island and south to the head of Chesapeake bay. The topography had kept pace with the triangulation, and the hydrography of New York bay, of Long Island, of Delaware bay and river, and the off-shore soundings from Montauk point to the capes of the Delaware, were substantially completed. The triangulation covered an area of 9,000 square miles, furnishing determinations of nearly 1,200 stations for the delineation of 1,600 miles of shore-line. Prof. Hassler was also for many years chief of the bureau of weights and measures. He was a fellow of the American philosophical society, and contributed papers to its “Transactions” pertaining to his work on the survey. Besides his annual reports of the coast survey, and as superintendent of the fabrication of standard weights and measures (Washington, 1837-'42), he published “Analytical Trigonometry ” (New York, 1826); “Elements of Geometry” (Richmond, 1828); “System of the Universe,” with plates and tables (2 vols., New York, 1828); “Logarithmic and Trigonometric Tables” (1838); and “Elements of Arithmetic” (1843).
HASSLER, Simon, musician, b. in Bavaria, 25
July, 1832. He came to this country with his
parents, and settled in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1842.
His father, Henry Hassler, a musician of the
Mozart school, gave him his first instruction in music,
and his education was continued under Keller,
Wolsieffer, and Waldteuffel. In 1852 he made his
first public appearance as a violinist. At about
the same time his father and brother Mark
established an orchestra, of which Simon became a
member, and for over twenty-five years has been
the leader. He has long been active as the
conductor of musical concerts, and is widely known as
the leader of bands and orchestras during the
summer months at various seaside resorts. He is
the author of numerous musical productions,
including dramas, marches, waltzes, and quadrilles.
He has composed music for many of the plays of
Shakespeare, and a “Festival March,” which was
played at the opening of the Permanent exhibition
at Philadelphia in 1876.
HASTINGS, Hugh J., journalist, b. in County
Fermanagh, Ireland, 20 Aug., 1820; d. in Mon-
mouth Beach, N. J., 12 Sept., 1883. He came to the
United States in 1831, and settled with his family
in Albany, N. Y. After having been for some
time engaged as a clerk, he began his career as
reporter for the Albany " Atlas " in 1840. Three
years afterward he established the Albany " Weekly
Switch," and in 1844 the " Knickerbocker," which
proved a success. Mr. Hastings took an active
part in state and national politics, devoting him-
self to the interests of the Whig party and its suc-
cessor, the Republican party. He was appointed
by President Taylor collector of the port of Albany,
but resigned the office under Fillmore. He assumed the editorship of the New York " Commercial Advertiser " in 1868, and in 1875 became its proprietor. He was a warm supporter of Gen. Grant, criticised Mr. Hayes's administration, and on President Arthur's accession rendered him all the aid in his power. His death was mainly the result of his being thrown from his carriage
while driving along Broadway, Long Branch.
HASTINGS, Rnssell, soldier, b. in Greenfield, Mass., 30 May, 1835. While he was a boy his parents removed to Ohio, and settled in Willoughby, Lake co., where he was educated in the common
schools. Early in the civil war he enlisted as a
private, and was soon promoted to be a lieutenant
in the 23d Ohio regiment. During Sheridan's cam-
paigns he acted as adjutant-general, was severely
wounded at the battle of Opequan, and was subse-
quently promoted lieutenant-colonel of the 28th
Ohio regiment, after a charge in which he had dis-
played great courage. He was brevetted brigadier-
general of volunteers on 13 March, 1865. Gen.
Hastings was elected a member of the Ohio legis-
lature in 1865, and while there was appointed U. S.
marshal for the northern district of Ohio. Owing
to failing health, he resigned in 1874.
HASTINGS, Serranus Clinton, jurist, b. in
the state of New York, 14 Nov., 1814. He was
educated at the Gouverneur academy, St. Lawrence
county, and was principal of the Norwich academy
for one year. He then studied law, was admitted
to the bar, and began practice in Iowa. He was a
member of the Iowa legislature for several years,
president of the council during one session, and
one of the first Iowa representatives to congress,
serving from 29 Dec, 1846, to 3 March, 1847. In
1848 he was appointed chief justice of the supreme
court of the state, and served one year. He then
removed to California, and was elected chief justice
of that state by the unanimous vote of the legisla-
ture. After serving two years he was elected by
the people attorney-general of the state, and in
1878 founded and endowed Hastings college of the
law in the University of California. He also paid
into the state treasury of California $100,000 in
gold, on condition that the sum should be used for
the legal education of students in every vocation
of life. Judge Hastings also gave about $6,000 in
property, and otherwise contributed to the founda-
tion of St. Catherine academy in Benicia, Cal. He
gave and procured funds to classify, print, and
publish two volumes of the botany of the Pacific
coast. For several years preceding 1887 he was
professor of comparative jurisprudence in the Has-
tings college of law.
HASTINGS, Thomas, musician, b. in Washington, Litchfield co., Conn., 15 Oct., 1784; d. in New York city, 15 May, 1872. In 1796 he removed with his parents to a farm in Clinton, N. Y. He attended the district-school, and began to study music with a sixpenny gamut-book of four small pages. When about eighteen he became leader of the village choir. His brother presented him at this time with an elaborate treatise on music, which he mastered without aid, and in 1806 he was invited to take charge of a singing-school. He soon achieved reputation in training church-choirs, and his services were much in demand. He went in 1817 to Troy, subsequently to Albany, and afterward took editorial charge of a religious newspaper in Utica entitled the "Western Recorder," which gave large space to church-music. He held this post for nine years, during which time he lectured repeatedly in Albany, New York, Philadelphia, and Princeton, N. J. In 1832 he went to New York, where he remained till his death. He endeavored to improve the character of the church-music in the churches of New York. For many years he was choir-director in Dr. Mason's church in Bleecker street, and devoted his time to preparing collections of sacred music, the composition of tunes and hymns, and the editing of musical periodicals. He was a constant contributor to the religious press, and in 1835-'7 issued the " Musical
