Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/560

leek. lawyer. b. in Fairfield. ('onn.. 26 Oct.. 1777: d. in Brooklyn. N. Y.. 3 June. INN. was graduated at Yale in 1796. and then studied law. He entered upon the practice of his profession in Newport, It. I.. where he had a large and successful business until 1515. when he came to New York city. where he engaged in commercial pursuits. (In retiring from this occupation. he settled in Brooklyn. where for several years he held the otfice of postmaster. —Another son. Benjamin. scientist. I). in North Stratford (now Trumbull). (‘onn.. 8 Aug. 1779; d. in New Haven. Conn.. 23-! Nov.. INIH. was gradu- ated at Yale in 1796. and. after spending a vear at home. taught at \Yethersfield. Conn. In 179.” he returned to New lIa— ven. where he began the stmly of law with Simeon Baldwin.and in 1799 was appoint- ed tutor at Yale. which place he held until he “as admit- ted to the bar in 1502. Natural science was at that time begin- ning to attract the attention of educa- tors. and. at the solic- itation of President Dwight. he aban- doned the profession of law and devoted himself to Science.

In September. 1502,

he was chosen professor of chemistry and natu- ral history at Yale. with permission to qualify himself for teachng these branches. Proeuring a list of books front Prof. John Mat-Lean (q. 1:). of Princeton. he proceeded to Philadelphia. where. during two winters. he studied chemistry under I'rof. James \\'oodhouse. then professor of chem- istry in the I'niversity of Pennsylvania. In IHIH he delivered a partial course of lectures on chem- istry. and during the following year he gave a complete course. IIe went abroad in March. 1805. to procure scientific hooks and apparatus. and spent about a year in study in Edinburgh and London. also visiting the eontinent and making the acquaintance of distinguished men of science. (In his return he devoted himself to the duties of his chair. which included chemistry. mineralogy. and geology. until 1H53. when he was made pro- fessor emeritus. but. at the special request of his colleagues. continued his lectures on geology until INS-3. when he was succeeded by his son-in-law. James I). Dana. “'hile in Edinburgh he became interested in the discussions. then at their height. between the \Yernerians and lluttonians. and at- tended lectures ou geology: and on his return he began a study of the mineral structure of the vicinity of New Haven. the corporation of Yale to purchase the cabinet of minerals of Benjamin II. Perkins. and a few years later he secured the loan of the [magnificent col- lection of George Gibbs (q. 1:). which in 11523 be- came the property of the college. IIis scientific work. which was cxtensive. began with the ex- amination in 1st)? of the meteor that fell near \chton. Conn. Ilc procured fragments. of which he made a chemical analysis. aml he wrote the earliest and best authenticated account of the fall of a meteor in America. In INII he began an ex- tended course of experiments with the oxy-hydric or compound blow-pipe that was invented by Itoh- ert Hare. and he succeeded in meltingr many of the About lHtIN be persuaded - most refractory minerals. notably those containing alkalies aml alkaline earths. the greater part of which had never been reduced before. After Sir Humphry Davy's discovery of the metallic bases of the alkalies. I’rof. Silliman repeated the experiments and obtained for the first time in this country the metals sodium and potassium. In 1822. while en- gaged in a series of observations on the action of a powerful voltaic battery that he had made. simi- lar to Dr. IIare's"deflagrator."he noticed that the charcoal points of the negative pole increased in size toward the positive pole. and. on further ex— amination.he. found that there was a correspond- ing cavity on the point of the latter. He inferred. therefore. that an actual transfer of the matter of the charcoal points from one to another took place. and. on careful examination. he found that the char- coal had beeu fused. This fact of the fusion of the carbon in the voltaic arc was long disputed in Europe. but is now universally accepted. In 11:30 he explored Wyoming valley and its coal—forma- tions.examining about one hundred mines and localities of mines: in 1832—3 he was engaged under a commission from the secretary of the treasury in a scientific examination on the subject of the culture and manufacture of sugar. and in 1836 he made a tour of investigation among the gold—mines of Virginia. llis popular lectures be- gan in IHUH in New Haven. where he delivered a course in chemistry. Ile delivered his first course in Hartford in 18354. and in Lowell. Mass. in the autumn of that year. During the years that fol- lowed he lectured in Salem. Boston. New York, Baltimore. Washington. St. Louis. New Orleans. and elsewhere in the United States. In IHZIB he opened the Lowell institute in Boston with a course of lectures on geology. and in the three following years he lectured there on chemistry. This series was without doubt the mOst brilliant of the kind that was ever delivered in this country. and its influence in developing an interest in the growing Science was very great. Many of the present lead- ers in science trace their first inspiration to these popular expositions of Prof. Silliman. Through his influence in 11530 the historical paintings of Col. John Trumbull. and the building in which they were formerly deposited (now the college treasury). were procured for Yale. Ile opposed slavery in all its forms. Among the various colo- nies sent out from the eastern states during the Kansas troubles was one that was organiLed in New Haven. and. at a meeting held prior to its de- parture in .\pril. 1856. the discovery was made that the party was unprovided with rifles. A subscription was proposed at once. and Prof. Silli- man spoke in favor of it. This insignificant ac— tion was soon noised abroad. aml. owtng to the strong feeling between the partisans of slavery and those opposed to it. the matter was discuSsed in the I'. S. senate. During the civil war he was a firm supporter of President Lincoln. and exerted his influence toward the abolition of shnery. The degree of .\|. I). was conferred on him by I’mwdoin in 181M. aml that of I‘ll I). by Middlebury in 1H2“. I’rof. Silliman was chosen first president in 1H4” of the American association of geologists and naturalists. which has since grown into the American association for the advancement of sci- ence. and he was one of the corporate members namcd by congres in the formation of the Na— tional academy of sciences in 12463. Ilesides his connection with other societies in this country and abroad. he was corresponding member of the Geo- logical societies of (Great Britain aml France. In IHIH he founded the "Ana-rim": Journal of Sci-