Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/647

Rh timely notice of that chieftain's treachery, and, had his warning been heeded, the massacres at the different frontier posts would not have occurred. At the beginning of the American Revolution, Langlade attached himself to the English cause, and, at the head of a large body of Indians, composed of Sioux, Sacs, Foxes, Menomonees, Winnebagoes, Ottawas, Chippewas, and other western tribes, joined Burgoyne's army at Skenesborough (now Whitehall, N. Y.) at the end of July, 1777. Upon the murder of Jane McCrea (q. v.), and the severe reprimand which that event called forth from Burgoyne, the Indians deserted the British general almost to a man, leaving Langlade and St. Luc no alternative but to return with them. These two were afterward the objects of a bitter attack on the part of Burgoyne in parliament, since, had their influence been exerted to detain his Indian allies, Burgoyne believed his subsequent disaster would not have occurred. Langlade, however, does not seem to have been censured by the English government, since, in 1780, he was made Indian agent, and later Indian superintendent and commander-in-chief, of the Canadian militia, which last two posts he retained until his death. He was also granted for his services to the English during the Revolutionary war a life annuity of $800. After the war he settled at Green Bay, where he became one of the most enterprising pioneers of the west. He is still known there as "the founder and father of Wisconsin." Although during his life he had taken part in ninety-nine battles and skirmishes, he was of a mild and patient disposition, and inspired the affection and respect of those with whom he came into social relations. His integrity was proverbial, and his accounts with the English government were always remarkable for their exactness. Langlade was of medium height, squarely built, with broad shoulders and piercing, jet-black eyes. His head was slightly bald, and in his old age his remaining locks were streaked with silver. His face was round and full of expression. He married, 12 Aug., 1754, at Mackinaw, Charlotte Ambroisine Bourassa, by whom he had two daughters. It is believed that none of his descendants are now living.

LANGLEY, Samuel Pierpont, astronomer, b. in Roxbury, Boston. Mass., 22 Aug., 1834. He was graduated at the Boston Latin-school, and then turned his attention to civil engineering, after which he was occupied with the practice of architecture. As a boy he showed a decided fondness for astronomy, not only reading books on that science, but also experimenting and making small telescopes for his own use. In 1865, after spending two years in Europe, he returned to the United States, was for a few months an assistant in the Harvard observatory, and then was called to a chair of mathematics in the U. S. naval academy at Annapolis. In 1867 he was invited to fill the professorship of astronomy in the Western university of Pennsylvania in Pittsburg, with charge of the observatory in Allegheny City. Here he has since remained, and in January, 1887, received the appointment of assistant secretary of the Smithsonian institution, succeeding to the full secretaryship in November, 1887. His work at the Allegheny observatory began in 1869 with the establishment of a complete time service, then a novel feature, which has since been widely copied. The present extended systematic distribution of time began then at Pittsburg. Prof. Langley accompanied the parties that were sent out by the U. S. coast survey to observe the total eclipses of 1869 and 1870, being sent during the former year to Oakland, Ky., and to Xeres, Spain, during the latter year. He also observed the solar eclipse of 1878 from Pike's Peak. In 1870 he began his series of brilliant researches on the sun which have since led to his being recognized as one of the foremost authorities on that body. His first paper was on the structure of the photosphere, and included a plate giving the most detailed representation of a sun-spot that had appeared up to that time. This he followed with a study of the heat of the solar surface by means of the thermopile. He showed among his conclusions that the direct effect of sunspots on terrestrial temperatures is sensible. Finding that the thermopile was not sufficiently sensitive for his work, he invented the bolometer, with which exceedingly delicate measurements of heat were made. He spent the winter of 1878-'9 on Mount Etna, Sicily, obtaining excellent results. In 1881 he organized an expedition, which was fitted out at the cost of a citizen of Pittsburg; but went also under the auspices of the U. S. signal service to the top of Mount Whitney, in California, and there made important observations in solar heat and its absorption by the earth's atmosphere. In 1885 he was invited to lecture at the Royal institution, London, and there gave an account of the novel results that he had obtained on Mount Whitney. His scientific papers have been very numerous and include more than fifty important titles. Of these, aside from those directly of scientific value, the most interesting are a series of popular expositions entitled "The New Astronomy" that he contributed to the "Century" in 1884-'6. Prof. Langley has delivered courses of lectures before the Lowell and Peabody institutes, and in 1882 was invited to address the British association for the advancement of science at Southampton. He has received the degree of Ph. D. from Stevens institute of technology in 1882, and that of LL.D. from the Universities of Wisconsin in 1882. Michigan in 1883, and Harvard in 1885. In 1886 he received the first Henry Draper medal that was awarded by the National academy of sciences, for his work on astronomical physics. During the present year (1887) he received the Rumford medal from the Royal society, London, and also the Rumford medal from the American academy of arts and sciences, two distinct foundations, whose awards were conferred independently. Prof. Langley is a member of numerous foreign and American scientific societies, and in 1876 received an election to the National academy of sciences. In 1878 he was elected vice president of the American association for the advancement of science, delivering his retiring address at its Saratoga meeting, and in 1880 was elected president of that association, presiding over the deliberations of its New York meeting in August, 1887.— His brother, John Williams, chemist, b. in Boston, Mass., 21 Oct., 1841, was graduated at the Lawrence scientific school of Harvard in 1861, and then served as assistant surgeon in the U. S. navy during the civil war, after which he visited Europe. In 1867 he became assistant professor of natural philosophy and chemistry in