Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/804

766 his father's trade, and when nineteen years of age hxid the lines of the frigate " Macedonia." In 1836 he published in the Portsmouth, Va., " Advo- cate " a series of articles giving his ideas on naval architecture, and in 1842 gave in New York and other cities the first lectures on that subject ever delivered in the United States, also opening a free school for instruction in ship-building. He favored many improvements, suggested the clipper model of the fast ships built for the China trade, and, on the discovery of gold in California, and as early as 1835 proposed the ram for the bow of war-ships. He made the calculations for the Col- lins steamers, and in 1850 sent to the World's ex- hibition in London a steamship model that at- tracted much attention. In 1853 he began to build for William Norris. of Philadelphia, a steamer in- tended to cross the Atlantic in seven days, and though, from the failure of Norris, it was not com- pleted according to his designs, it made the fastest time on repord between Havana and New Orleans. In 1856 Mr. Griffiths became part proprietor and co-editor of the "Nautical Magazine and Naval Journal," but it was suspended in 1858 on his ac- ceptance of an appointment from the government as special naval-constructor to build the U. S. gun- boat " Pawnee," which he fitted with twin screws, a drop bilge, to increase the stability at the least expenditure of propulsion-power, and other new features. The " Pawnee " was the widest and light- est-draught vessel of her displacement that was ever built, and, although drawing only ten feet of water, carried a frigate's battery. Iii 1864 he in- vented a timber-bending machine, which he first used in building the ship " New Era " in Boston in 1870. Every frame timber that required curvature was bent from the straight log, and the futtocks were extended in one stick from the keel to the rail. The use of iron in ship-building supplanted this method. In 1871-'2 he erected improved tim- ber-bending machinery for the government, and in 1872 built the U. S. ship " Enterprise " at Ports- mouth, N. H. His machines received two prize medals at the Centennial exhibition in 1876. He was the originator of the idea of life-boat steamers, and also showed a model and plans for such steam- ers at the Centennial. In 1879-'82 Mr. Griffiths edited in New York city a weekly journal entitled the "American Ship." Although many of Mr. Griffitlis's innovations in ship-building were op- posed by more conservative architects, experience has usually proved the wisdom of his views, and no architect in the United States has been as gen- erally followed by young ship-builders. Other inventions by him are iron keelsons for wooden ships (1848) ; bilge keels, to prevent rolling (1863) ; triple screws for great speed (1866); and improved rivets (1880). His most important work is his "Treatise on Marine and Naval Architecture" (New York. 1850 ; 4th ed., 2 vols., 1854), which was republished in England, and had a wide sale through Europe. Its publication did more to ad- vance American ship-building than any other sin- gle influence, and it brought its author orders for models and di"a wings from nearly every maritime nation. He also published " The Ship-Builder's Manual " (2 vols., 1853) ; and " The Progressive Ship-Builder " (2 vols., 1875-6).

GRIFFITTS, Samuel Powell, physician, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 21 July, 1759: d. there, 12 May, 1826. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1780, and after studying medicine abroad for three years began practice in Philadelphia in 1784. He founded the Philadelphia dispensary in 1786, was its physician for seven years, and in 1792-'6 held the chair of materia medica in the University of Pennsylvania. In the pestilence of 1793, and the epidemics of 1797-'9, 1802, and 1805, he remained at his post regardless of personal danger, and was of great service. In 1793-'4 he was active in relieving the destitute French emi- grtmts from St. Domingo, and collected $12,000 to aid them. From 1817 till his death Dr. Griffitts was vice-president of the College of physicians, and was also active in establishing, under the auspices of the Philadelphia yeaily meeting of Friends, an institution for the relief of mentally deranged per- sons. He was one of the editors of the " Eclectic Repertory," and on 1 June, 1820, read before a con- vention for the formation of a pharmacopoeia, held in Washington, an "Essay of a Pharmaco- poeia," of which he was the principal author.

GRIGG, John, publisher, b. in Cornwall, Eng- land, in 1792 ; d. in Philadelphia, 2 Aug., 1864. He was left an orphan at six, and at twelve went to sea. After making several voyages he spent a year with relatives in Richmond, Va. He removed to Warren, Ohio, about 1810, and was clerk of the court there, but resigned in 1815 and became super- intendent of a woollen-factory in Scott county, Ky. He entered a publishing-house in Philadelphia in 1810, and in 1823 began business on his own ac- count, and was very successful. After taking vari- ous partners he retired in 1850, with a large for- tune, and afterward became a private banker. He gave constantly and largely, though without ostentation. — His son, John Warner, b. about 1819; d. in Philadelphia in August, 1869, left |1 17,000 to various charities in that city.

GRIGGS, Samuel Chapman, publisher, b. in Tolland, Conn., 20 July, 1819. He began business as a bookseller in Hamilton, N. Y., but in 1848 went to Chicago, where he continued in the same calling, and in a few years was at the head of the largest bookselling business in the northwest. In the great fire of 1871 Mr. Griggs was a heavy loser, both the bookstore, with its large stock, and his dwelling-house on Michigan avenue, being de- stroyed. In 1872 he sold his interest in the busi- ness to his partners, and, with John C. Buckbee as junior partner, established another publishing- house. In April, 1887, Mr. Buckbee retired from the firm of S. C. Griggs & Go. The publications of the house comprise more than 70 works, literary, scientific, and academical, some of which have met with a very extended sale, and a large proportion of which reflect credit on the publishers.

GRIGSBY, Hugh Blair, historical scholar, b. in Norfolk, Va.. 22 Nov., 1806; d. in Charlotte county, Va., 28 April, 1881. He represented Norfolk in the legislature when scarcely more than a boy. and in 1829-'30 was a member of the State convention with John Marshall, James Madison, and other noted men. He subsequently devoted himself to literature and agriculture, and was an authority on the history of Virginia. He was president of the Virginia historical society, and became in 1871 chancellor of William and Mary college, which had given him the degree of LL. D. in 1855. He contributed to the " Southern Literary Messenger," and wrote numerous historical discourses, including one on the Virginia convention of 1829-'30- delivered before the historical society in 1853, another on that of 1776 delivered at "William and Mary in 1855, and " Discourse on Hon. Littleton W. Tazewell " (Norfolk, 1860).

GRIJALVA, Juan de (gre-hahl'-bah), Spanish adventurer, b. in Cuelhxr, Spam, in the latter part of the 15th century: d. in Nicaragua, 21 Jan., 1527. Diego de Velazquez, the governor of Cuba, gave