Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/547

Rh bodies. By collecting and discussing old and re- cent observations of November siiowers. he demon- strated that the period of revolution of these shoot- ing-stars must have one of five accurately deter- mined values. From similar sources he es- tablished the secular motion of the node of their mean orbit and explained how the real orbit could then be dis- tinguished from the others by the calcula- tion of the secular mo- tion of the node for each of the assigned periods. This compu- tation was subsequent- ly made by other au- thorities, and so it be- . came possible to connect the stream of me- teors with the comet of 1866 so soon as the orbit of that comet was computed. In 1864 he published a memoir upon the sporadic meteors, in which he de- termined their numbers, their frequency in the space traversed by the earth, and the fact that most of them moved in long orbits like the comets. Much of his work had been in the direction of examining results that have been obtained by others, from which he had deduced laws or general [irinciples applicable to meteors. He was regarded liolh in this country and abroad as one of the highest authorities on this subject. In 1864 he undertook and carried through successfully the task of securing the introduction in the arithmetics of the United States of an ade- quate presentation of the metric system of weights and measures. In 1868 he received the degree of LL. D. from the University of Michigan, and he was one of the original members, appointed by congress, to constitute the National academy of sciences. He was elected an associate of the Royal astronomical society of London in 1872, and a fel- low of the Royal philosophical society of Edinburgh in 1886. Besides being a member of other scientific societies, he had been president of the Connecticut academy of arts and sciences, had been a member of the American association for the advancement of science since 1850, was its vice-president in 1875, when his retiring address took the form of a strong plea for more study of mathematics by men of sci- ence, and was its president in 1885. He had been greatly interested in the development of Yale, and in its council exerted much influence. Prof. New- ton was secretary and executive officer of the board of managers of the Yale university observatory, and was an associate editor of the "American Jour- nal of Science." His publications were restricted almost exclusively to scientific papers that ap- peared in the " Memoirs " of the National academy of sciences, the "American .Tournal of Science," and in other scientific periodicals.

NEWTON, Isaac, naval architect, b. in Scho- dack. N. Y., 16 Jan., 1794; d. in New York city, 23 Nov., 1858. He was the son of Abner Newton, who served as an officer during the Revolutionary war. Early in life he turned his attention to the building of steamboats for navigation on Hudson river and the great lakes. Nearly ninety vessels for this purpose were constructed by him, including " Balloon," " Hendrick Hudson," " Knickerbocker," " North America," " Isaac Newton," and " The New World." The first anthracite coal used on a steam Tessel was employed under his direction on the " North America." Mr. Newton was the founder of the People's line of steamboats between Albany and New York, and he was also interested in the con- struction of many ocean steamers. He was asso- ciated in the development of the great transporta- tion lines between New York and Chicago, including the New York Central and the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railways. — His son, Isaac, civil engineer, b. in New York city, 4 Aug., 1837 ; d. there, 25 Sept., 1884, studied letters at Hamilton college, civil engineering at the Universitv of the city of New York, and medicine at the medical department of the latter institution, but received no degree. His practical education as an engineer was acquired at the Novelty iron-works, and at the Delamater works, in New Y^ork city, after which he served as assistant engineer on the People's line, and as chief engineer .on one of the Collins line between New York and Liverpool. At the beginning of the civil war he was appointed 1st assistant engineer in the U. S. navy, and in 1861 assigned to the " Roanoke." Subsequently he was associated with John Ericsson {q. v.) in the building of the " Monitor." He accompanied this iron-clad to Hampton Roads, and participated in the fight with the " Merrimac," on 9 March, 1862, having special charge of the engines and turret during the conflict. On the trip from New York to Hampton Roads the ventilation-apparatus of the vessel became deranged, and the gas from the furnaces escaped into the boiler-room, nearly causing the death of the stokers. At the risk of his life he entered the boiler-room, dragged the men out, and performed their work till the immediate danger was past, when he was taken insensible from the place. In his report of the battle, John L. Worden said of Newton : " In the emergency which arose in the passage to Hampton Roads he showed great readiness in resources and quickness in the application of them ; in the action with the ' Merrimac ' he did his duty with coolness, skill, and energy, thereby contribiiting largely to the successful result of the combat." Later he became supervising constructor of iron-clads for the U. S. government in New York, and in this capacity superintended the building, among others, of the " Puritan " and " Dictator." He resigned from the navy on 8 Feb., 1865, and thereafter followed his profession in various capacities, until 1869, when he was appointed by congress to investigate the condition of the navy. Subsequently he assisted Gen. George B. MeClellan in the work of reconstructing the Stevens battery, and in 1872 became his assistant, when Gen. McClellan was chief engineer of the department of public works in New York city. After various private engagements he was appointed one of the rapid transit commission to arrange plans for the transportation of passengers and freight in New York city, out of whose deliberations grew the present system of elevated roads. In 18&1 he was appointed chief engineer of the department of public works in New York city, and he was identified with the beginnings of the new Croton aqueduct. Mr. Newton was a member of the American society of civil engineers, the Society of mechanical engineers, and other scientific bodies. His professional articles contributed to current literature were many, and he was an accepted authority in certain directions. — Another son, Henry, mining engineer, b. in New York city on 12 Aug., 1845 ; d. in "Dead wood, Dakota, 5 Aug., 1877, was graduated at the College of the city of New York in 1866, and at Columbia college school of mines in 1869, receiving also the degree of Ph. D. from that institution in 1876 for advanced scientific studies. After