Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/645

Rh therefore it has more the character of a coarse etching, but it is interesting in the history of art.

OTIS, Elisha Graves, inventor, b. in Halifax, Windham co., Vt., S Aug., 1811 ; d. in Yonkers, N. Y., y April, 1861. At an early age he invented several new and ingenious machines that proved successful. He afterward held the post of su- perintendent of machinery in a furniture manufac- tory in Hudson city, X. J., and Yonkers, N. Y. In designing machinery for new works in Yonkers Mr. Otis put into practical operation a hoisting- machine that embodied some novel features calcu- lated to automatically prevent loss of life in ease of the breaking of the lifting-cable. Other machines had been constructed, in which the means of se- curing the car in case of accident was placed imder the control of the attendant, but Mr. Otis claimed that this method was wrong in principle, as in the moment of danger the operator would become con- fused, and his views were soon proved correct by the fall of an elevator in the New York factory of his firm. This was replaced by one of Mr. Otis's invention, and, the machine proving satisfactory to the owners, other orders soon followed. At the opening of the World's fair in the Crystal palace in New York, Mr. Otis placed therein a small work- ing machine, and by exhibitions of its safety feat- ures by practical tests considerable attention was attracted to his inventions. At the end of eight years he had succeeded in introducing his elevators very extensively through the eastern, middle, and southern states. In 1867 Mr. Otis's sons organized a stock company to carry on the manufacture of his inventions, and its business now amounts to about $2,000,000 per annum.

OTIS, Elwell Stephen, soldier, b. in Frederick city, Md., 25 March, 1838. He was graduated at the University of Rochester, N. Y., in 1858, studied law, was admitted to the bar of New York in 1859, and was subsequently graduated at Cambridge law- school in 1861. He entered the volunteer service of the United States as a captain in the 140th New York infantry on 18 Sept., 1862, was promoted lieutenant-colonel of that regiment on 23 Dec, 1863, and made colonel in 1864,- pai'ticipating in all the principal engagements of the Army of the Potomac after Antietam, in the capacity of captain, field-officer, and brigade commander. In 1864 he commanded the regular brigade in the Army of the Potomac, and was severely wounded in the vicinity of Petersburg, Va., in consequence of which he was discharged on 24 Jan., 1865, and bre- vetted brigadier-general of volunteers. He was ap- pointed lieutenant-colonel of the 22d infantry in the regular army on 28 July, 1866, and colonel of the 20th infantry in February, 1880. From 1867 till 1881 he served on the frontier against the Indians, and then organized the U. S. infantry and cavalry school in Leavenworth, Kansas, which he conducted until 1885. Since then he has served in Montana and elsewhere. In May, 1898, he was sent as sec- ond in command to the Philippines. He is the au- thor of "The Indian Question " (New York, 1878).

OTIS, Fessenden Nott, physician, b. in Ball- ston, N. Y., 6 May, 1825. He was educated at the academies of Fairfield and Amsterdam, N. Y., and studied medicine in the University of the city of New York and in New York medical college, where he was graduated in 1852. He was a surgeon on the U. S. mail and Pacific mail steamers till 1861, and then a police surgeon in New York city till 1872, serving as president of the medical board of the police department in 1870-'2. From 1862 till 1870 he was attending physician to the Demilt dis- pensary. He was clinical lecturer at the College of physicians and surgeons from 1862 till 1871, and since 1871 has been clinical professor of genito- urinary diseases. He was president of the medical board of Strangers' hospital in 1871-'3, has been visiting surgeon to Charity hospital since 1874, and twice president of the medical board, and is consulting surgeon to various hospitals. He was president of the American dermatological society in 1872. Dr. Otis invented in 1871 the urethrome- ter, and the dilating urethrotome, which he per- fected in 1872 and 1875, respectively. He is the inventor also of the dilating catheter introduced in 1874, the prostatic catheter and prostatic guide, the cold-water coil, the ready aspirator, which was introduced in 1875, and a simplified evacuator foi- removing stone from the bladder after lithotrity, introduced in 1883 and perfected in 1888. He has published " Lessons in Drawing, Studies of Ani- mals and Landscape " (2 vols., New York, 1849-50) ; " Tropical Journeyings " (1856) ; and '• History of the Panama Railroad and its Commercial Connec- tions " (1860). His contributions to medical litera- ture comprise, besides numerous articles and pamphlets, " Stricture of the Male Urethra, its Radical Cure " (New York, 1878 ; 2d ed.. New York and London, 1882) ; " Physiology of Syphilitic In- fection " (1881); and " Genito-Urinary Diseases and Syphilis" (1883; students' ed., 1886).

OTIS, George Alexander, surgeon, b. in Boston, Mass., 12 Nov., 1830 ; d. in Washington, D. C., 23 Feb., 1881. He was graduated at Princeton in 1849, and at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1851, continued his surgical studies in London and Paris, and in 1854 began practice in Springfield, Mass. During the civil war he served as a field surgeon with the 27th Massachusetts volunteers. In February, 1866, he was appointed assistant surgeon in the U. S. army, and assigned to duty in the office of the surgeon-general at Washington. He received the brevets of captain, major, and lieutenant-colonel, and was a member of the principal American medical societies and a corresponding member of various European societies. He was advanced to the rank of major on 17 March, 1880. He wrote for medical journals, and published in the form of reports monographs on " Amputation at the Hip-Joint" (Washington, 1867) ; " Excisions of the Head of the Femur" (1869); "A Plan for transporting Wounded Soldiers by Railway " ; and " Transport of Sick and Wounded by Pack Animals " ; also a " Report of Surgical Cases treated in the Army of the United States from 1867 to 1871." Dr. Otis was for several years curator of the Army medical museum in Washington, and compiled the surgical part of the " Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion " (Washington, 1870-'9).

OTIS, James, statesman, b. in West Barnstable, Mass., 5 Feb.. 1725 ; d. in Andover, Mass., 23 May, 1783. He was descended in the fifth generation from John Otis, one of the first settlers of Hingham. This John Otis came with his family from Hingham, in Norfolk. England, in June, 1635. His grandson, John, born in Hingham, Mass., in 1657, removed to Barnstable, where he died, 30 Nov., 1727. He was for eighteen years colonel of militia, for twenty years representative, for twenty-one years member of the council, for thirteen chief justice of common pleas, and judge of probate. Two of his sons, John and James, were known in public life. John was representative for Barnstable, and afterward for several years a member of the council until his death in 1756. James, born in Barnstable in 1702. became eminent at the bar. Like his father, he was colonel of militia, justice of