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458 ping, and that his adventures suggested " Robinson Crusoe." founded upon Selkirk's " Providence Dis- play'd" (London, 1712), an exceedingly rare pam- phlet. Cowper's " Lines on Solitude, supposed to lie written by Alexander Selkirk," beginning "I am monarch of all I survey,'' are well known. See " The Life and Adventures of Alexander Selkirk," by John Howell (Edinburgh, 1829). A bronze statue of Selkirk was recently unveiled at Largo on the site of the cottage in which the mariner was born.

'''SELKIRK. Edward''', clergyman, b. in Waterbury. Conn.. 13 Oct., 1809 : d. 14 Feb., 1891. He was graduated at Trinity in 1840, at the General theological seminary in 1843. was ordained deacon in the Protestant Episcopal church the same year, and became priest in 1844. He was then rector of Trinity church, Albany, X. Y., in which he con- tinued till 1884, when he became rector emeritus. He was an honorary canon of the Albany cathedral, lie had published "An Address on the Laying of the Corner-Stone of Trinity Church" (Albany, 1844) and "History of Trinity Church " (1870).

'''SELKIRK. Thomas Douglas,''' Earl of, b. at the family-seat, St. Mary's isle, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, in June, 1771 ; d. in Pau, France, 8 April, 1820. He studied at Edinburgh university from 1786 till 1790, early developed a taste for literary pursuits, and was an associate of Sir Walter Scott. He succeeded his brother as Lord Dacre in 1797, and his father as Earl of Selkirk in May, 1799. In 1803 he settled a colony of 800 Scottish Highlanders upon waste land that was given to him by the government in Prince Edward island, and soon afterward he established a small colony in Kent county, Upper Canada. While residing in Mon- treal he conceived the project of planting a colony of evicted Highlanders from the estates of the Duchess of Sutherland in the Red river country. To accomplish this he purchased a large tract of laud on the Red river for colonization from the Hudson bay company. His Highland colonists be- gan to arrive in 1811, and in 1812 the Red river colony was established. Trouble ensued between the colony and the Northwest trading company, and the emigrants were driven from their new homes. In 1816 Lord Selkirk went to Red river to aid his colonists against their enemies, and, as- sisted by a small armed force, restored them to their lands and reimbursed them for their losses. He became financially embarrassed in consequence of his philanthropic schemes, and persecution and slander so shattered his health that he never recovered. Soon after his return to Scotland he went to the south of France to recruit, but he died shortly afterward. He wrote " Observations on the Present State of the Highlands of Scotland, with a View of the Causes and Probable Conse- OAiences of Emigration " (London, 1805) ; " The Necessity of a more Effectual System of National Defence" (1808); "Sketch of the British Fur Trade " (1816) : " The Red River Settlement " (1817) ; and "Occurrences in the Indian Countries of North America " (Montreal. 1818).

SELLERS, Colman. dynamical engineer, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 28 Jan., 1827. He was educated at common schools and studied for five years with Anthony Bolmar in West Chester, Pa. In 1S4U hr became draughtsman in the Globe rolling-mill in Cincinnati, Ohio, and he remained there for three vears. during part of the time as superintendent. Mr. Sellers then engaged in the manufacture of locomotives, and served for five years as foreman in the works of Niles and Co. In 1S.~> he moved to Philadelphia, where he became chief engineer of William Sellers and Co. (the senior partner of which firm was his second cousin), makers of ma- chinists' tools, and general millwrights. Since 1888 he has devoted himself chiefly to consulting practice. Mr. Sellers has obtained more than thirty letters-patent for inventions of his own, one of the first of which, a coupling device for shafting (1857), is the essential factor in the modern system of in- terchangeable shafting parts. His invention in 1866 of feed-disks for lathes or other machine tools was the first practical solution of the problem of the infinite gradation of feeds. His other pat- ents relate chiefly to improved forms of tools or modifications of existing machines. The use of absorbent cotton for surgical operations was recommended by him as early as 1861, and he proposed the employment of glycerine in order to keep photographic plates wet. He was ap- pointed professor of mechanics in the Franklin institute in 1881, and non-resident professor of engineering practice in Stevens institute of tech- nology in 1888. both of which chairs he still (1898) holds. The order of St. Olaf was conferred on him by the king of Sweden in 1877, and the degree of doctor of engineering by Stevens institute in 1888. He was president of the Franklin institute during 1870-'o, and of the American society of mechanical engineers in 1884, and he has also held that office in the Pennsylvania society for the pre- vention of cruelty to animals and the Photo- graphic society of Philadelphia. He is a member of other learned societies both at home and abroad. Mr. Sellers was chosen a member of the Seybert commission to investigate the claims of Spiritual- ists, owing to his knowledge of sleight-of-hand, having been an expert in the practice of that art from his childhood. He was American correspond- ent of the " British Journal of Photography " in 1861-'3, and, in addition, contributed many papers to technical journals.

SELLERS, William, mechanical engineer, b. in Upper Darby, Pa., 19 Sept., 1824. He was educated at a private school, and at the age of fourteen was apprenticed to his uncle, a machinist, with whom he remained for seven years. In 1845 he was called to the management of the shops of the Fairbanks and Bancroft machine-works in Providence, R. I., and two years afterward he established himself inde- pendently in Philadelphia. He was then joined by his former employer, and in 1848 the firm of Bancroft and Sellers was formed, which continued until 1855, when, on the death of the senior member, the style became William Sellers and Co. Mr. Sellers has been active in the improvement of existing forms of tools and machines, as well as in the invention of new patterns, and from his first patent, for an improvement on turning-lathes in 1854, until 1888 he has received seventy patents. His inventions have received numerous medals, and at the World's fair in Vienna in 1873 he was awarded a grand diploma of honor. In 1868 he established the Edgemoor iron company, which now owns the largest plant in this country for building iron bridges and other structures of iron and steel. All of the iron-work for the buildings of the World's fair in Philadelphia in 1876 were supplied by this company. He became president of the Midvale steel-works in 1873, and reorganized that concern, which is now one of the largest establishments in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Mr. Sellers was elected president of the Franklin institute in 1SU4. and while holding that office proposed the first formula that wa- ever tVere.l I'm- a -ystem of screws, threads, and nuts, which subsequently became the standard fur thr Tinted States. He is a member i 'f -eirntific societies both in this country and