Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/709

Rh iron-plating, and in 1841. when, on account of the U. S. boundary disputes with England, public atten- tion was directed to naval defences, he made a se- ries of experiments, which he and his brothers laid before the government. President Tyler appoint- ed a commission of officers of the army and navy to superintend, at Sandy Hook, the experiments of the brothers on the application of iron to war-ves- sels as a protection against shot, who. after many trials against iron targets, reported that iron four and a half inches thick resisted effectually the force of a sixty-four pound shot fired at thirty yards with battering charges. Thereupon an act was passed, 14 April, 1842, authorizing the secre- tary of the navy to contract with Robert L. Ste- vens for an iron-clad steam vessel. Stevens im- mediately began to excavate a dry dock for his vessel, which he had finished within a year, and also had his vessel planned, and began its con- struction ; but the contract was changed in the latter part of 1843, when Com. Robert P. Stockton constructed a wrought-iron cannon having a bore of ten inches and throwing a round shot that pierced a four-and-a-half-inch target. At each successive important increase of the power of the gun, either at home or abroad, the increased thick- ness of armor necessary for defence required in- creased tonnage in the vessel that Stevens had con- tracted to build, causing interminable interruption and consequent delay. This vessel, which was known as the Stevens battery, lay in its basin at Hoboken for many years, and was never launched. It was the first iron-clad ever projected, preceding by more than ten years the small iron-clad vessels used by the French at Kinburn in 1854. Another son. James Alexander, b. in New York city, 29 Jan., 1790; d. in Hoboken, N. J., 7 Oct., 1873,' was graduated at Columbia in 1808, and admitted to the bar in New York city in 1811. In connection with Thomas Gibbons, he established the Union steamboat line between New York and Philadel- phia, which led to the suit of Ogden vs. Gibbons, memorable for the decision that placed all the navigable waters of the United States under the jurisdiction of the general government. Another son, Edwin Augustus, b. in Hoboken, N. J., 28 July, 1795 ; d. in" Paris, France, 8 Aug., 1808. after
 * is-isting his brother Robert, in 1826 took charge

of the Union line, which was shortly after merged into the Camden and Amboy railroad, the charter for which the two brothers obtained from the state of New Jersey in 1830. They prosecuted the work so vigorously that the road was opened for traffic on 9 Oct., 1832, the elder brother being president and the younger treasurer and manager. In the next twenty years the railroad system of the United States, differing materially from that of England, was formed, and in aiding this development the brothers were conspicuous, inventing and intro- ducing many appliances on the road, locomotives, and cars. The germ of many improvements after- ward perfected on other roads can be traced back to the Camden and Amboy. Of this the vestibule- ear is a modern instance. The brothers, while en- gaged in railroad affairs,, still retained their great interests in navigation, and made many improve- ments in it. In 1827 the elder brother applied fi lived draught to the "North America," and its use immediately became general, while in 184'.! the younger patented the air-tight fire-room for this forced draught, and applied it on many vessels. This double invention of the two brothers is now used in all the great navies of the world. Both brothers spent a great part of their lives in de- vising and effecting improvements in the means of attack and defence in naval warfare. Robert had bequeathed the Stevens battery to his brother. and Edwin, at the beginning of the civil war, pre- sented to the government a plan for completing the vessel, together with a small vessel, called the "Nangatuck." to demonstrate the practicability of his plans. This small vessel was accepted by the government, and was one of the fleet that attacked

the " Merrimac." She was a twin screw-vessel, capable of being immersed three feet below her load-line, so as to be nearly invisible, of being raised again in eight minutes by pumping out t he immersing weight of water, and of turning end for end on her centre in one minute and a quarter. The government refused to appropriate the money on the plans that were proposed by Mr. Stevens, and at his death he left the vessel to the stale "1 New Jersey, together with $1,000,000 for its com- pletion. He founded the Stevens institute (see illustration), bequeathing to it and to the high- school a large plot of ground in Hoboken, and $150,000 for the building and $500,000 for endow- ment. His widow, M B, has devoted $200,000 to religions and charitable institutions, among which maybe mentioned the erect ion of the Church of the Holy Innocents at Hoboken.

STEVENS, John, clergyman, b. in Townsend, Mass., C June, 1798 ; d. in Granville, Ohio, 30 April. 1877. He was graduated at Middlebury college, Vt., in 1821, and studied at Andover theological seminary. In 1825 he became classical tutor in Middlebury college, where he remained for three years. Removing to Ohio, he served for seven years as editor of the "Baptist Weekly Journal." In 1838 he was made professor of moral and intel- lectual philosophy in (iranville college (now I)eni- son university), performing at the sanje time the main duties of president. From 1843 till 1859 he was employed as district secretary of the American Baptist missionary union. In the last-named year he resumed a professorship in Granville college, and continued in this relation until 1875, when he resigned the chair and was made emeritus profess- or. He received in 1873 the degree of D. D. from the University of Rochester.

'''STEVENS. Paul''', Canadian author, b. in Bel- gium in 1830; d. in Coteau du Lac, Canada, in 1882. He emigrated to Canada, became editor of " La patrie " in Montreal, and was afterward profess- or of literature in the College of Chamlily. He re- turned to Montreal in 181)0, and was for some time editor of " L' Artiste." He then became a tutor in the De Beaujeu family at Coteau du Lac. where he remained till his death. He published "Fables" (Montreal, 1857). This work gained him the title of the " Lafontaine of Canada," and he is the only Canadian that has distinguished himself in this species of composition. He also wrote " Coutes populaires" (Ottawa. 1807).

STEVENS, Phiurlias. soldier, b. in Sudbury, Mass., 20 Feb., 1707 ; d. in Chignecto, Nova Scotia,