Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/295

Rh the legislature of Manitoba. In April, 1891, he became attorney-general of the province. He re- signed that office in 1896, to accept in Sir Wilfrid Laurier's cabinet the post of minister of the in- terior. He was elected by acclamation, on being sworn of the privy council, by Brandon county. Mr. Sifton was active in the sett lenient of the Mani- toba schools question, and in 1897 visited the Yukon district, including the C'hilkoot and White passes.

SIGSKEE, Charles Dwight, naval officer, b. in Albany, X. Y., 16 Jan., iHiT). His father, Nicholas Sigsbee, was of Dutch descent, and the name was originally spelled Sixbe. He was educated at the Albany academy and the U. S. naval acailemy, where he graduated in 1863. Appointed ensign in the same year, he was or- dered to the "Monongahela" ; afterward he was transferred to the "Brooklyn." He was engaged in the battle of Mobile li&y, also in both bom- bardments of Fort Fisher. At the close of the war he was assigned to the "Wyoming," serving until 1867, having been promoted to master in May, 1863. He was commissioned lieutenant, February, 1867, and ordered to the " Ashuelot." He was pronmted lieutenant-commander, March, 1868 ; was on duty at the naval academy, and at- tached afterward as navigator to the "Severn " and "Worcester " flag-shi{)s. North Atlantic .squad- ron. He was on duty as executive officer of the " Canandaigua," in the hydrographic otFicc, assist- ant in the coast survey, commanding coast-sur- vey steamer " Blake," cngageil in deep-sea ex- ploration, especially in the Gulf of Mexico. Dur- ing this period he invented various metliods and appliances which practically revolutionized the practice and economy of deep-sea work. In addi- tion to other duty with the " Blake," he made a complete deep-water survey of the Gulf of Mexico, in recognition of which the deepest area of that body of water was named Sigsbee Deep. At the termination of his work in the coast .«urvey he wrote his work " Dcep-Sea Sounding and Dre<lg- ing," published by the coast survey in 1880, and widely distributed to scientific societies. In con- sideration of his lulvances in s<;ientific explora- tion, the KmiKsror William I. bestowed on him the decoration of the Red Eagle of Prussia, and a gold medal and other honors were given him by the International fisheries exhibition, at Lon- don. The U. S. government received an awanl for his inventions at the World's Columbian ex- position in 1893. The scientific name Signbeia murrhina is given to one of the rare siwcies of deep-sea fauna. It was Sigsbee who discovered near Morro light, not far from the spot where the "Maine" sank, many beautiful specimens of Pentaerini ciT sea-lilies, and who, while in command of the "Blake," placed at the disposal of scientific investigators the first extensive collection of this ancient genus. He was again on duty in the hy- drogra[)hic office, and promoted to commander, May, I8M2, and assigned to duty at the naval academy, where he organized the prewnt department of mechanical drawing. During this period he commanded for two successive summers the practice-ship " Dale." Later the " Kearsarge," on the European station, 1885-'6. and was on special duty at the navy department, Washington as a member of the examining and retiring board, he was again on duty at the naval academy as head of the de- partment of seamanship, naval tactics, ami naval construction. He also commanded during one summer the practice-ship "Constellation." and later the training-shin " Portsmouth." From 1893 to 1897 he was chief hydrographor of the navy de- partment; he began the publication of the Pilot Chart of the North Pacific ocean, and established branch hydrographic offices on the Great Lakes : lie also extended the work of the hydrographic office to the Great Lakes. Capt. Sigsbee was assigned to the command of the battle-ship " Maine," 10 April, 1897. In August he was commended by the navy department for having, in a crowded position in the East river, run his vessel deliberately into a pier in order to avoid sinking a crowded excursion- boat which was improperly obstructing the course of his vessel. The "Maine," while anchored in Havana harbor, was blown up by a mine on 15 Feb., 1898, causing the death of 258 persons, two of whom were officers. Cant. Sigsbee was the last man to leave his ship, his heroic conduct on that occasion being everywhere recognized. The ac- companying illustration represents a chapel de- signed by Ernest Flagg for the U. S. naval acad- emy as a memorial of those who perished in the "Maine." A monument in their memorv is also to be erected in New York city, for which flOO.OOO has been substTibed. On ('apt. Sigsbee's return to the United Slates he was given a reception in Washington by the National geographic society, which was made esjiecially conspicuous by the attendance of the presiilent, the vice-president, and the secretary of the navy. He took an active part in the war with Sjiain. being in command of the swift cruiser "St. Paul," called the " Harvard."

SIMON, Joseph, senator, b. in Germany in 1851. He came to the United States with his family when he was one year old ; later his parents settled in Portland, Cire. He studied in the public schools there, and in 1872 he was admitted to the bar. In 1878 he was elected secretary of the Republican state central coniniittee, and he managed the state campaign of that year. He was chairman of the Republican state central committee in 1880, 1884, and 1886. and during those years directed both state and natiimal elections in Oregon. In 1893 he was chosen delegate to the Republican national convention at Minneapolis, and was selected there as member of the national committee for Oregon. He was elected to the slate senate from Multnomah county five times, resigning his seat in that body to accept the office of U. S. senator, to which he was elected 8 Oct., 1898. At the sessions of the state senate in 1889, 1891,