Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 61.djvu/14

 and at King's College, London, taking a degree of B.Sc. at the university of London in 1871. During thirty-five years, from 4 Jan. 1858, when he entered the Kew Observatory in a subordinate capacity, he identified himself with the activity of that establishment, of which he became magnetic assistant in 1862, chief assistant in November 1863, and superintendent in 1876. He drew the plates for Warren de la Rue's ‘Researches in Solar Physics,’ 1865–6; improved the Kew magnetic instruments; invented, besides other optical apparatus, a device for testing the dark shades of sextants (Proceedings Royal Society, xxxv. 42); and made, with Captain Heaviside in 1873, a series of pendulum experiments, repeated with Colonel Herschel in 1881, and with General Walker in 1888, for determining the constant of gravitation. Wind-pressure and velocity were his lifelong study; he carried out at the Crystal Palace in 1874 a reinvestigation of the ‘cup-anemometer’ invented by Thomas Romney Robinson [q. v.]; and with General (Sir) Richard Strachey in 1890 conducted a research in cloud-photography under the meteorological council, communicating the results to the Royal Society on 23 April 1891 (ib. xlix. 467).

Whipple contributed freely to scientific collections, especially to the ‘Quarterly Journal’ of the Meteorological Society, of which body he became a member on 18 April 1874. He served on its council (1876 to 1887), and acted as its foreign secretary (1884–5). He sat also for many years on the council of the Physical Society of London, and was elected a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society on 12 April 1872. He was assistant examiner in natural philosophy to the university of London (1876–81), and in the science and art department, South Kensington (1879–82 and 1884–9). The magnetic section of the ‘Report on the Eruption of Krakatoa,’ published by the Royal Society in 1888, was compiled by him. He died at Richmond in Surrey on 8 Feb. 1893.

[Men of the Time, 13th ed. 1891; Nature, 16 Feb. 1893; Times, 9 Feb. 1893; Quarterly Journal Royal Meteorological Society, xx. 113; Royal Society's Cat. Scientific Papers.]  WHISH, WILLIAM SAMPSON (1787–1853), lieutenant-general, Bengal artillery, son of Richard Whish, rector of West Walton and vicar of Wickford, Essex, by a daughter of William Sandys, was born at Northwold on 27 Feb. 1787. He received a commission as lieutenant in the Bengal artillery on 21 Aug. 1804, and arrived in India in December. He was promoted to be captain on 13 May 1807, and commanded the rocket troop of horse artillery of the centre division of the grand army under the Marquis of Hastings in the Pindari and Maratha war at the end of 1817 and beginning of 1818, after which he took the troop to Mirat, where, on 26 July 1820, he was appointed to act as brigade-major. He was promoted to be major on 19 July 1821.

He commanded the 1st brigade of horse artillery in the army assembled at Agra, under Lord Combermere, in December 1825, for the siege of Bhartpur. The place was captured by assault on 18 Jan. 1826, and Whish was mentioned in despatches and promoted to be lieutenant-colonel for distinguished service in the field from 19 Jan. On 23 Dec. 1826 he was appointed to command the Karnal and Sirhind division of artillery. He was made a companion of the order of the Bath, military division, on the occasion of the queen's coronation in 1838; appointed a colonel commandant of artillery, with rank of brigadier-general and with a seat on the military board, on 21 Dec.; and in February 1839 succeeded Major-general Faithful in command of the presidency division of artillery at Dum Dum. He was promoted to be major-general on 23 Nov. 1841, and went on furlough to England until the end of 1847.

Whish was appointed to the command at Lahore of the Punjab division on 23 Jan. 1848. In August he was given the command of the Multan field force, eight thousand strong, to operate against Mulraj, and towards the end of the month took up a position in front of Multan. The siege commenced on 7 Sept., but, owing to the defection of Shir Singh a week later, Whish withdrew his forces to Tïbi, and a period of inaction followed, which enabled Mulraj, the defender of Multan, to improve his defences and to increase his garrison. In the beginning of November Mulraj threw up batteries which threatened Whish's camp, and on 7 Nov. a successful action resulted in the destruction of Mulraj's advanced batteries and the capture of five guns. On 21 Dec. Whish was reinforced by a column from Bombay, and on Christmas day was able to occupy his old position. On 27 Dec. the enemy were driven from the suburbs. The siege recommenced on the 28th, the city was captured on 2 Jan. 1849, and the siege of the citadel pressed forward. On 22 Jan. all was ready to storm when Mulraj surrendered.

Leaving a strong garrison in Multan, Whish marched to join Lord Gough, capturing the fort of Chiniot on 9 Feb. on