Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/765

 BLOUNT BLOWING MACHINES 745 ions of the ancients on a future life, and in 1680 by "Great is Diana of the Ephesians," and a translation of the Latin version of part of Philostratus's Life of Apollonius Tyanseus, with irreligious annotations, which were se- verely censured hy Bayle. His tracts, " A Just Vindication of Learning and of the Liberty of the Press" and "Reasons for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing," consisting chiefly of garbled extracts from Milton's "Areopa- gitica," and his reputed anonymous treatise "William and Mary Conquerors " (1693), which was designedly written in the spirit of ultra tories and churchmen, with a view of entrap- ping the censor Bohun, contributed much to inflame the public mind against the censorship of the press. After the premature death of his wife, a daughter of Sir Timothy Tyrell, he wanted to marry her sister, and wrote a tract in defence of such marriages; but, unable to overcome either the scruples of the lady or the prohibitions of the law, he inflicted on himself a fatal wound. According to Pope, he did not intend to kill himself, but only meant to frighten his sister-in-law into accepting him. Macaulay thinks he has been much overrated, but gives him credit for having greatly aided in the emancipation of the English press. Charles Gildon wrote an apology for his suicide, and published a collection of his letters under the title of "The Oracle of Reason" (1690), and " The Miscellaneous Works of Charles Blount, Esq." (1695). His father, Sir HENEY (1602- -'82), was the author of " A Voyage to the Levant" (1636); and his elder brother, Sir THOMAS POPE (1649-'97), who served in five parliaments, wrote Centura Celebriorum Au- thorum (fol., 1690), De Re Poetica, and a com- pilation on natural history. BLOOIT, Thomas, an English writer, horn at Bardesley, Worcestershire, in 1618, died at Orleton, Dec. 26, 1679. He published "The English Academy of Eloquence" (1654); a "Dictionary of Hard Words" (1656) ; "Lamps of the Law, and Lights of the Gospel " (1658) ; " Boscobel," a history of Charles II.'s escape after the battle of Worcester (1660; part 2, 1681) ; a " Law Dictionary " (1671) ; " A World of Errors Discovered in the New World of Words" (1673); and some works of less im- portance. He was a zealous Roman Catholic, and wrote a Catholic almanac and a cata- logue of the Catholics who lost their lives in the king's cause. The popish plot and the anxiety occasioned by the excitement of the time are believed to have broken his health and caused his death. BLOl'NT, William, an American politician, born in North Carolina in 1744, died in Knox- ville, Tenn., March 26, 1800. He was a dele- gate from North Carolina to the continental congress, and one of the signers of the federal constitution in 1787. In 1790 he was appoint- ed governor of the territory south of the Ohio. After the formation from this territory of the state of Tennessee in 1796, he waa elected one of its first senators in the national congress. In 1797 he was impeached by the house of representatives for having intrigued, when governor of the territory, to transfer New Orleans and the neighboring districts, then be- longing to Spain, to Great Britain, by means of a joint expedition of English and Indians. He was expelled from the senate, and the pro- cess was then dropped in the house. The pro- ceedings against him increased his popularity among his constituents, by whom he was elected to the state senate, of which he be- came president. BLOW, John, an English composer, born at North Collingham, Nottinghamshire, in 1648, died in London in 1708. On the accession of Charles II. he became a chorister in the chapel royal, and, though only a child, composed sev- eral anthems. He afterward became succes- sively one of James II.'s private musicians, master of the choir of St. Paul's, organist of Westminster abbey, and composer to the royal chapel. He published the Amphion Anglicus, a collection of songs and hymns. He was buried in Westminster abbey, and on his mon- ument is engraved the Gloria Patri, one of his first canons. BLOWING MACDI3VES. Besides the common bellows (see BELLOWS), a variety of other ma- chines have been devised for the purpose of propelling air in large volume, or with great pressure and volume together. The most efficient of these machines are the blowing cylinders, which are used to supply air to blast furnaces, and by their great size and strength are made to furnish immense bodies of air under great pressures. Fan blowers are used for supplying large volumes of air, but for pur- poses in which a high pressure is unimportant. The water blowing machine, for which we have neither name nor use in this country, but which is well known in the mining regions of central and southern Europe by the name of trompe, is so ingenious, and may in some situ- ations prove so valuable a contrivance, that it cannot be passed over without notice. There is also, in the same countries, a very simple blowing apparatus, used for ventilating mines, also too little known in this country, called the ventilator of the Hartz, which is well wor- thy of notice. Blowing cylinders of the best construction are made of cast iron, the inner surface turned perfectly true, fitted with air- tight iron heads, each of which is furnished with a large valve, corresponding to the clapper of the bellows, opening inward. Through the centre of the heads the smooth iron piston rod moves in close packing, carrying a piston which is fitted accurately to the cylinder. As the piston moves in one direction, the air enters through the valve in the head behind it, while that in front is forced through an aperture on one side, which is furnished with a valve open- ing outward, and connects with a pipe leading to any desired point. By reversing the motion the end exhausted of air is refilled, while tho