Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/341

 VERNON VERON 321 subdivisions of the principal scale ; if we shove it forward 0'02 inch, its 2 will exactly coincide, and so on. In the figure the vernier has been pushed forward until its falls between 8'6 and 8'7 inch, and is supposed to be at the point to which we wished to measure. Looking along the vernier, we see that its division marked 7 exactly coincides with one of the di- visions of the principal scale. The correct reading of the whole apparatus then is 8 inch- es, 6 tenths, and 7 hundredths, or 8'67. In what are sometimes called "retrograde ver- niers " 10 divisions of the vernier correspond to 11 of the principal scale, and are numbered and read in the opposite direction to the principal scale, but the principle involved is the same. Other ratios besides 9 : 10 or 10 : 11 between the vernier and the principal scale are em- ployed in different instruments, according to the purposes for which they are intended. When great ddicacy is required, the measur- ing instrument is furnished with a microscope, in order to perceive more accurately what lines exactly coincide, and also with two or three verniers, and all are read and the mean is taken. The vernier derives its name from Peter Ver- nier of Brussels, an engineer, who invented the instrument in 1631. VERNON. I. A S. W. parish of Louisiana, separated from Texas on the west by Sabine river, and drained by Bayou Lanacoco and afflu- ents of the Calcasieu river; area, about 1,450 sq. m. ; pop. in 1875, 4,259, of whom 412 were' colored. The surface is generally level, and much of the soil is fertile. There are exten- sive prairies that pasture large herds of cattle. The chief productions are Indian corn, sweet potatoes, and cotton. Capital, Leesville. II. A S. W. county of Wisconsin, separated from Iowa and Minnesota on the west by the Missis- sippi river, and drained by Raccoon and Kicka- poo rivers and other streams; area, about 800 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 18,645. The surface is undulating and consists largely of prairies ; the soil is fertile. The chief productions in 1870 were 552,594 bushels of wheat, 290,846 of In- dian corn, 445,526 of oats, 30,709 of barley, 82,349 of potatoes, 61,633 Ibs. of wool, 484,741 of butter, 92,068 of hops, 37,647 of maple su- gar, and 20,237 tons of hay. There were 4,676 horses, 5,560 milch cows, 10,924 other cattle, 21,456 sheep, and 15,612 swine; 8 manufac- tories of carriages and wagons, 5 flour mills, 11 saw mills, and 2 wool-carding and cloth- dressing establishments. Capital, Viroqua. lilt A W. county of Missouri, bordering on Kansas, and drained by the Osage river and its affluents ; area, about 700 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 11,247, of whom 82 were colored. The sur- face is undulating and the soil fertile. It is in- tersected by the, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas railroad. The chief productions in 1870 were 56,934 bushels of wheat, 476,230 of Indian corn, 98,793 of oats, 32,153 of potatoes, 145,- 775 Ibs. of butter, 15,450 of wool, and 3,925 of tobacco. There were 4,168 horses, 4,202 milch cows, 11,361 other cattle, 6,822 sheep, and 15,- 099 swine. Capital, Nevada. VERNON, Edward, an English admiral, born in Westminster, Nov. 12, 1684, died at his seat of Nacton in Suffolk, Oct. 29, 1757. He served in the expedition of Admiral Hopson, which on Oct. 12, 1702, destroyed the French and Spanish fleets off Vigo ; and he was present at the sea fight off Malaga between the French and English in 1704. He attained the rank of rear admiral in 1708, and remained in active service till 1727, when he was elected to par- liament for Penryn, and in the succeeding par- liament, which lasted from 1734 to 1741, he sat for Portsmouth. In the house he loudly condemned all the measures of the ministry, without respect of persons, and in a debate declared that Porto Bello could be taken with six ships. For this remark he was extolled all over the kingdom, and to silence the gen- eral clamor the ministry sent him to the West Indies with the rank of vice admiral of the blue. In November, 1739, he appeared off Porto Bello with six men-of-war, and the city was taken the day after the attack began, the English losing only seven men. In January, 1741, he sailed from Jamaica with 29 ships of the line and 80 smaller vessels, having on board 15,000 sailors and 12,000 land troops, and on March 4 appeared before Cartagena, but was repulsed with loss, and sickness destroyed those who escaped. But Vernon did not lose his popularity in England, and in 1742 planned an expedition against Panama. He had been elected to the parliament of 1741 from Pen- ryn, from Rochester, and from Ipswich. He accepted the representation of Ipswich, and was returned to the parliaments of 1747 and 1754. During the invasion of the pretender in 1745, he was employed to guard the coast of Kent and Sussex ; in this he gave satisfac- tion, but on account of a quarrel with the ad- miralty his name was struck from the list of admirals. VERNON, Robert, an English collector of paintings, born in 1774, died in London, May 22, 1849. He amassed a fortune in commer- cial pursuits, a great portion of which was de- voted to the purchase of pictures, principally by British artists. As his collection grew be- yond the capacity of his house, he presented the most valuable portion to the government in December, 1847. The British national gallery, founded in 1824, contained at the time of Mr. Vernon's donation but 41 pictures by native artists, and the Vernon collection, as it is still called, may be considered the nucleus of a na- tional gallery of British art on a considerable scale. It was for some time exhibited at Marl- borough house, but has now been removed to the South Kensington museum. It comprises 162 pictures, a marble group by Gibson of Hy- las and the nymphs, and a number of busts. VERON, Louis Desire, a French journalist, born in Paris, April 5, 1798, died there, Sept. 27, 1867. He practised medicine in the foundling