Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/302

 BERG.

BERGH.

twenty years okl lie hail wrought out the rough iilea wliifh led to the invention of a reai)ing machine. A few years later lie invented a •• niechanioal bjikery," which was put into opera- tion in tive cities, but the bakers' unions would not allow the machine to be used. When the civil war broke out Mr. Berdan turned his atten- tion to the construction of fire-arms. He in- vented a Ciip to the metal cartridge, which was adopted throughout the world. He also invented tlie Berdan rifle, which was used by the United States government. InAjjril, 18G1, he organized the 1st U. S. sharpshooters, and was commissioned its colonel. The men in four of the companies of this regiment were from New York state, and were especially chosen by Col. Berdan, being, like himself, expert marksmen. The regiment was armed with Berdan repeating rities, and used the cartridges invented by him. For Chancellors- ville he was brevetted brigadier-general of volun- teers, and for Gettysburg received the brevet of major-general, March 13, 1865. He retired from the service in January, 1864, and went to Russia to superintend the manufacture of his sharp- shooting rifles for the use of the Russian army. In 188S he returned to America to prosecute the government for infringement on his patent in their Springfield rifle, placing the damage at flve Imndred thousjind dollars. In 1892 the court of cbiims gave him a judgment against the govern- ment for such infringements for one hundred thousand dollars. He invented torpedoes and tor- pedo boats designed to evade nets, and a " dis- tance fuse " for a sharpened shell. The last ten years of General Berdan's life were occupied in modelling and perfecting what he styled his •' twin-screw armored, semi-submarine gunboat." Hp di*-d in Washington, D. C, March 31, 1893.

BERQ, Joseph Frederick, clergyman, was born in Antigua, W. I., in 1812 ; son of a Moravian missionary laboring in England, where the boy's early education was obtained. When a boy of thirteen, his parents brought him to America and settleil in Nazareth, Pa., when he resumed his studies in the Moravian school of that town, where he was graduated, and remained as pro- fes.sor of chemistry for several years. In 1835 he was ordained by the synod of the German Re- formed church, removed to Philadelphia in 1837, and was there licensed to preach in the Race street German Reformed church, retaining his pastorate for fifteen years, and then resigning to accept a call from the Second Reformed Dutch church of Philadelphia. For nine years he labored faithfully and successfully, accepting, in 1861, the chair of didactic and ftolemic theology in New Brunswick theological seminary. He was a clear thinker, a strong writer and an earnest and elo- quent speaker. His books include : " Lectures on

Romanism'" (1840); "Papal Rome" (1841); '•lli.story of the Holy Robe of Treves"" (1843); "Oral Controversy with a Catholic Priest" (1843); " Old Paths " (1845); " Plea for the Divine Law again.st Murder" (1846); "Reply to Arch- bishop Hughes on the Doctrines of Protestant- ism " (1850); " Exposd of the Jesuits," "The Inquisition, "' " Farewell Words to the Ger- man Reformed Church" (1852); "Prophecy and the Times"' (1856); "The Stone and the Image " (1856) ; " Demons and Guardian Angels " (1856), and " The Olive Branch " (1857). He died in New Brunswick, N. J., July 20, 1871.

BERGH, Henry, philanthropist, was born in New York city. May 8, 1820; son of Christian Bergh, an extensive shipbuilder. The son was educated at Columbia college, but left before he completed his course, residing for five years in Europe with his young wife. In 1862, while still in Europe, he was appointed secretary of legation and acting vice-consul at St. Peters- burg by President Lincoln, and in 1864 he resigned the position on account of ill-health. While in St. Petersburg he had witnessed the cruelty shown to dimib creatures, and on reaching Eng- land made liimself known to Lord Harrowby, then president of the Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. In 1864 he returned to America, and resolved to devote his time to the protection of animals. The first American society of this class was incorporated, with Mr. Bergh as its president, on April 10, 1866. It employs every moral, social, personal and legislative agency, and looks after matters of vital concern to health. In 1871 Louis Bonard, a Frenchman, bequeatlied §150,000 to the society. The associa- tion has a large and influential membership, and in New York its officers are special policemen, with authority to arrest any person found inflict- ing cruelty upon animals. In the face of ridi- cule and opposition Mr. Bergh created a reform recognized as one of the beneficent movements of the age. He delivered lectures, and organized branch societies in the priiicipal cities, and ad- dressed the Evangelical alliance and Episcopal convention on the subject. His efi"orts resulted in a new canon being instituted by the general convention, requiring Episcopal clergymen to preach once a year on mercy to animals. In 1886 thirty -nine states of the Union, Brazil and the Argentine Republic had adopted the original laws enacted at the suggestion of Mr. Bergh by the legislature of New York. In 1874 he was influen- tial in founding a society for the prevention of cruelty to children. Mr. Bergh wrote several plaj'S, one of which, "Love's Alternative," was acted in Philadelphia. He also wrote " Streets of New York," "The Portentous Telegram," and " The Ocean Paragon." He died MarcTi 12, 1888.