Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/456

BROOKS.BROSIUS. TELESCOPE OF THE REt> HOUSE 0B5ERVAT0RY,

BROOKS, W illiam R., astronomer, was born in Maidstone, Englaml, in 1844. His father, a Baptist minister, came to America in 1857, and settled near Darien. N. Y. At the age of fourteen he made his first telescope — a crude wooden affair, which he finished just in time to observe Donati's comet of ISkS. When seventeen lie delivered his first lecture, il- lustrated by charts He de- j"f' ' " vi.sed ingenious

it', .; instruments for

'll! j ' use in his pro-

"^1 '*', fession and be-

F- • came an expert '■ photographer. ^^^^ ^ In 1870 he

removed to Phelps, N.Y., where he made an achromatic telescope with a two-inch aperture. With this he observed the transit of Mercury in 1878. He next constructed a five-inch diameter reflecting telescope, and it was with this that he discovered his first comet, on Oct. 4, 1881. A third telescope with a nine- inch aperture he made, as before, with tools and a»»piiances of his own manufacture, and this he used with success and satisfaction until 1888. His observatory was also built with his own hands; it consisted of a rude staging or platform, and became known all over the world as the Red House observatory. Here Brooks discovered eleven comets, the most noted of which are the Pons-Brooks comet, of Sept. 1, 1883; and the Olbers-Brooks comet, of Aug. 25, 1887. These were returns of the comets discovered by Pons and Olbers in 1812 and 1815, and thej' are two of the only tliree known long-period comets. For one comet discovered in 1885 he was awarded a prize of two hundred dollars. On April 17, 1888, 3Ir. Bro<^>ks left the Red House obser\-atory to take cliarge of the Smith observatory at Geneva on Seneca lake. Here up to 1903 he had dis- covered twelve comets, four of tliem within a period of less tiian one year, making the total nuinljer of his discoveries reach twenty-three. The most famous of his later di.scoveries is the one made on July 6, 1889, and is known as Brooks's multiple comet. It was attended by several companions. On March 19. 1890. he dis- covered a comet for which he was awardod a medal by the Astronomical society of the Pacific — the first me<lal ever awarded by that society. He received the higliest honors possible in the astronomical wf)rld; won a large number of the Warner gold prizes for cometary discoveries;

was elected, by his English colleagues, fellow of the Royal astronomical society, of the Liverjwol astronomical society, and in 1890 amemljer of the Britisli astronomical association. He was made a fellow of the American association for the ad- vancement of srioncf-: rereivod the degreo A.M. from Hubart, 1891, and D.Sc. Iioni lianiillon, 189G.

BROOKS, William Thomas Harbaugh, sol dier, was born at New Lisbon. Ohio, Jan. 28, 1821. He was appointed a cadet at West Point in 1837, and was graduated in 1841, serving im- mediately afterwards in the Florida war. In 1842 he was made 2d lieutenant and was in garri- son at Fort Stansbury, Fla., in 1843. From 1843 to 1845 he was on frontier duty at Fort Leaven- worth, Kan. He served during the military occupation of Texas in 184.5-'46, and for the two years following was engaged in the war with ^lexico, having been promoted 1st lieutenant in 1846. He especially distinguished himself at Monterey, C!ontreras, and Clmrubusco, receiving the brevet ranks of captain and major for his conduct in these engagements. In 1847-'48 he was acting adjutant-general of General Twiggs's division, and aide-de-camp for the three years following. He was promoted captain in 1851, and from 1852 to 1858 was on duty in New Mex- ico. After a two years' sick leave of absence he served during the civil war as brigadier -general of volunteers, being present at the principal engagements of the army of the Potomac. He was wounded at Savage station and at Antietam. Commanded a division in the Rappahannock campaign, 1862-"63, and was in command of the department of the Monongahela, 1863-"64, and of the 10th army corps in 1864. He resigned July 14, 1864, on account of failing health, and re- moved to Huntsville, Ala., in 1866, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred July 19, 1870.

BROOME, John L., naval officer, was born in New York city, March 8, 1824. He entered the marine corps when twenty-four years of age, and rose by various promotions from the rank of 2d lieutenant to that of lieutenant-colonel. He served in the Mexican war and in the civil war with distinguished gallantry. He was esi^ecially conspicuous in the gunboat engagements on the western waters, and notably in the upper Mississippi and Red river expeditions under Admirals Porter, Farragut and Walke. For his bravery he was brevetted lieutenant-colonel. He died at Binghamton, N.Y., April 12. 1898.

BROSIUS, Marriott, representative, was born in Coleraine townsliiii. Lancaster county. Pa., March 7, 1843. He received an academic educa- tion, and on the Vireaking out of the civil war enlisted as a private in the Union army. In March, 1863, he was promoted sergeant, and in