Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/162

 DAVIDSON

DAVIDSON

the University of the State of New York, Albany, from 189(j. He was visiting professor of Chicago university in the summer quarter of 1895. He was married in 1878 to Hannah Amelia Noyes, Iowa college, A.B.. 1878, A.M., 1881; instructor in Mitcliell seminary, Mitchellville, Iowa, 1878- 79; lady principal and master in Latin and his- tory, Minneapolis academy, 1879-84; instructor in liistory, Dalles City, Oregon, ISS"); student of economics, University of Minnesota, 188(5-87; student of history, University of California, 1887- 88: master in history, Belmont school, Cal., 1888- 93; and a student of politics and history in the University of Chicago, in the summers of 1894 and 1895. Slie is the author of " A Reference History of the United States " (1892), and muner- ous contributions to periodical literature. Pro- fessor Davidson received the degree of Ph.D. from Yale in 1892. He published many contri- butions to Moilern Lfovjuage Xotes and other peri- odicals; a volume entitled EngUsh in the Secondary School, xoith Sugfjestions Based Upon the Reports of the English Conferences (1896); The Phonology of Stressed Voicels in Beowulf, in the Publications of the Modern Language Association, Vol. VI.; and Studies in the English Mystery Plays, published by Yale university.

DAVIDSON, George, geodesist and astrono- mer, was born in Nottingham, England, May 9, 1825; son of Thomas and Janet (Drummond) Davidson of Arbroath and Montrose, Scotland. He was brought by his parents to the United States in 1832, and they settled in Philadelpliia, Pa., where he was graduated at the Cen- tral high school in 1S45, first in the class. Tlie same year Prof. A. Dallas Baclie se- lected him for duty on the U.S. coast sur- vey, and for the next five years he was en- gaged on geodetic field work and in a.stronomical ob.serva- tions between Maine and Texas. He was sent to the Pacific coast in 1850 on spe- cial duty in selecting sites for lighthouses, and determining the latitude and longitude of prominent capes and the magnetic elements of the coast. He made the trimgulations and necessary astronomical observations for estab- lishing the American claim to the Canal de Haro, as the boundary line between the United States and British Columbia, then popularly known as the San Juan Island question, in 1853-54; and >"

1858 took cliarge of the primary triangulation nortliward from San Francisco. In 18(51 he made resurveys on the Delaware river in the ap- proaches to Fort Delaware and Fort MilHin for the defence of Philadelphia, and in 18(52 com- manded the armed coast survey steamer Vixen in Florida waters, making among other surveys that of Indian Key. In 1863 when Lee invaded Pennsylvania, he was assistant engineer of forti- fications for the defence of Philadelphia. In 1866 he completed the circuit of the line of teleg- raphy through Maine, New Brunswick, J^Jova Scotia, Cape Breton and Newfoundland. This connection secured through the Atlantic cable the first determination of the telegraphic differ- ence of longitude between Greenwich and Wash- ington. In 1867 he was chief engineer of a party sent from New York to explore the Isthmus of Darien for a ship canal; and in May of the same year he made a geographical reconnoissance of the coast of Alaska. His report was published and largely influenced the government in consum- mating the purchase of that territory. He was in general charge, of the geodetic, astronomical and magnetic work on the Pacific coast, 1867-95, and made the telegrapliic connections for longi- tude with the centres of triangulation from San Diego to Puget sound; and in telegraphic obser- vation from San Francisco to Cambridge (1869) he determined directly the transmission time of clock signals through 7200 miles of wire. In 1869 he was in charge of the astronomical expedition to Alaska to observe the total eclipse of the sun. He was the first American to ascend the Chilkaht river. In 1871 he reported to the secretary of the treasury an exhaustive examination of coin weights and balances of the mint at San Fran- cisco; and in 1872 made astronomical observa- tions at high elevations in the Sierra Nevadas to test the relative value of high and low stations for steadiness of the atmosphere in astronomical observations. In 1873 he was appointed ])y Pres- ident Grant one of the three irrigation conunis- sioners for California, and the same year recovered the Frencli transit of Venus station in lower California, established at Chappe de I'Anteroche in 1769. In 1874 he commanded the American transit of Venus expedition to Jap.an, taking about sixty photographs; and determined the telegraphic difference of longitude between Nagasaki and Tokio and Vladivostok. He then continued his voyage around the world, examin- ing the condition and character of irrigation, rec lamation and sewerage works in Cliiiia, India, Egypt and Italy. The superintendent of the coast survey pronounced his results in the main triangulation of the Pacific coast, " unique in the history of geodesy." In 1860 he determined the coefficient of refraction between Ross moun-