Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/223

 KELLY

KELTON

KELLY, William, agriculturist, was born in New Y'ork city, Feb. 4, 1807 ; son of. Robert Kelly, merchant. He received a good education, and on the death of his father in 1825, with his brotlier John assumed charge of the business, and was joined by his brother Robert in 1826, the tliree becoming known as the " boy merchants." John, the eldest, died in 1836, and in 1837 William and Robert retired, eacli with an ample fortune, and devoted the remainder of their lives to chari- table and educational work. William purchased the '* Ellerslie " estate on the Hudson river near Kliinebeck, N.Y., in 1842, which he made his permanent residence, investing it with every attraction, and there engaged in farming and breeding blooded stock. He was a member of the New York senate, 1855-56 ; and was the de- feated Democratic candidate for governor of New York in 1860. He was president of the board of trustees of the University of Rochester, N.Y., 1856-73, succeeding his brother Robert. He was chairman of the board of trustees of Vassar col- lege, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., from the inception of the institution in 1861 ; and a charter member of the board of trustees of Cornell university, 1865- 70. The mathematical department of the uni- versity bears his name. He gave liberally to the University of Rochester, making a final subscrip- tion of $20,000 shortly before his death. He' was president of the State Agricultural society in 1854, a founder of the State Agricultural college and president of its board of trustees. He died in Torquay, England, while on a visit, Jan. 14, 1872.

KELLY, William, inventor, was born in Pitts- burg, Pa., Aug. 22, 1811. He attended the public school, and at an early age turned his attention to invention and mechanical work, constructing a tin steam engine and boiler, a propelling water- wheel and a revolving steam engine, before he reached his majority. He engaged in the for- warding and commission business in Pittsburgh, Pa., owning considerable interest in steamboats. His property was destroyed by tire in 1845, and he removed to Lyon count}', Ky., and in 1846, with his brother, John J. Kelly, became owner of the Eddyville Iron Works, the Suwanee furnace, and the Union forge on the Cumberland river. He manufactured for the sugar-planters of Lou- isiana and Cuba, large kettles made on cast-iron elastic moulds of his own invention and charcoal blowers for the rolling mills in Cincinnati, Ohio. Owing to the cost of fuel, he began experiments in 1847, and succeeded in decarbonizing iron by means of a current of air, and by the aid of a converter transformed iron into steel, which, in 1851, reached a point of perfection. It was this process, known as Kelly's boiling process, that Sir Henry Bessemer patented in England in 1856 or 1857, and claimed as his own, while Mr. Kelly

asserted that Bessemer obtained his knowledge of the process from the English workmen em- ployed by him in America. Bessemer procured a patent in England, but was refused one in Amer- ica, the commissioner of patents acknowledg- ing Mr. Kelly as the original inventor by issuing the patent to him. A syndicate of iron-masters was formed in 1863, to protect Mr. Kelly's patents, and they erected foundries at Wyandotte. Mich., where steel was first made under his patents. The interests of several patentees were consoli- dated under the title of the Pneumatic Steel asso- ciation in 1860, and in 1871, when api)lications were made at the patent office for a renewal of the Bessemer, Mushet and Kelly patents, Mr, Kelly's was the only one renewed. In 1854 he introduced twelve Chinamen to work in his foundries to take the place of slave labor, said to be the first Chinese employed in the United States. He died in Louisville, Ky., Feb. 11, 1888.

KELSEY, Francis Willey, educator, was born in Ogden, N.Y"., May 23, 1858 ; son of Henry and Olive (Trowbridge) Kelsey, and a nephew of John Townsend Trowbridge. Francis attended the Union school at Lockport, N.Y''., and was- graduated from the University of Rochester, A.B., 1880. He was professor of Latin at Lake Forest college, 1880-89, and became professor of Latin at the University of Michigan in 1889. He studied in Europe, 1^883, 1884-85 and 1892-93. He was married, Dec. 22, 1886, to Mary Isabelle Badger. He became joint editor with Prof. Percy Gardner, of the University of Oxford, of the Handbooks of Archceology and Antiquities. He prepared and published an edition of Ccesar's Gallic War (1886), and several other text books ; and also prepared the English edition of August Man's Pompeii : Its Life and Art (1899).

KELTON, John Cunningham, soldier, was born in Delaware county. Pa., June 24, 1828. He was a great-grandson of James Kelton, who emi- grated from Ireland and settled in Chester county. Pa., about 1735. John C. Kelton was graduated at the U.S. Militarj- academy in 1851 ; assigned to the 6th infantry and stationed at Fort Snelling, 1851-53 ; at Fort Ridley, 1853-54 ; Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1854-55; Fort Leaven- worth, 1855 ; Fort Laramie, 1855-57 ; assistant instructor at West Point, 1857-59 ; on leave of absence in Europe, 1859-60, and instructor at West Point, 1860-61. He was promoted 2d lieutenant, Dec. 31. 1851 ; 1st lieutenant. May 9, 1855 ; brevetted captain of the staff and assistant adjutant-general, May 11, 1861, and was purchas- ing commissary in the Departments of the Mis- souri and the West. He was promoted cap- tain of the staff, Aug. 3, 1861 ; colonel of the 9th Missouri volunteers, Sept. 19, 1861 ; and com- manded a brigade, October and November, 1861.