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* SILL. 172 SILOAM. ter verse appeared in 18S8. Two years later was published a postliuinous collection of prose, "Being Essays in Literature and Education, and Friendly Letters." The small poetic production of Sill, who was a man of rare temperament and insight, is notable for carefulness of diction, deli- cacy of feeling, and a dominating strain of spiritual optimism. His thoughtful work has steadily grown in inlluence and seems likely to maintain a modest place in American literature. SILL, Joshua Woodrow (1831-G2). An American soldier, born at Chillicothe, Ohio. He graduated at West Point in 1853, was assigned to the Ordnance Department, and was detailed for duty at the Watervliet Arsenal. From 1854 to 185/ he was assistant professor of geography and history at West Point, and then was again on duty in the Ordnance Department until January, 1861, when he resigned from the army and be- came professor of mathematics in the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. In April, however, he was appointed by the Governor of Oliio assistant adjutant-general of that State. He became col- onel of the Thirty-third Ohio Volunteers in Au- gust, 1801, and commanded his regiment in the campaigns in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama during the next year. He commanded a brigade in the movement against Nashville in February, 1862, and the subsequent operations in northern Alabama, and at Huntsville. On July 16, 1802, he was commissioned brigadier-general of volun- teers, and commanded a division at the battle of Perryville, and in the pursuit of General Bragg's army. He was killed in the battle of Stone River, December 31, 1862. SIL'LIMAM", BENJ.4.MIN (1779-1864). An American scientist, born at North Stratford (now Trumbull), Conn., the son of Gold Selleck Silli- nian, a general in the army of the Revolution. After graduating at Yale in 1790 he studied law, became a tutor in Yale, was soon chosen to be a professor of natural science, and went abroad to tit himself for the chair in which he became a teacher of chemistry, mineralogy, geology, and pharmacy. He held his professor- .ship in Yale from 1802 to 1864— from 1853 onward as professor emeritus. He was honored and beloved as a teacher, and acquired even greater distinction as a lecturer, especially on geology. The.se courses began at New Haven in 1831, and were so much appreciated that Silli- man was selected to give twenty-four lectures be- fore the Lowell Institute of Boston, in its first session (1839-40). In 1818 he established the American Journal of Science (often quoted as 'Sillinian's Journal'), which has been continued under successive members of his family to this daj', and is still a leading American repository of scientific papers and intelligence. With Dr. Robert Hare he constructed the compound blow- pipe. He published after his return from Eng- land a narrative of his journey, and fifty years later, at the end of a second journey, he pub- lished a similar memoir. His Tour to Quebec (1819) was likewise widely read. His contribu- tions to science were not numerous, one of those most famous at the time being an account (with J. L. Kingsley) of a remarkable meteor which fell at Weston in 1807. His Life was written by Professor George P. Fisher and published in two volumes (New York, 1868). Many entertaining reminiscences of his distinguished contemporaries are given in these volumes. During his long career Silliman was an active participant in all the affairs of Vale College — the organization of the Jledical School, the formation of a cabinet of minerals, the acquisition of Colonel Trum- bull's paintings, and the purchase of the Clark telescope. His son, Benjamin, Jb. (1816-85), was also a chemist, and was born in New Haven, Conn. He graduated at Yale College in 1837. becoming an assistant to his father, and in 1842 fitted up, in one of the college buildings, a cheniical labora- tory, out of which grew the foundation in 1847 of the Yale (now Sheffield) Scientitic School. He was professor of medical chemistry and toxi- cology in the Universitv of Louisville. Ky., from 1849'to 1854. In 1854 he succeeded his father in the chair of chemistry, which he retained until 1870, continuing, however, to lecture in the medical department until his death. He gave jjopular lectures on scientific topics throughout the coiuitry, and was one of the editors of the American Journal of Science. He was the au- thor of First Principles of Chemistry (1846; 2d ed. 1856) ; Principles of Physics (1858; ed. e. 1868); and American Contributions to Chemis- try (1875). SILLIMANITE (named in honor of Benja- min Silliman). A mineral aluminum silicate that has a vitreous lustre, and is brown to green in color. It occurs in gneiss, mica schist, and other crystalline rocks, and is found in many localities in Bohemia, Bavaria, Saxony, and France, and in the LTnited States in Massaehusetets, Con- necticut. New York, Delaware, and North Caro- lina. The fibrous varieties are commonly called fibrolite, while the name sillimanite is given to those varieties that are found in the form of long slender crystals. SILO. An air-tight storage room either above ground or below, in which green crops usually cut small are tightly packed for future use. See SlL.GE. SILO'AM (Heb. Shiloah, Shelah). A pool situated at the southern end of the eastern hill of Jerusalem, mentioned in Nehemiah iii. 15 and John ix. 7. Isaiah (viii. 6) speaks of the "waters of Shiloah that go softh'." The water in this pool is supplied by the Virgin's Spring and is brought to the pool at the en- trance to the Tyropceon valley by a tunnel over 1700 feet in length. The tunnel is rather wind- ing, and about 25 feet from the Siloan end an important inscription was found in the wall in 1880. As translated by Driver, it reads: "(Be- hold) the piercing through, and this was the manner of the piercing through. Whilst yet (the miners were lifting up) the pick each towards his fellow, and whilst yet there were three cubits to be (cut through, there was heard) the voice of each calling to his fellow, for there was a fissure in the rock on the right hand. . . . And on the day of the piercing through the miners smote each so as to meet his fellow, pick against pick ; and there flowed the water from the source to the pool 1200 cubits; and 100 cubits was the height of the rock over the head of the miners." Hence the cutting Was evidently done simultaneously from both ends. In default of any date, there has been much con- troversy as to the age of the inscription. The