482 MAURY, MATTHEW F. 



McILVAJNE, CHARLES P. 



and Sailing Directions." It has been com- 

 puted by competent authorities that these 

 charts have been the means of saving many 

 millions of dollars annually to the commercial 

 nations of the world. During the preparation 

 of those charts he collected the material for 

 his great work, " The Physical Geography of 

 the Sea," published in 1855. While some of 

 the details of this work were found to be er- 

 roneous, and were afterward corrected by the 

 author, it was a grand contribution to hydro- 

 graphical science, and received the highest en- 

 comiums from scientists in all countries. The 

 inrtuence of its author was felt in our naval 

 affairs, and to his suggestions it was duo that 

 we were saved from making those premature 

 and costly experiments in armored ships in 

 which the European nations sunk such im- 

 mense suras. He also predicted the change 

 w'hich has since taken place in substituting a 

 few large guns for a great number of smaller 

 ones, and in increasing the number of small 

 vessels armed with two, four, or six large 

 rifled guns. To his counsels is due also, in part, 

 the substitution of open batteries and earth- 

 works for casemated forts. The investigation 

 of the phenomena of storms at sea had led 

 him, as it did William 0. Redfleld, indepen- 

 dently, and perhaps a little earlier, to look for- 

 ward to the utilization of the telegraph in 

 communicating the intelligence of coming 

 storms, and though others have laid claim to 

 the honor, it seems to be susceptible of proof, 

 that these two were, in a higher sense, than 

 any other men of this century, the fathers of 

 our present invaluable signal-service system. 

 The subject of deep-sea soundings had at- 

 tracted his attention as early as 1848, and 

 these soundings afterward made so thoroughly 

 by Lieutenant Brooks, at his suggestion, led to 

 the discovery of tho telegraphic plateau, nnd 

 the successful laying of the Atlantic cables. 

 He was consulted" and greatly honored by for- 

 eign governments, and received from them the 

 decorations of their orders of merit. It was 

 while thus in tho zenith of his fume and use- 

 fulness, and perhaps a little elated by the extra- 

 ordinary, though worthily won, honors which 

 had come upon one whose attainments had 

 been made under such difficulties, that the 

 lato civil war burst upon the nation. The one 

 unwise step of his life, which marred some- 

 what the lustre of a career otherwise un- 

 tarnished, was his abandonment of the obser- 

 vatory, and his going over to the Confederacy. 

 His name and his knowledge were of some 

 service to the Confederate cause, but, soon 

 wearied of the strife, ho went to Europe in 

 1862 and remained there till 1868, spending a 

 portion of his time in Russia, where he pre- 

 pared some text-books for the imperial princes, 

 ami a portion in England, engaged in literary 

 nn<l scientific, labors. In 1868 he was elected 

 to the chnir of Physics in the Virginia Military 

 Institute at Lexington. In 18T1 he wa chosen 

 1 nt of the University of Alabama, but 



after some hesitation declined the position. 

 1 Miring his professorship at Lexington he com- 

 pleted the preparation of n series of geographi- 

 cal text-books, comprising " First Lesson* in 

 Geography," "The World we live in," M.-ui- 

 ual of Geography," and " Physical (Jeogra- 

 j)liy." He had also made considerable progress 

 in a series of wall-maps, and a text-book of 

 "Practical Astronomy." These were pub- 

 lished in Xew York and Baltimore. 



McGUFFEY, WILLIAM H., D. D., LL. I 

 Presbyterian clergyman, college president 

 and professor, and author of numerous school 

 text-books, born in Washington County. Pa., 

 in 1800; died in Charlottcsville, Ya.. May 4, 

 1873. While he was a child iiis father removed 

 to Trumbull County, Ohio, then a wilderness, 

 and built a log-cabin in the woods. The boy 

 worked hard on the backwoods farm, but dili- 

 gently employed in study all tho time which 

 he could save from out-door toil. He read 

 all the books that he could borrow, nnd re- 

 ceived a little occasional instruction from a 

 clergyman. At eighteen ho began the study 

 of Latin with borrowed books, walking sev- 

 eral miles to recite to his ministerial friend. 

 His father was too poor to help him. nnd he 

 supported himself as a teacher until he could 

 be fitted for college. He graduated at Wash- 

 ington College, Pa., in 1825, under the presi- 

 dency of Andrew Wylio, D. D. Immediately 

 after graduation, so good was the reputation 

 of the young collegiate, that he was appointed 

 Professor of Ancient Languages in Miami I'ni- 

 versity, and in 1832 was transferred to the 

 chair of Moral Philosophy in the same institu- 

 tion. In the meantime (1829), he was called 

 to the Presbyterian ministry, and preached 

 during the remainder of his life, though he 

 rarely had any pastoral charge. In 1H36 ho 

 was elected President of the Cincinnati Col- 

 lege, remaining in that position until 1H3!). It 

 was while he was occupying this position (hat 

 he commenced the preparation of his win f 

 Eclectic Renders anil Spellers, which, though 

 repeatedly revised aud their number increased, 

 have held their place in the popular estima- 

 tion beyond almost any series in the country. 

 In 1839 he accepted the presidency of tin- 

 Ohio University at Athens, where he remained 

 until 1845, when he assumed the duties of Pro- 

 fessor of Moral Philosophy and Political 

 Economy in the University of Virginia. He 

 remained in connection with that institution 

 until his death, working zealously nnd ably 

 until disease interrupted his labors. 



MoILVAINE, Rt. Rov. CHARLES PKTTIT, 

 D.D., LL. I)., D. 0. L., Bishop of tho Protestant 

 Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, born at Burlington. 

 N. .1., January 18. 17!>^; died at Florence, Ita- 

 ly, March 12." 1878. Ho was a son of tin- late 

 Hon. Joseph Mcllvaine, United States Senator 

 from New Jersey 1828-1826. The son gradu- 

 ated from Princeton College in 181(5. and alter 

 a course of theoloirical study was admitted to 

 deacon's orders July 4, 1820, by Bishop White, 



