SKETCH OF HENRY CABVILL LEWIS. 401 



SKETCH OF HENRY CARVILL LEWIS. 



ALTHOUGH Prof. Lewis died at an age ■when men usually 

 • have hardly more than begun to produce matured work, his 

 name had already become associated with the solution of a most 

 important geological question, and he was recognized as one who 

 had led the science another step forward. 



Henry Carvill Lewis was born in Philadelphia, November 

 16, 1853, and died in Manchester, England, July 21, 1888. He was 

 descended from an ancient patrician family, the Ludewigs, of the 

 free imperial city of Hall, in Swabia, who are mentioned as hav- 

 ing occupied as early as the fourteenth century responsible posi- 

 tions as military and civil officers in their city and in the Holy 

 Roman Empire. In the beginning of the eighteenth century, the 

 sons of his ancestor, Johann Peter Ludewig, appear as distin- 

 guished in arms and letters. One of them, Johann Peter von 

 Ludewig, besides having other dignities, was a learned jurist and 

 historiographer and poet laureate of the empire, and the author of 

 many historical and legal works. His own ancestor of this gen- 

 eration, Johann David Ludewig, was connected with military 

 and court life. His great-grandfather removed to America in 

 1784 and anglicized his name to Lewis. His grandfather, John F. 

 Lewis, and his father, F. Mortimer Lewis, were engaged in the 

 East India trade. The latter, since retiring from business, has 

 been actively engaged in various philanthropies in connection 

 with hospitals and benevolent institutions, and is now President 

 of the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and of 

 the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. An incident that oc- 

 curred when Henry Lewis was little more than an infant is men- 

 tioned by his biographer as showing an early inclination toward 

 geological studies. He was found, while on a visit to the country, 

 digging in the gravel-walk with a spoon, and, when asked why 

 he was doing it, replied that he " wanted to see what was under- 

 neath." This may have been only a manifestation of childish 

 activity which under other circumstances might not have been 

 noticed and have passed without influence upon his career ; but 

 his father and his maternal grandfather, Mr. Henry Carvill, were 

 quick to observe the direction of the dawning intelligence of the 

 boy, and to cultivate whatever profitable tastes he might show. 

 The generous interest taken by his father in fostering the bent of 

 his son's mind toward research deserves, in fact, special recogni- 

 tion and acknowledgment. As soon as his son displayed earnest 

 leanings in this direction, Mr. Lewis provided every facility for 

 helping him in his favorite studies. Instead of attempting, as too 



TOL. XXXV. — 26 



