Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/18

smoke-stack, independent centrifngal blowers, wrought iron gun carriages with mechanism for dispensing with breeching and taking up the recoil, a self-acting gun-lock by which the guns of the decks could be discharged at any elevation even in a rolling sea, a telescope to determine the distance of the enemy's ship, and numerous other novel applications to facilitate the handling of ordnance and the ship. His inventions and improvements as introduced on the Princeton made that ship the model for the world, and the beginning of a new era in the steam marine. During his first three years' residence in the United States he had placed engines and screw propellers in numerous vessels used for river and inland water navigation, and in 1851 he exhibited at the World's Fair in London his numerous appliances for use in steam navigation and was awarded the prize medal. In 1854 he presented to Napoleon III. plans for a partially submerged armored war-ship with a revolving shot-proof cupola, which the Emperor put to practical use. In 1861 through private enterprise, and within the space of 100 days, he planned, built, launched and equipped the Monitor at a cost of $375,000, which was to be paid by the government only after the boat had proved effective in actual battle with the Merrimac, then undergoing reconstruction at Norfolk, Va., and which the U.S. navy had no vessel afloat able to withstand.

This little nondescript however was ready on time and turned the fortunes of war at Hampton Roads, Va., March 9, 1862. The result of the fight between the Monitor and Merrimac led to the construction of similar vessels on a scale that surprised the naval engineers of the world and determined the universal use of the type by the European maritime powers. In 1869 he constructed for the Spanish government thirty steam iron-clad gunboats, and in 1881 devised and constructed the Destroyer, carrying a sub marine gun of sixteen-inch calibre capable of discharging 300 pounds of gun-cotton, encased in a 1500-pound projectile, below the water-line. This gun was designed to destroy an iron-clad. He experimented in 1883 with an appliance by which he obtained a supply of mechanical energy from the sun and called his invention the "Sun motor" which he had described in "Contributions to the Centennial Exhibition" (1876). He received Royal favors from Sweden; was made knight commander first class, Danish order of Dannebrog; received the grand cross of naval merit from King Alfonso of Spain; was appointed knight commander of the Royal order of Isabella the Catholic; and received a special gold medal from the emperor of Austria, and the thanks of the U.S. congress, and of the legislature of the state of New York. He was made a fellow and member of the Royal academy of military sciences, Sweden; of the Royal academy of Serena. Stockholm; of the American philosophical society, and of various other scientific societies of both continents. He received from Wesleyan university the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1862, and from the University of Sweden that of Ph. D. in 1869. After his death the United States government, on Aug. 23, 1890, conveyed his body to his birthplace for final sepulture, on board the cruiser Baltimore, which vessel was escorted out of New York by the entire "White Squadron" then in the harbor, and under the especial convoy of the Kantucket, the second monitor built by Ericsson. Both in New York and at Stockholm where the Baltimore arrived Sept. 12, 1890, there were public manifestations of profound grief. See "Life of John Ericsson," by William Conant Church (3 vols., 1891). In April, 1893, a bronze statue of the inventor was unveiled on the New York Battery overlooking the harbor. Captain Ericsson died in New York city, March 8, 1889.

ERMENTROUT, Daniel, representative, was born at Reading, Pa., Jan. 24, 1837; son of William and Justina (Silvis) Ermentrout; grandson of Jolm Ermentrout, and great-grandson of Christopher Ermentrout, who was a son of Jolm Ermentrout. He attended the public schools, Franklin and Marshall college, and Elmwood institute, and was admitted to the bar in 1859, practising in his native place. He was district attorney of Berks county, 1862-65; city solicitor of Reading, 1867-70; and state senator, 1873-80. He was a Democratic representative from Pennsylvania in the 47th, 48th. 49th and 50th congresses, 1881-89, and in the 55th congress, 1897- 99. He died in Reading, Pa., Sept. 17, 1899.

ERNST, George Alexander Otis, lawyer, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 8. 1850; son of Andrew H. and Sarah (Otis) Ernst. His father was a native of Germany and his mother of Boston, Mass., He was a grandson of George Alexander Otis, well known to literary Boston, and a descendant of the Otis family of Revolutionary note. He received his early education at the Mount Pleasant military academy. Sing Sing, N. Y., and at the Eliot high school, Jamaica Plain,