Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/373

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EMERTON
EMMET
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periodically for many years. In 1804 he undertook, in conjunction with several friends, a literary periodical, the precursor of “The North American Review,” entitled “The Monthly Anthology and Boston Review,” which was published until 1810, and enlisted some of the best talent in New England. Mr. Emerson's theological views were liberal, but he was always tolerant toward those who differed from him most widely. In addition to numerous sermons, he printed an “Oration Pronounced at Boston, 4 July, 1802”; a “Discourse before the Humane Society” (1807); and a “Selection of Psalms and Hymns” for use in churches (1808). After his death, his “History of the First Church in Boston,” with two sermons appended, was issued (1812).


EMERTON, James Heney, b. in Salem, Mass., in 1847. At the age of fifteen he began the study of natural history in the museum of the Essex institute in Salem, became assistant at the museum of the Boston society of natural history in 1873-'4, took charge of the Salem museum in 1879, and in 1880 became an assistant at the Yale college museum, and also an assistant on the U. S. fish commission. He stands at the head of natural history artists in the United States, and has drawn the illustrations for many scientific works, including Packard's “Guide to the Study of Insects” and most of Prof. Verrill's later publications. Mr. Emerton is the author of “Notes and Additions to a Second Edition of Hentz's Spiders of the United States” (1875); “Structures and Habits of Spiders” (1877); and “Life on the Seashore” (1880).


EMERY, Charles Edward, civil engineer, b. in Aurora, N. Y., 29 March, 1838. He was educated at the academy in Canandaigua, N. Y., and early developed a taste for engineering. In July, 1861, he entered the U. S. navy as third assistant engineer, and served on the “Richmond” during engagements at Pensacola, the Mississippi river passes, and finally under Farragut. In December, 1862, he was promoted to second assistant engineer, and participated in the blockading of Charleston. In December, 1867, he resigned, entered the employ of the Novelty iron works in New York city, and was general superintendent of the first fair of the American institute in its permanent quarters. In 1869 he engaged in business for himself, but soon afterward became consulting engineer of the U. S. coast survey and the U. S. revenue marine, and had charge of the construction of the vessels of the former service until its engineering department was put in the hands of the navy. In connection with chief-engineer Charles H. Loring, he instituted a series of experiments to determine the relative value of compound and non-compound engines, and his results were published in scientific journals at home and abroad. In 1879 he was appointed engineer of the New York steam company, and the entire plant of that company was constructed from his designs, and is now (1887) under his direction. The details were entirely new, as the similar work that had been done previously was on a small scale. He invented for this work expansion-joints made with thin copper corrugated diaphragms supported on backing plates, and a meter for registering steam when moving at a velocity of eighty feet a second and upward, together with numerous devices for overcoming difficulties encountered in the transmission through the streets, generation in the building, and the return of the water of condensation. Mr. Emery has made several inventions in connection with steam engines, and has conducted experiments for the purpose of testing the practicability of lining steam cylinders with non-conducting materials. He is one of the non-resident professors of Cornell university, and his lectures have been published in the “Scientific American” supplements. In 1879 he received the honorary degree of Ph. D. from the University of New York. He is the author of technical papers, principally relating to steam engineering, most of which have been contributed to the “Transactions” of the American society of civil engineers, or those of the American society of mechanical engineers, of which organizations he is a member.


EMMERTON, James Arthur, genealogist, b. in Salem, Mass., 28 Aug., 1834. He was graduated at Harvard in 1855 and at the medical school in 1858, and then studied abroad for six months. He served as soldier and surgeon in the civil war in 1861-'5, was assistant at the State lunatic asylum, Utica, N. Y., in 1866-'7, and since then has "prac- tised his profession. He has contributed papers to the Essex institute historical collections, including " Gleanings from English Records," and has pub- lished " Deacon Richard Prince, of Salem, and some of His Descendants " (Salem, 1877) ; " Genea- logical Account of Henry Silsbee " (1880) : " Mate- rials toward a Genealogy of the Emmerton Fami- ly " (1881) ; " Eighteenth Century Baptisms in Sa- lem, Mass." (1886); and "Record of the 23d Massachusetts Regiment " (Boston, 1886).


EMMET, Thomas Addis, Irish patriot, b. in Cork, Ireland, 24 April, 1764; d. in New York city, 14 Nov., 1827. He was an elder brother of the famous Irish patriot, Robert Emmet, who was executed in Dublin in 1803. The father of the Emmets was an eminent physician in Dublin. Thomas was graduated at Trinity college, Dublin, and studied medicine in Edinburgh university, where he received his degree in 1784. After trav- elling through Italy and Germany, and returning to Dublin, he decided to adopt the legal profession, for which he had always had a fondness. He studied law in the Temple, London, for two years, and in 1791 was admitted to the Dublin bar, of which he soon became a prominent member. He early became a leader of the " United Irishmen," an association whose object was to make Ireland an independent republic, and was one of the com- mittee whose duty it was to supervise all branches of the society through the country. Disclosures being made to the government, Emmet was appre- hended by order of the privy council in 1798, confined in Kilmainham jail, Dublin, and, being promised his liberty, made a full confession, but with- out implicating other persons, before a committee of the Irish house of commons a few months later. Notwithstanding this, he was confined for two years and a half in Fort George,

Scotland, but was liberated after the treaty of Amiens, and permitted to go to France with his wife, who had been with him in his imprisonment, both being forbidden to set foot again on Irish soil. Emmet spent the winter of 1802-"3