Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/399

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ESPINOSA
ESQUIU
375

Maypii, 5 April, 1818, and was promoted officer of the 8th battalion of Rio de la Plata. In 1820, when sixteen years of age, he followed San Martin in his expedition to Peru, took part in the battles of Rio Bamba, Pichincha, and other encounters, which freed the territory now known as the republic of Ecuador. After this Espinosa was assigned to the battalion Pichincha, of the Colombian division, and in 1833 served in the campaign of Intermedios, in 1824 in the battle of Ayacucho, and after the cam- paign of Bolivia, in 1825, had reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel of Colombia. After the war of independence Espinosa wished to return to his country, but had no means to make the trip. Boli- var gave him $500, and the custom-house of Arica defrayed his expenses to Valparaiso. He supported himself in Chili for ten years, and in 1841 returned to Lima, and was appointed by Gen. Gamarra rec- tor of the College of Puno. He afterward shared in the campaign of the south as secretary to the commander-in-chief. The government of Marshall Castilla appointed him inspector-general of the army, and in 1857 he was made prefect of Ayacu- cho, and commander-in-chief of the departments of Ayacucho. Junin, and lluancavelica. As .sub- secretary of war, Espinosa shared in the encounter of Callao on 2 May, 18G6. He left two works. " Herencia espafiola 6 caracter de Isabel II.," and " Diccionario republicano."


ESPINOSA. Pedro, Mexican bishop, b. in Tepic, 29 June, 1793 ; d. in the city of Mexico, 12 Nov., 1866. He completed his studies at the semi- nary of Guadalajara, and afterward occupied the chair of the Holy Scriptures at the university, where lie received the degree of doctor of theology, and was subsequently appointed professor of phi- losophy and dogmatic theology. He was intrusted with many important ecclesiastical commissions by Cabaiias, then bishop of Guadalajara, and on 8 Jan., 1854, was consecrated bishop at the cathedral. He labored hard for the benefit of his diocese, founding schools, printing books, and supplying the wants of the poor. Political disturbances after- ward compelled Espinosa to leave the country, and he visited the pope, who received him well, and honored him with several religious titles. After the erection of the separate diocese of Zacatecas, he was consecrated first archbishop of Guadalajara. He died on his way to assume his office.


ESPIVENT, Louis Charles d', French corsair, b. in Nantes, France, in 1641 ; d. in Tobago, West Indies, in December, 1677. He was of noble fam- ily, and, when very young, entered the royal navy, •which he soon abandoned for the more hazardous life of privateering. In 1659 he went to Saint Christopher, where his relative De Poincy was commanding at that time. Soon afterward he fitted out a small fleet, with which he went on a cruise, and his captures and adventures soon be- came famous. In 1663 he entered the port of Carthagena by night, and under the guns of the forts captured a galleon that was about to sail. In 1664 Espivent kidnapped the Spanish governor of Santo Domingo, and obliged him to pay a ransom of 25,000 francs. Soon afterward the buccaneers of Santo Domingo chose Espivent as their chief, but the jealousy of Ducasse obliged him to quit the island. In 1667 he went to Guadeloupe, where Gov. Houel appointed him his lieutenant. In that same year he kidnapped M. de Thoisy Patrocle, an envoy of Louis XIV., and exacted a ransom from him. In 1676 he was appointed by Admiral d'Es- trees 1st lieutenant on board the frigate " La Gloire." He took part in the recapture of Cay- enne, and distinguished himself at the combat of Petit Goave against the Dutch fleet under Binkers. He was killed in the attack on Tobago.


ESPY, James Pollard, meteorologist, b. in Westmoreland county, Pa., 9 May, 1785; d. in Cincinnati, Ohio, 24 Jan., 1860. He was graduated at Transylvania university in 1808, and in the same year became principal of the classical academy in Cumberland. Afterward he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practised for four years in Xenia, Ohio. In 1817 he accepted a call to the classical department of the Franklin institute, and while in Philadelphia published in the “Journal of the Franklin Institute” his earliest researches in meteorology. After some years of investigation he advanced the theory that every great atmospheric disturbance begins with the uprising of air which has been rarefied by heat. The rising mass dilates, and, as its temperature falls, precipitates vapor in the form of clouds. Owing to the liberation of the latent heat, the dilation continues with the rising till the moisture of the air forming the upward current is practically exhausted. The heavier air flows in beneath, and, finding a diminished pressure above it, rushes upward with constantly increasing violence. The great quantity of aqueous vapor precipitated during this atmospheric disturbance, gives rise to heavy rains. The physical principles on which this theory was based were correct, and it is so far supported by observation. It found many adherents, and attracted the attention of scientists abroad. In 1840 he visited Europe, and presented his views before the British association, to whose transactions he contributed papers on “Storms” and on the “Four Fluctuations of the Barometer.” A committee of the French academy of sciences examined his theory, and reported favorably on it. During the debate that took place in the academy, Arago said, “France has its Cuvier, England its Newton, America its Espy.” However, subsequent researches led to important modifications of his views by the so-called rotary theory which is now generally accepted. Mr. Espy believed that rains could be produced artificially by means of fires sustained long enough to produce a powerful upward current, which would initiate the action as previously described. He petitioned congress and the legislature of Pennsylvania for an appropriation to enable him to perform the experiment, but without success. In 1843 he received an appointment under the war department, enabling him to prosecute his investigations in the Washington observatory, and several volumes of his reports were published. While holding this office he instituted a service of daily bulletins, in conjunction with the newspapers and the telegraph companies, on the condition of the weather in different localities. This constituted the earliest efforts of the weather bureau, which has since developed into an important branch of the war department, Mr. Espy was a member of the American philosophical society, received its Magellanic gold medal in 1836, and in 1841 was elected a corresponding member of the Smithsonian institution. He was sometimes called the “Storm King.” He published “Philosophy of Storms” (Boston and London, 1841).


ESQUEMELING, John, buccaneer. He wrote in Dutch an account of the buccaneers of America, which was translated into English (London, 1684). Sir Henry Morgan obtained a verdict of £200 against the publisher for libel.


ESQUIU, Mamerto. Argentine R. C. bishop, b. in Piedrablanca, South America, in 1826 ; d. in Cordoba, Argentine Republic, in 1883. He entered the Franciscan order at an early age, and