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knowledge of civil engineering, came to the United States in April, 1833. On his arrival he secured employment on the New York, Providence, and Boston railway, in 1834 went to Lowell as assistant engineer on the hydraulic and other works, and in 1887 was appointed chief engineer of locks and canals on Merrimack river. In 1845 he was appointed agent of the canal com- pany, and continued in that capacity and as chief engineer un- til he was retired from active duty in 1884. For many years he was the con- sulting engineer in all important work connected with the hydraulic improve- ments of Lowell.

Mr. Francis was regarded as the founder of a new school of hydraulic engineers. In

gauging the flow of water, by weirs and floating tubes, the volumes treated by him have been un- paralleled, and he reduced the possible error from the ten per cent, often allowed in previous experi- ments, to two per cent. He was president of the Arnerican society of civil engineers from Novem- ber, 1880, till January, 1882, and, besides his con- tributions to periodical technical literature, pub- lished "Lowell Hydraulic Experiments" (New York, 1855 ; enlarged ed., 1868), and "The Strength of Cast-iron Pillars " (1865).

FRANCIS, John Moraraii, journalist, b. in Prattsburg, N. Y., 6 March,l823 ; d. in Troy, N. Y., 18 June, 1897. His father, Richard, was a mid- shipman in the British navy, served in Admiral Rodman's flag-ship, and, resigning about the close of the Revolutionary war. emigrated to the United States and settled near Utica, N. Y. The son was educated in the common schools and in Pratts- burg academy, and when fourteen years old was apprenticed to a printer. In 1843 he became edi tor of the " Wayne Sentinel " at Palmyra. N. Y., in 1845 an editorial wi-iter on the " Rochester Advertiser," and in 1846 on the Troy " Budget," of which he was subsequently editor and asso- ciate proprietor. After serving editorially on the Troy " Post " and the Troy " Whig," he established the Troy "Times" in 1851, and was its control- ling proprietor and editor-in-chief. He was city clerk of Troy in 1851-'5, and was a member of the New York state constitutional convention of 1867-'8. In 1871 he was appointed by President Grant U. S. minister to Greece, which office he re- signed in November, 1873. He was minister to Portugal in 1882-4, and to Austria-Hungary in 1884-'5. He made the tour of the world in 1875-6. FRANCIS, John Wakefield, physician, b. in New York city, 17 Nov., 1789 ; died there, 8 Feb., 1861. His father was a German, who emigrated to this country soon after the close of the Revolution- ary war. The son was apprenticed to a printer, but subsequently entered Columbia in advance in 1807, and was graduated in 1809. He soon after- ward began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Hosack, whose partner he was till 1820. He was graduated in medicine in 1811, at the College of physicians and surgeons. In 1810 he beeaine associated with Dr. Ilosack in editing the "Ameri- can Medical and Pliilosophical Register," a quar- terly which was continued for four years. In 1813 he was appointed lecturer in the institutes of medi- cine and materia medica at the College of physi- cians and surgeons, and soon afterward, when the medical faculty of Columbia was consolidated with that institution, he was appointed professor of ma- teria medica in the united body. After delivering one course of lectures he sailed for Europe in 1816, and while there studied under Abernethy, and formed the acquaintance of the most eminent physicians and literary men of the time. On his return he re-entered on his duties as professor, first of the institutes of medicine, afterward of medical jurisprudence, in 1817, and then of obstetrics from 1819 to 1826. In the latter year the whole faculty resigned, and the majority of them formed the Rutgers medical school, with Dr. Francis as pro- fessor of obstetrics and forensic medicine for four years, when the school was closed by the legisla- ture. He afterward devoted himself to the practice of his profession and to literature. He actively promoted the interests of the New York historical society, the New York lyceum of natural history, the Woman's hospital, the State inebriate asylum, and the Typographical society, of which he was a member till his death. His taste in art was fine and his judgment correct, and young painters and sculptors always found in him a friend. Pie was the first presi- dent of the New York academy of medicine aft- er its organiza- tion in 1847, and was elected an associate of nu- merous medical and scientific as- sociations abroad as well as in the United States. He was a fine conversationalist and was a so- cial favorite. In 1822-'4 he was one of the edi- tors of the " Med- ical and Physical

Journal." Trinity college gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1850. Dr. Francis was intimately acquainted with the history and antiquities of New York, and was looked upon as an oracle in matters relating to his native city. He was the author of biographical sketches of many of the distinguished men of his time, and of articles in medical periodicals. Plis published works are " Use of Mercury " (New York, 1811); "Cases of Morbid Anatomy" (1814); "Febrile Contagion" (1816); "Notice of Thomas Eddy " (1823) ; " Denraan's Practice of Midwifery," with notes (1825) ; " Letter on Cholera Asphyxia of 1832 " (1832) ; " Observations on the Mineral Waters of Avon " (1834) ; " The Anatomy of Drunkenness " ; " Old New York, or Reminiscences of the past Sixty Years "(1857; enlarged ed., 1858; l'eprint, with a memoir by H. T. Tuckerman, 1865) ; and numerous addresses. — His son, Valentine Mott, physician, b. in New York city, 25 April, 1834, was graduated in medicine at the University of New York in 1859. After practising in New York for several years he removed to Newport, R. I. He was correspondent of an American newspaper while travelling on the continent of Europe in 1869-70, and is the author of " Hospital Hygiene " (New York, 1859), and " Fight for the Union," a poem (1863). — Another son, Samuel Ward, physician,