years.” In 1878 Prof. Marsh was president of the American association for the advancement of science, and for many years he was president of the National academy of sciences. He was a fellow of the Geological society of London, from which, in 1877, he received the Bigsby medal for important discoveries in paleontology, and also a member of many other European and American scientific societies. In 1886 the University of Heidelberg conferred upon him the degree of Ph. D., and the same year he received the degree of LL. D. from Harvard.
MARSH, Samuel, clergyman, b. in Danville,
Vt., 3 July, 1796; d. in Underhill, Vt, 1 April,
1874. He was graduated at Dartmouth in 1821,
and at Andover theological seminary in 1824. He
was ordained in 1825, and, after serving as a home
missionary in New England for two years, was
pastor of various Congregational churches in
Vermont for nearly forty years. He originated in
1827 the system of colportage that has since been
employed with excellent results by the American
tract society, the American Sunday-school union,
and other religious societies. Mr. Marsh was an
able debater, and had repeated controversies with
representatives of other denominations. He was a
profound biblical scholar, and his knowledge of
Greek and Hebrew was very thorough. In 1852
he was settled in Underhill, Vt., and continued
there until his death. His publications, including
essays and sermons on temperance and anti-slavery,
were very popular, and during the latter part
of his life he wrote 1,000 biblical hymns, some of
which were published.
MARSH, Sylvester, engineer, b. in Campton,
N. H., 30 Sept., 1803; d. in Concord, N. H., 30
Dec., 1884. He had but little opportunity for
education. In 1826 he established himself as a
provision-dealer in Boston, and later was engaged in
Ashtabula, Ohio, in supplying Boston and New
York with beef and pork. He settled in Chicago
during the winter of 1833-'4, and there followed a
similar business till 1837, when his accumulations
were swept away in the financial crisis of that
year. He began again in the grain business, and
acquired a substantial fortune. Meanwhile he was
active in all that pertained to the advancement of
Chicago, and ranks among its founders. The
meat-packing industry was originated by him, and he
invented many appliances that were incidental to
its success, especially those having reference to the
use of steam. He invented the dried-meal
process, and “Marsh's caloric dried meal” is still an
article of commerce. In 1864 he settled in Littleton,
N. H., and after 1879 made Concord, N. H., his
residence. While ascending Mount Washington in
1852 he lost his way, and then conceived the idea
of building a railroad to its summit, believing that
such an enterprise could be made profitable. He
obtained a charter for the road on 25 June, 1858,
but the civil war prevented any action until May,
1866. The construction of such a road was
regarded as impossible, and he became known as
“Crazy Marsh”; indeed, the legislature, in granting
him a charter, further expressed their willingness
to grant a “charter to the moon” if he wished.
Notwithstanding all opposition, he persisted in
building the railroad, relying chiefly on his own
resources, and received but little encouragement
from capitalists till an engine was actually running
over part of the route. The peculiar form of
locomotive, cog-rail, and brakes used were invented by
Mr. Marsh. The road was formally opened on 14
Aug., 1868, as far as “Jacob's ladder” (see illustration),
and entirely completed in July, 1869. Its
length is 2.81 miles, and the ascent 3,625 feet,
making the average grade of 1,290 feet to the mile.
There are nine curves, of radius varying from 497
to 945 feet. The indispensable peculiarity of this
road is its central
cog-rail, which
consists of two pieces
of wrought-iron,
parallel to each
other and connected
by strong pins.
The teeth of the
driving-wheel of
the engine play into
the spaces of
these bolts, and, as
it revolves, the
engine climbs or
descends, resting on
the outer rails,
which are four feet
and seven inches
apart. For stopping
trains and
controlling their
descent, both friction
and atmospheric
brakes are employed, and their complete
reliability has been proved by the severest tests.
The engines weigh about six and a half tons, and
are rated at fifty horse-power, but by their gearing
this power is greatly increased, at the expense of
speed, which is two miles an hour. The engine
always takes the down-hill end of the train, which
consists of locomotive, tender, and one car,
accommodating about fifty passengers. The cost of the
road was $139,000, and its capital stock is $129,000.
Not an accident has occurred on the road to any
of its 130,000 passengers down to 1888. During
the construction of this road it was visited by a
Swiss engineer, who took away drawings of the
machinery and track, from which a similar railway
has since been built up Mount Rigi in Switzerland.
Another road, built on similar plans, is in successful
operation to the summit of Green mountain,
Mount Desert, Me.
MARSHALL, Andrew, clergyman, b. in South Carolina about 1755 ; d. in Richmond, Va.. 8 Dec, 1856. He was a negro slave, and was sold to John Houston, colonial governor of Georgia, who bequeathed him freedom, Marshall at one time having saved his master's life. The executors, failing to carry out the will, sold him again, but he ran away and was sold at large to Judge Joseph Clay. When Gen. Washington visited Savannah he was appointed the general's body-servant. The embargo having taken effect in Savannah at the opening of the Revolution, fifteen merchants of that city agreed to give him a purse of $225 if he would carry word to several American vessels that lay in a bay on the lower seaboard, in which achievement he was successful, fle witnessed many stirring events during the Revolution, and his personal recollections of Gen. Nathanael Greene and accounts of his death agreed with the historical records. Through diligence and economy he purchased his freedom and that of his family. He united with the Baptist church when he was nearly fifty years of age, and was ordained pastor of the second colored Baptist church in Savannah, and when .this became large enough for division was made pastor of the part which called itself the First African Baptist church, and held this charge until his death, preaching also in Charleston, New Orleans, and elsewhere in Georgia. He also conducted a large portage and draying business in
