Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/396

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370
SAINTE-CROIX
SAINT HILAIRE

Guadeloupe occupied more than a year, and he was engaged in it when the island was visited liy the terrible earthquake of 1834. On his return to France he published his work on the Antilles, and on its appearance set out to explore southern Italy. For several years he acted as assistant to Elie de Beaumont, occupant of the chair of the history of inorganic bodies in the College de France, and finally became his successor. Prof. Deville was also deeply interested in meteorology, and estab- lished a network of meteorological stations over France and Algeria. lie was elected a member of the Paris academy of sciences in 1857 in the place of Dufrenoy, and promoted officer of the Legion of honor, 13 Aug., 1862. He published, among other works, "Voyage geologique aux Antilles et aux iles Teneriffe et de Fogo " (7 vols., Paris, 1856-'64) and " Recherches sur les principaux phenomenes de meteorologie, ,etc., aux Antilles" (1801). His brother, Henri Etienne, West Indian chemist, b. in St. Thcnnas, II March, ISIS; d. in Paris. !l July, 1883, studied in Paris, early acquired reputa- tion for his chemical researches, and in 1851 was appointed professor of chemistry in the Xormal school of Paris, which post he held till 1859, when he was made professor in the University of Paris. He discovered the anhydrous nitric acid in ls4!i. a new method of mineral analysis in 1853. and from 1S54 to 1865 devoted his labors principally to researches upon the new metal aluminium. He was also the first to make artificial diamonds, which he did at an enormous cost, and he discovered new proper- ties of several metals. His works include " Me- moire sur les carbonates metalliques et leurs com- binaisons" (Paris, 1852); "Memoire sur les trois etats moleculaires du silicium " (1855): "Memoire sur la production des temperatures elevees " (1856) ; ' Metallurgie du platine et des metaux que 1'accom- pagnent" (1857); and " De I'aluminium, ses pro- pn.'tes, sa fabrication" (1859).


SAINTE-CROIX. Gaetan Xavier Guilliem de Pascalis (saynt-crwaln. Chevalier de, French soldier, b. in Mormoiron, 11 Dec., 1708; d. in Cape Francais, Santo Domingo, 18 Aug., 1762. He en- tered the French army as a lieutenant in 1731. and served for fifteen years in Santo Domingo, Martinique, and Louisiana. He gained credit by his defence of the fortress of Belle Isle in June, 1761, was promoted major-general, 20 July, and became commander of the French forces in the Leeward and Windward islands. In February, 17(i2, he made an attack upon Martinique, which the English had just captured, but was defeated. After organizing the defence in Santo Domingo, he exerted himself to send re-enforcements and supplies to Havana, and prepared an expedition against Jamaica, when he died of yellow fever.


SAINTE-CROIX, Louis Marie Philibert Edgrard de Renouard (le, West Indian agriculturist, li. at sea. 2'-! May, 1809. He studied at the military se] 1 of Saint Cyr, and became a lieu- tenant 'of the general staff, but resigned in 1838 and returned to his home in Martinique, where he engaged in agricultural experiments upon his large estate, lie introduced new methods for the cul- ture of the sugar-cane and for the fabrication of raw sugar, and was also the first to experiment on the culture of the cotton-plant in the French West Indies. For his services he was made a knight ( l lie Legion of honor, and in 1860 he became treas- urer-general of the department of Mayenne. His works include " Maniere d'estimer le rendemriil do la canne a sucre" (Paris, 1841); "La question du sucre" (1842); " De la fabrication du sucre aux colonies " (1843) ; " Principes fondamentaux d'agriculture coloniale" (1845); and Le sucre aux colonies" (1847).


SAINT GAUDENS, Augustus, sculptor, b. in Dublin, Ireland. 1 March, 1848. When six months of age he was brought to New York, and in that city he subsequently followed the profession of a cameo-cutter. He began to draw at Cooper insti- tute in 1861. and in 1865-'6 was a student at the National academy, modelling also in his leisure hours. In 1867 he went to Paris, where he studied under Francois Jouffroy at the Ecole des beaux arts until 1870. He next went to Rome, and there produced, in 1871, his first figure, " Hiawatha." In t he next year he returned to New York, where he has since resided. Mr. Saint-Gaudens has been president of the Society of American artists. His more important works are the bas-relief "Adora- tion of the Cross by Angels," in St. Thomas's church, New York : statues of Admiral David G. Farragut (18SO). in New York, of Robert R. Randall (1884), at Sailor's Snug Harbor, Staten island, N. Y., and of Abraham Lincoln (1887), in Chicago; a fountain (1886-'7), in Chicago; " The Puritan." a statue of Samurt Chapin (1887), in Springfield, Mass. : portrait busts of William M. Evarts (1872-'3), Theodore D. Woolsey (1876), at Yale, and Gen. William T. Sherman (1888) ; and medallions of Ilasticn Le Page (1879) and Robert L. Stevenson (1887). Mr. Saint-Gaudens assisted John La Farge in the decoration of Trinity church, Boston, and the monument to Le Roy King, at Newport, R. I., is also the joint work of those two artists. His brother, Louis, sculptor, b. in New York, 8 Jan., 1854. studied in the Ecole des beaux arts, Paris, in 1879-'80. He has modelled a " Faun." " St. John," for the Church of the Incarnation. New York, and other statues, and has assisted his brother in most of his works.


ST. GEORGE, Sir Thomas Bligh, British soldier, b. in England about 1765 : d. in London. 6 Nov., 1837. He entered the army as an ensign in the 27th foot, became a lieutenant in 1790, captain in 1794, major in 1804, and in 1805 lieutenant-colonel in the 63d foot. During the period of these promotions he served in France, Portugal, Corsica, and the Mediterranean, and took part in many battles. In March, 1809, he went to Upper Canada, having been appointed inspecting field- officer of militia there.' He commanded at Am- herstburg when it was attacked by Gen. William Hull, led the militia at the capture of Detroit in August, 1812, and at the river Raisin, in Michigan. 23 Jan., 1813, when Gen. Winchester was defeated. At this battle Gen. St. George received severe wounds. He became colonel in 1813, major-general in 1819, was nominated a companion of the Bath in 1815, and was knighted in 1835.


SAINT HILAIRE, Augustin Francois César Prouvençal de, French botanist, b. in Orleans. France, 4 Oct., 1799; d. there, 30 Sept., 1853. lie was sent when a young man to Holland to superintend a sugar-refinery that belonged to the family, and he thus passed several years in an uncongenial employment. On his return to France he devoted himself enthusiastically to the study of natural history, his favorite science, and. refusing the appointment of auditor of the counsel of the state, he embarked for Rio Janeiro on 1 April. 18U>. l'"i six years he explored the Brazilian empire, journeying about 5.600 miles from 13 south latitude to the Rio de la Plata. He returned to France in 1822 with 24,000 specimens of plants, embra"iiig about 6.000 species, almost all of them new. and nearly all analyzed on the spot, grains. '-.'.Olio binU 16,000 insects, and 135 quadrupeds, heMiles repiilcs.