BLANC BLANCHE OF BOURBON 693 succeeded Count Walewski in 1868 as a member of the academy of fine arts, and in 1869 de- livered lectures in Switzerland. BLANC, Le, a town of France, department of Indre, on the river Creuse, 33 m. S. W. of Chateauroux; pop. in 1866, 5,822. It contains some cloth manufactories and bleaching works. It was formerly strongly fortified, having a wall flanked by towers and three forts, of which only vestiges remain. There is a hand- some church of the 12th century, dedicated to St. Genitour. BLANC, Mont See MONT BLANO. BLANCHARD, mile, a French naturalist, born in Paris, March 6, 1820. He studied zoology, anatomy, physiology, and entomology, was early connected with the museum of natural history, and classified its entomological collec- tion (2 vols., 1850-'51). Since 1862 he has been professor and curator of that institution. He succeeded Isidore Geoffrey-Saint- Hilaire as a member of the academy of sciences in 1861, and has contributed many valuable papers to its annals. His principal works include Be- cherches sur Vorganisation des vera (Paris, 1837) ; Histoire des insectes, traitant de leurs mesurs etde leurs metamorphoses en general, &c. (2 vols., 1843-'5; English translation by Duncan, "Transformation of Insects," London, 1870); La zoologie agricole (4to, with illustrations, 1854: et seq.); and Organisation du regne ani- mal (36 numbers, 4to, 1861-'4). BLANCHARD, Francois, a French aeronaut, born at Andelys in 1738, died in Paris, March 7, 1809. In his youth he spent his time in trying to make flying machines, and after the invention of the balloon in 1783 became greatly interested in that contrivance. He constructed a balloon with wings and a rudder, in which he ascend- ed in March, 1784. On Jan. 7, 1785, he cross- ed the British channel from Dover to Calais, for which Louis XVI. rewarded him with a gift of 12,000 francs and a life pension of 1,200 francs. He invented a parachute to break the fall in case of accident, and first used it in London in 1785. He went through various parts of Eu- rope, and in 1796 made a visit to New York, displaying everywhere his aeronautic skill. In 1798 he ascended from Ronen with 16 persons in a large balloon, and descended at a place 15 miles distant. In 1808, while making his 66th ascent, at the Hague, he had an apoplectic stroke, from the effects of which he died in the succeeding year. His wife, MAKIE MADE- LEINE SOPHIE AEMANT, continued to make a6- rial voyages ; but in June, 1819, having ascend- ed from the Tivoli garden in Paris, her balloon, illuminated with fireworks, took fire at a con- siderable height, and she was dashed to pieces. BLANCHARD, Henri Pierre Leon Pharamond, a French painter, born at Guillotiere, Feb. 27, 1805. He studied under Chasselat and Gros, and subsequently made extended tours in Spain, northern Africa, Mexico, Germany, and Rus- sia, the fruits of which have appeared in a se- ries of pictures illustrating the habits, history, and natural features of those countries. He has also produced numerous designs for illus- trated periodicals, and is the author of an illus- trated and descriptive account of a journey from Paris to Constantinople. BLANCHARD, Laman, an English writer, born at Great Yarmouth, May 15, 1803, died in Lon- don, Feb. 15, 1845. In 1831 he became act- ing editor of the " New Monthly Magazine," conducted by Bulwer, and from that time for- ward was a most prolific contributor to the periodical press. The insanity of his wife and the failure of his own health preyed upon his mind, and soon after his wife's death he com- mitted suicide. He was highly esteemed by the many literary men with whom he associated. His " Essays and Sketches," collected from va- rious periodicals, were published for the benefit of his orphans, in 3 volumes, with a biography by Lord Lytton. BLANCHARD, Thomas, an American mechanic and inventor, born at Sutton, Worcester co., Mass., June 24, 1788, died in Boston, April 16, 1864. While engaged with his brother in making tacks by hand, he conceived the idea of inventing a machine for the purpose. He was then only 18 years old, and it was six years before the invention was perfected. Fi- nally, so effective was the machine, that by placing in the hopper the iron to be worked, and applying the motive power, 500 tacks were made per minute, with better finish than had ever been attained before. Soon after com- pleting this task he undertook to invent a ma- chine for turning gun barrels throughout their entire length by one self-directing operation, and accomplished it with entire success. It not only cuts the cylindrical part of the bar- rel, but the flattened portion as well without the intervention of hand work. This was fol- lowed by the invention of a lathe for turning gun stocks and other irregular forms, which came into general use at once. Mr. Blanchard was also interested at an early day in the con- struction of railroads and locomotives, and of steamboats so contrived as to ascend rapids of considerable force. He invented a steam wagon before any railroad had ever been laid. He took out upward of 25 patents during his lifetime, from some of which he derived considerable profit. His last years he spent in Boston in the business of bending heavy timbers to any desired form by a process of his own invention. BLANCHE, August, a Swedish poet, born in 1811, died in Stockholm, NOV. 30, 1868. He began life as a lawyer, and about 1846 devo- ted himself to literature, producing comedies, dramas, and novels, and editing the lllmtrerad Tidning. He was a member of the Swedish diet, in which he was noted for eloquence and zeal for reform. A complete edition of his works was published in 1868. BLANCHE OF BOURBON, queen of Castile, born in France about 1338, died in Spain in 1361. She was the daughter of the duke of Bourbon, and at the age of 15 was betrothed
