Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/278

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

VERTIX


VERY


received the lionary degree of A.M. from Yale in 18G7; was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1872; of the Boston So- ciety of Natural History; the American Acad- emy of Arts and Sciences; the Connecticut Ac- ademy of Arts and Sciences, of which he was president (1903); the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences; Essex Institute; Pliiladelphia Academy of Natural Sciences; Zoological Society of France, and many other societies. He was an associate editor of the American Journal of Sci- ence from ISO."), his contributions to the same and to the P)-ocee(Ungs of scientific societies amount- ing to over 300 pai^ers, mostly on zoological and geological subjects. He is the author of: Report on the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound, and adjaceyU waters (4.14 pages, 38 plates; 1874) which became a standard work on that subject; also of The Bermuda Islands: Their Scenery, Cli- viate. Productions. Physiography, Natural His- tory, and Geology; u'ith sketches of their Early History and the Changes Due to Man (5.18 pages, 40 plates; 1903); Zoology of the Bermudas (Vol. I.; including 427 pages, 4.5 plates; 1903), and also publications on the zoology of Japan. Hawaiian Islands, and other countries. Mr. Verrill still held his professorship and curatorship at Yale in 1903.

VERTIN, John, R.C. bishop, was born at Dob- lice Parice, diocese of Leybach, Carnolia, Austria, Feb. 17, 1844. He emigrated to the United States with his father in 1863; attended the Theological Seminary of St. Francis, Milwaukee, Wis., and was ordained priest, Aug. 31. 1866, at Marquette, Mich., by Bishop Baraga, being the first priest ordained after the see of St. Mary became the diocese of Marquette and St. Mary in 1865. He was pa-stor at Houghton, 1866-71, and at Negau- nee, Midi., 1871-79, and was consecrated bishop of Marquette, Sept. 14, 1879, at Negaunee. bj' Bishop-Coadjutor Heiss, assisted by Bishops Bor- gess and J. L. Spalding. He died in Marquette, Mich., Feb. 26. 1^99.

VERY, Samuel Williams, naval officer, was born in Liverpool, England, April 23, 1846; son of Capt. Samuel, Jr., and Sarah W'illiams (]Mc- Key) Verj'; grandson of John Crowninshield and Mary (Dwyer) Very and of John and Elizabeth (Williams) McKey; and a descendant of Bridget Very (widow), born about 1600, who came to Salem. Mass. (with lier two sons, Samuel and Thomas, and a daugliter, Mary), probably from Salisbun.', England. He attended the schools of Cambridge and Maiden, Mass. At the beginning of the civil war, his father, who was conmiander of the clipper-ship i^Mrricajje, trading with Liver- pool. ofTcred his services to the U.S. navy and served with efficiency. The son was appointed to the U.S. Naval academy, Feb. 23, 1863. and was graduated in June, 18CG. He wasattafh'-'l t'> tlu-


Resaca, to the 3Iohican and to the Onicard, Pacific station, 1866-71, being commissioned en- sign, March 12, 1868, and promoted master, March 26, 1869, and lieutenant, Marcli 21, 1870; was on duty at the Torpedo station, 1871-72; attached to the Lancaster and to the Was^), Soutli Atlantic station, 1872-74; at the Boston navy yard, 1874- 75; attached to the Omaha. Soutli Pacific station, 1875; and the Richmond of the same, and subse- quently of the South Atlantic station, 1875-77; on duty at the Naval academy and attached to the practice-ship Constellation, 1877-80; at the hydrographic office, Washington, D.C., 1880; en- gaged in making magnetic observations during a trip by canoe through Canadian waters to Hud- son's Bay and by steamer along the coast of Labrador, under the U.S. coast survey, 1S80-82; in charge of the transit of Venus expedition to Patagonia, 1882-83; attached to the Tennessee, North Atlantic station, 1883-86; at the Torpedo station, 1889, and engaged in inspection of steel, 1886-87, being promoted to the rank of lieutenant- commander, March 4, 1886. He was married, June 14. 1883, to Martha Bourne, daughter of Jehiel Hale and INIartha Ann (Bourne) Simonds of Wareliouse Point, Conn. He was on duty at the War college, 1887; at the Naval academy, in charge of ships, 1887-90; on special duty in con- nection with the Newark and on board the Newark, North Atlantic station, 1890-^91; attached to the Mohican and to the Boston, Pacific station, 1891-93; at the Washington navy yard, 1894; the League Island navy yard, 1894-95. and was in- spector of ordnance. Cramps' ship-yard and gun- works, 1894-96. He was promoted to the rank of commander, March 5, 1895; stationed at the Boston navy yard, 1896-98; commanded the steamers Saturn and Cassius. 1898, in operations around Cuba and Porto Rico, and the gunboat Castine, 1899-1900, in C'hine.se waters. While on board the Castine he conquered and received the surrender of Zamboanga. Mindanao, in the Philip- pines, and for this work he received official re- cognition for the navj' department, and com- mendation from Rear-Admiral J. C. Watson, who said, " The most notable naval achievement during my command was the surrender of Zam- boanga to Commander Very. It resulted in the 2)acification not only of that place, but of much of the adjacent territory." He was at the Boston navy yard, 1900-01; at the AVar college, 1901; and was promoted captain, Feb. 19, 1901. and stationed at the Boston navy yard, where he was appointed temporarj' executive officer in ^laj-, 1903. His father invented a system of signals which came into use in the merchant service, and his cousin, Edward Wilson Very, invented the signals which came into use in all the navies of the world. His sister. Mary Elizabeth Very,