Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-01-02
DEATHS SUDDENCALL
Prof. HorSford Stricken
with Heart Disease.
HIS HISTORICAL STUDIES.
Claimed that Norsemen Were the Dis
cOverers of America.

CANpRIDtg, Mass, Jan. 2-The an
nounc.ment of the death Of Professor
Norton lIorsford, which occurred late
yesterday afternoon at his home on
Craigie street, will be received with great
surprise. Heart disease was the cause Of
death. The professor was in good health
up to the very day of his death. About
o'clock yesterday morning he was sud
denly stricken while in bed aud doctor
was i'm mediately sent for.
The efforts Of medical aid were unavail-
ing, however, for the professor passed
away at 4 80 yesterday afternoon, sur
rounded by his family. The suddenness
with which he was stricken was appalling
to the family. lie leaves widow and
five daughters.
Professor Horsford was man with a
generous heart, aud there is many home
which has been benefited by his always
ready purse and can call his name blessed
In October, lSy2, Professor HorstoId
WIS made n knight royal OF the Order Of
Danebrog, by the king Of Denmark, for
his connection In historical studies
Professor Horsford's Career.
Professor Horsford's complete name
was Eben Norton Horsford. He was born
more than "A years ago. IL was In the
little town of Moscow, n. Y, that the
professor was born. His father was
Jclediah Horsford, and he came from
Charlotte, VI. Before his father met her,
Professor llOrsford's mothers name was
Charity Maria Norton. She was a direct
descend mt of the famous Thomas Norton
of the coloay Of 1899 that went to New
Haven, aud afterward moved to Guilford,
Conn. She was born in Goshen, Conn. Pro-
fcssor Horsford received his early educa-
tion in the district schools, and when he
WAS l3 years old he entered the Livingston
county high school. His father was
very learned man.
When Eben Norton Horsford was only
"A lad. he was engaged in the surveys of the
New York and Erie and Rochester aud
Auburn railroads He took course Of
study at the Rensselaer, institute, and
Graduated as a Civil Engineer
when he was only 10 years old. He was
engaged for two years in the geological
survey of New York as the assistant to
the professor in charge, and shortly after
he had reached his majority he became
professor of mathematics and the natural
sciences in the Albany female academy,
that time he delivered lectures in chemis-
try in the Newark college. Delaware.
Then he went abroad aud studied chem
istry under Liebg at Giessen, Germany.
When he came back he was appointed
Rumford professor of applied sciences at
Harvard university. This was great
honor for young man who had several
years to live before he should be 30 years
old.
He remained at Harvard sixteen years,
and at a time when other sch GLARS beg n o
settle comfortably In their professional
seats, he resigned his position. While he
was at Harvard he was constantly max
ing experiments and putting new ideas
Into practical use, and became very rich
man. After he left Harvard he engaged
In chemical manufacturing that was
based on his own inventions. Immedia-
tely after his return from Germany he
did lots Of things that made
His Name Familiar to the Public.
He prepared the plans on the proper
material for the service pipes of the Bos
ton water works, and Boston ac-
knowledged his services by presenting
TO him "A set of costly plate He was APP
pointed by Governor Andrew. soon after
the beginning of the war, on the com
and il was he who drew up the plans To
be adopted in the event of an attack by
the Confederate cruisers. He devised
marching rations for the army so AS to re-
duce transportation labor to the simplest
degree, and General Grant at once or
dered 10000 Of the rations.
He was married in 1s47 to Mary L'ITom-
menren Gardiner of Shelter island, \. Y.
She died in 1855. leaving four daughters
In 1857 he married his deceased wife's sis
ter, Phoebe Dayton Gardiner. and she
bore him daughter.
In 1873 he was the United States com
missioner to the Worlds fair at Vienna,
and he was a commissioner to the Centen-
NAL exposition at Philadelphia in 1855.
The founder of Wellesley college, Henry
j. Durant, was his warm friend, and pro-
fessor Horsford was always a generous
friend of the institution. Since its founda-
tion he had been president Of the board Of
visitors He endowed the college library
and founded the system OF "Sabbatical
year," by which each professor is allowed
one year in every seven to rest and study
I'm Europe, and he established system Of
pensions for professors.
Professor Horsford believed that he had
discovered the true and original
DISCOVERIES OF America.
There has always been a good deal of
discussion Of tentative sort over the
story of the first Morse landers on Amer
lean shores, but Professor Horsford be
leved that il was here In Boston harbor
that Lief Erikson landed his men and
ships. lie conceded that they came first
to Cape Cod, and he said that he had dis
covered the ships keel which bold Lief
Erikson stuck in the sand on the end of
the Cape Cod peninsula; and the name
Cape Cod comes from the original Morse
bames of keel's nose. lie traced all this
through many pathological and ethno-
graphical ramifications, and he made out
sery pleasant, even enchanting story.
Lief Erkson, lac said, ran aground on an
tbb tide, and with the food tide
FIoated Up the Charles River
To the first convenient landing place, and
built his house near the Cambridge city
hospital. Over the waters that are now
the Back bay the ships OF Lief Erikson
twam bravely, and out at the end Of Com
monwealth avenue there In a noble statue
Of Lief Erikson. This statue was put
there by Professor Horsford 10 indicate
the place where the keel OF Erikson's ship
grated on the shore.
For. several years he did nothing but
work on his plans for demonstrating