The Portland daily press., 1899-01-23
OBITUARY.
wILLIAM WOOD. N. b.

Dr. William Wood died OF his resi-
dence on Free street yesterday afternoon,
after brief illness from troubles Incl
dental to old age. the principal cause
being Inflammation of the kidneys.
DIR. Wood was one Of Portland's most
prominent citizens. for years leading
physician and surgeon. and also especial
ly noted for his scientific attachments.
DIR. Wood was born In Scarboro, octo-
Der ID, 1910, in the old King mansion,
the home Of Gov. King. He therefore
was In the s9th year of his age. His faith
or, William Wood, was merchant and
moved to this city in 1912, when his son
was but two years old, so that he Is
almo st a native CT the city. He received
his first instruction at the private school
taught by the mother of John Neal, and
In the public schools aud the old Port
land Academy that stood on Congress
street. nearly opposite the First Par ish
church. He entered Bowdoin college
when a few months less than fifteen years
of age and graduated In the class Of 30.
Among his classmates were Hon.
Phineus Barnes, Rev. DIR. Eiisha l..
Cleveland. Allen Haines, John Fairns'd
Hartley, Henry b., and Hon. James I.
McCobb. He then studied medicine In
the school at brunswick and in 1888 at
the age Of twenty-three years, he secured
his fathers acquiescence to his desire TO
complete his studies in Europe which was
a very unusual educational proceeding
at that time. There were, Of course, no
steamships and the voyage To France In
q sailing vessel occupied twenty-f our
days. He remained in Paris as a medical
student for two years and a half, beoom-
ing SO familiar with the language that IL
was even easier for him to cpke notes of
o lecture in Er ench than In English. He
sailed for home in the winter of 80 and
encountered such boisterous winds and
waves that the voyage occupied seventy
two days and the ship was given up for
lost. He began to practice immediately
after his return and has been leading
physician and surgeon ever since, until
In recent years hts age has forced ham to
discontinue his active work. He.was
IL ade an overseer of Bowdoin college and
u MON Der Of the faculty Of the Medical
school position he Tiled for many years.
In the same year that he began his
services to his fellow-citizens as physi-
cian, he entered upon tbs. other phases of
his lIfe-work. He was one Of the foun-
ders and promoters of the Maine Insti-
tute OF National Science that occupied
rooms over the old school house on the
corner of Free and Center streets, where
the collections were kept and the meet
ings held. But in u few years the interest
ianguished and the property Of the society
WAS sold at auction. DIR. Wood bought
the greater part of IL. and in ls4S became
one of the founders OF the Natural His
tory society TO which he gave the above
mentioned collections and his own very
large and valuable collection of minerals,
the accumulation of his efforts when
boy in Portland, student In Bowdoin,
and in France, and an enthusiastic COL
lector thereafter.
Rooms were occupied In the old Custom
Houss. and when that was burned In
1854 everything was lost. The society has
nsver since acquired such valuable and
extensive collections. The shells and
minerals contributed by DIR. Wood and
DIR Mighels were especially valuable. DIR.
Migheis came here from the country and
received his first knowledge and enthu.
siasm from DIR. Wood. They two were the
first TO explore Casoo bay with dragnets
in search OF shells. That was in the Tor
ties Previously only twelve OF fifteen
different kinds of shells were known to
exist in this vicinity. The two doctors
increased that number to over two hun
dred.
The old Portland Academy was next
acquired by the society and suitably al
tered for their purpose. When that was
burned In the great ire of SO. nearly all
of the collections were again destroyed.
This was discouraging indesd, but the
society again emerged from the dames
and now occupies its large and handsome
building on Kim street, which may justly
be- styled and will always be known as
monunens TO DIR. Wood S Jealous activity
and unfalteIing enthusiasm. de was
elected president in 1882. has held that
position ever since, ana been the guiding
spirit and main support. 1t 10 therefore
hardly necessary TO affirm that the inves-
tlgation of natural science in its varied
branches, has been TO DIR. Wood the chief
employment of his life. outside Of his
profession, and the chief enjoyment, out
side Of bis iamily.
With the exception of trip TO the West
Indies previous to 1880, he travelled COM
paratiyely little unless the short journeys
in search OF botanical and minerslosioal
specimens he regarded as such. In that
case he travelled great deal. For
many years he was chiefly interested in
botany both cryptogamic and pheno-
gamic, and his garden was always well
stocked with great variety of plants and
flowers, the habits Of which be carefully
studied. He was an authority on the
subject. In his later years he confined
himself more closely to marine zoology
and all the lower classes of animal and