The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-23
FIRST Tablet TO
MATTHEW MAURY
War Residence of Great Wiz
gilman to Be Marked by
Confederate Society.
ON WEDNESDAY
Other Historic FONTS Will BE
Designated With Granite
or Bronze. h

After months OF quiet planning. the
IgConfederate Memorial Literary So
Eciety, on nexs Wednesday morning, VIII
texpertence the.fruition of its lapors IN
the first OF q series of dwellings OF
Handsome tablets and monuments
marking historic sites in Richmond.
This work, which has now finally
been accomplished. had been long neg
Ilected. The raYages OF time and the
changes brought about by. the cltys
growth have In many cases oblite-
rated8every trace of buildings IN when
lepoch-marking events occurred. the
ideo of designating these locations In
some fitting way having originated
with the society, a sites committee was
appointed to devise definite plans
which should be put into effect as
rapidly as possible.
Although the work is one OF great
icivic Interest and Importance, and the
most direct benefits are to the city, no
contributions of any kind have been
solicited from municipal sources
Quietly but steadily the women have
worked. collecting data and raising
funds and now with many obstacles
overcomeY8they announce that their
hrsth complete work Is to be unveiled
tosthes public on Wednesday morning.
W. ISlrLUUlc 10 Dc uIlVelicO 1ii11 no
the site at 1105 East Clay Street. of
the war residence Of Matthew F%ontaine
Maury. the great virginian, whose SER
wees the Federal government has per-
~slstently3 refused to recognize. although
the world of science honors his meme
Dry as that of one OF the greatest OF
men,
Had Wonderful Career.
sBoSn in spotsylvania county in 1906,
MatthewF ontaine Maury entered the
United States Navy in his sixteenth
year, serving under the national flag
until the toutbreak of the Civil War;,
When,s offering his services to the Con-
Etederacy.S he was appointed Chief OF
the Bureau of River. Harbor and Coast
EEDefenses of the South. and as such
lived in Richmond in 1S61-62. He was
then sent to England to purchase Con-
yfe%derate cruisers. and there remained
until the CLOSE of hostilities. when.
going to Mexico. he was appointed to
Cabinet of the Emperor MaXmiI-
q and was subsequently, sent on a
mission to Europe. Napoleon offered
him the superintendent Of the Inn
perial Observatory at Paris, which he
declined, preferring to accept the chair
of physics at the Virginia Military In
%stftute. which he held till his death at
Lexington in 1875.
Very few of his own countrymen and
citizens Of his native State realize the
Wonderful genius Of the man or APP
prectate the scope Of his remarkable
work. His physical geography was long
the standard authority on the subjects
treated. OF his connection with laying
the first Atlantic cable, Cyrus Field
said: England furnished the money,
Maury furnished the brains, and 1 did
the work" He wa the leader In the
establishment of the National Weather;
Bureau and the Government Signal
Service. He invented the method of
defense under water" developing the
idea Of the modern torpedo boat. and
made his original experiments in his
bed chamber. third story front room
of HOS Clay Street, by exploding min
ute charges OF powder under water in
an ordinary wash tub. His world
famous ocean charts gained for him
the name of the pathfinder of the
Seas" Numerous medals and honors.
We're presented him by foreign mon.
archs in recognition sof his distin-
guished services In the field of science.
Governor to Preside.
In honor of this great man. and.
marking his residence in Richmond,