Show UNCOMMON AMERICANS A M E R I 1 C A N S by elmo a western scott watson S union pathfinder of the seas H FJ E NEVER took part in battle A but his name deserves rank with those other american naval heroes jones decatur lawrence perry farragut and dewey his career was a perfect example of 0 the saying that peace hath its war for matthew fonteine Font zine ine maury was one of the greatest benefactors of all those who sailed the seas in his day and mariners marinero ma still honor his name today born in virginia in 1806 maur maury y joined the navy as a midshipman at the age of nineteen during his long voyages he became impressed with the scanty information that was available about prevailing winds and ocean currents strangely enough an accident on land gave him his opportunity to do something about it he was in a stagecoach smashup smash up in ohio h made him a cripple for life As a result he was placed in charge of the depot of charts and instruments in washington out of which developed the hydrographic office and the naval observatory here he started collecting all available information on the meteorology of the ocean which he compiled from a great number of old log books of naval vessels the result was his first wind and current chart issued in 1847 about of these charts were distributed to shipmasters ship masters who found them amazingly useful shortening voyages by days and weeks it was as I 1 f a friendly wizard in seven league boots had suddenly risen out of the waves to lead merchant vessels by the shortest and quickest paths so they were glad to heed baurys request to send him the results of their observations of winds and weather and he began issuing more charts within a few years copies of the charts were being used by mariners marinero ma of all nations and it was estimated that the annual saving to the shipping of one nation alone was the outbreak of the war between the states was a tragedy for maury in more ways than one loyalty to his native state forced him to resign when virginia seceded but due mainly to the jealousy of a superior officer his usefulness to the confederacy was hampered and his career in its service was not a distinguished one after living for a while in england he returned to america and to a professorship at the virginia military institute where he wrote a geography series which is still in use he died in 1873 full of years and honors honor and one of the finest monuments in richmond today perpetu perpetuates ater the fame of this pathfinder of the seas president for a day A A CITY in kansas a county in XA missouri and part of the name of a great railway system bear hs his name but david R atchison is best known in american history as the man who it has often been asserted was president for a day A native of kentucky who emigrated to missouri in 1830 atchison was serving as a senator from that state in 1848 1843 when zachary taylor was elected president to succeed james K polk on march 3 1849 vice president george M dallas presiding officer of the senate announced the close of my official term being near at hand I 1 conform to an established and convenient practice by withdrawing from the deliberations of this body on the motion of senator benton of missouri senator atchison was then appointed president pro tent of the senate for the remainder of that session of the national congress march 4 the traditional inauguration day fell on a sunday and the president elect not only had religious scruples about being inaugurated on the sabbath but doubted the legality of such a proceeding so the inauguration ceremonies were set for monday march 5 friends of atchison claimed that since president folks term ended on march 3 and taylors did sot not begin until march 5 there was an interim of one day in which the senate was the only continuing governing body since atchison was president pro tern tem of the senate and thereby acting vice president dallas having resigned he was also acting president between the administrations m inist rations of polk and taylor i e president for a day atchison himself never made any such claim and declared that the office of president was vacant from noon saturday to noon monday asked once how he enjoyed his short term in office he replied that he really did not know because he slept through most of it after an exhausting last day session of the senate constitutional authorities agree with atchison in regard to the macai vacancy icy existing in the office of the president on march 4 1819 1849 but one edition of the biographical congressional directory credits atchison with being president for a day and that legend still persists |