History of Bath, (Steuben County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Alexander Wilford Hall, evangelist, was born in Bath, N.Y., Aug. 18, 1819. He was a student for several years and then entered the Christian ministry as an evangelist. His knowledge of the Bible and ability as a debater brought him into prominence as a controversialist especially through his attack on Universalism and the theory of evolution. He established and became editor of The Microcosm in 1881. He was elected fellow of the Victoria institute and philosophical society of London in 1891, and was president of the Society for philosophical research in New York in 1893. He received the degree of Ph.D. from Lebanon Valley college, Pa., in 1882, and that of LL D. from the Florida state university in 1885. He is the author of Universalism Against Itself (1843); Problem of Human Life (1878); Immortality of the Soul, and Hygienic Secret of Health.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Adams Howell, naval officer, was born in Bath, Steuben county, N.Y., March 16, 1840; son of William and Frances A. (Adams) Howell; grandson of Capt. Edward Howell (mariner), of Sag Harbor, N.Y., and of Dr. Obidiah Adams,of Brookfield, Mass., and a descendant of Edward Howell, who came from Marsh Gibbon, England, and settled in Boston, Mass., in 1089, removing in 1641 to Southampton, Long Island, N.Y. He was graduated from the U.S. Naval academy in 1858, standing second in his class. He was attached to the sloop Macedonian, of the Mediterranean squadron, 1858-59; to the Pocahontas, 1860; to the store-ship Supply, 1861-62; to the Montgomery, West Gulf squadron, 1862; to the steam-sloop Ossipee, of the North Atlantic squadron, 1862-63; was with the West Gulf blockading squadron, 1863-65, and took part in the battle of Mobile Bay, Aug. 5, 1864, as executive officer of the Ossipee. He was on special duty as executive officer on the steamer De Soto, 1866; with the North Atlantic squadron, 1866-67; at the Naval academy, 1868-71 on coast survey duty, commanding the steamers Bache and Blake, 1871-74; at the Naval academy. 1875-79; commanded the Adams on the Pacific station, 1879-81; was assistant at the bureau of ordnance, 1881; inspector of ordnance, navy yard, Washington, 1881-84; commanded the Atlanta in the squadron of evolution, 1888-90; commandant of the navy yard at Washington, 1893-96; commandant at League Island, 1896-97, and commander-in-chief of the European squadron, January, 1898. In the war with Spain he commanded the North patrol fleet with headquarters at Provincetown, Mass., April, May and June, 1898, and in July and August, 1898, was commanding the 1st squadron, North Atlantic fleet, blockading the north coast of Cuba. His promotions were: passed midshipman, Jan. 19, 1861; master, Feb. 23, 1861; lieutenant, April 18, 1861; lieutenant-commander, March 3, 1865; commander, March 6, 1872; captain, March 1, 1884; commodore, May 21, 1895, and rear-admiral, Aug. 10, 1898. He is the inventor of the Howell torpedo and the Howell disappearing gun carriage, and the author of: Deviations of the Compass; Marine Surveying ; Observations on the Dip of the Sea Horizon.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor