Lewis, in mechanics, an ingenious device for securing heavy blocks of stone to the tackle for hoisting. It is said to be named from Louis XIV., under whom the invention was supposed to have been first employed. In the ruins of Whitby abbey, however, originally founded in 658, there appear in the crown of the heavy keystones of the arches cavities like those now made in such blocks for the lewis. These are quadrangular, and on two opposite sides spread at the bottom as in dovetailing. Three slips of iron are fitted to fill this hole, all together making a wedge form the head of which is at the bottom of the cavity. The three ends projecting out of the stone present each an eye for a bolt, which is passed through the whole, and serves as a handle for lifting the stone. To remove the lewis, the bolt is driven out, and the key or middle one of the three slips, which is a straight rectangular piece of iron, is readily withdrawn, setting the other two free.

Lewis #1

Lewis, the name of six counties in the United States.

I. A N. County Of New York

I. A N. County Of New York, intersected by Black river; area, 1,288 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 28,699. The surface toward the east is uneven, broken in many places by low ridges or isolated masses of naked gneiss, and rising gradually to an elevation of 1,400 ft. Toward the west it rises by a series of terraces to a height of from 1,500 to 1,700 ft. The soil is of various qualities. In the E. part it is a light, sandy, unproductive loam; in the W. almost uniformly fertile, with a limestone basis. The Utica and Black River railroad passes through it. The chief productions in 1870 were 33,853 bushels of wheat, 38,414 of Indian corn, 445,667 of oats, 69,828 of barley, 353,010 of potatoes, 32,631 lbs. of wool, 272,-815 of hops, 451,320 of maple sugar, 2,080,259 of butter, 977,547 of cheese, and 104,653 tons of hay. There were 0,547 horses, 32,298 milch cows, 10,805 other cattle, 8,384 sheep, and 5,979 swine; 3 manufactories of agricultural implements, 23 of carriages, 41 of cheese, 10 of cooperage, 1 of pig iron, 1 of printing paper, 2 of pumps, 11 of saddlery and harness, 9 of tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware, 3 of woollen goods, 15 tanneries, 4 currying establishments, 50 saw mills, and 7 flour mills.

Capital, Mar-tinsburg.

II. A N. W. County Of West Virginia

II. A N. W. County Of West Virginia, drained by the Little Kanawha river and the W. fork of the Monongahela; area, 610 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 10,175, of whom 196 were colored. The surface is rough and hilly, in some parts mountainous, but fertile near the streams. The chief productions in 1870 were 41,174 bushels of wheat, 191,556 of Indian corn, 31,776 of oats, 16,071 of potatoes, 51,470 lbs. of tobacco, 26,955 of wool, 113,259 of butter, and 8,620 tons of hay. There were 2,515 horses, 2,902 milch cows, 8,136 other cattle, 10,922 sheep, and 5,673 swine. Capital, Weston.

III. A W. County Of Tennessee

III. A W. County Of Tennessee, drained by tributaries of Duck river; area, 304 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 1,980, of whom 188 were colored. The surface is uneven, with a fertile soil. The chief productions in 1870 were 0,099 bushels of wheat, 73,315 of Indian corn, 14,350 lbs. of butter, and 120 bales of cotton. There were 329 horses, 443 milch cows, 730 other cattle, 1,070 sheep, and 3,361 swine. Capital, New-burg.

IV. A N. E. County Of Kentucky

IV. A N. E. County Of Kentucky, separated from Ohio by the Ohio river; area, 300 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 9,115, of whom 228 were colored. The surface is generally hilly, and the soil fertile. The chief productions in 1870 were 18,632 bushels of wheat, 163,150 of Indian corn, 23,085 of oats, 12,074 of potatoes, 48,S07 lbs. of tobacco, 10,069 of wool, and 00,725 of butter. There were 1,430 horses, 1,070 milch cows, 1,816 other cattle, 4,125 sheep, and 5,282 swine; 3 tanneries, 1 currying establishment, and 4 saw mills. Capital, Clarksburg.

V. A N. E. County Of Missouri

V. A N. E. County Of Missouri, separated from Illinois by the Mississippi river; area, 520 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 15,114, of whom 1,181 were colored. The surface is diversified, well timbered, very fertile, and of easy cultivation. Limestone underlies part of it, and coal has been discovered in several places. The Mississippi Valley and Western and the Quincy, Missouri, and Pacific railroads cross it. The chief productions in 1870 were 152,454 bushels of wheat, 30,783 of rye, 526,611 of Indian corn, 347,145 of oats, 35,412 of potatoes, 10,000 lbs. of tobacco, 37,325 of wool, 47,515 of butter, and 14,425 tons of hay. There were 6,304 horses, 1,402 mules and asses, 5,030 milch cows, 1,459 other cattle, 21,133 sheep, and 21,583 swine; 2 manufactories of carriages, 8 of cooperage, 5 of saddlery and harness, 5 of tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware, 1 of tobacco and snuff, 1 flour mill, 2 planing mills, and 1 saw mill. Capital, Monticello.

VI. A S. W. County Of Washington Territory

VI. A S. W. County Of Washington Territory, occupied in the E. part by a portion of the Cascade range; area, 1,580 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 888. It comprises a portion of the valleys of the Chehalis and Cowlitz rivers, and is a fine agricultural region, the W. portion being level or rolling. The rivers are here navigable. It is crossed by the Pacific division of the Northern Pacific railroads. The chief productions in 1870 were 27,304 bushels of wheat, 24,154 of oats, 4,205 of peas and beans, 10,165 of potatoes, 27,325 lbs. of butter, and 1,985 tons of hay. There were 494 horses, 1,809 cattle, 1,956 sheep, and 1,849 swine. Capital, Claquato.

Lewis #2

Lewis, the name of four brothers prominent in the revolutionary history of Virginia, whose father, John Lewis, was descended from a Huguenot family which settled first in England, and afterward in Ireland. Having killed his landlord in resisting an illegal attempt to oust him from his possession, he emigrated to America, and in 1732 settled at Bellefonte, Augusta co., Va., being the first white resident of the county.

I. Andrew

I. Andrew, the third in age, but the most distinguished of the brothers, a revolutionary general, born in Ulster, Ireland, about 1730, died in Bedford co., Va., in 1780. He was remarkable for bodily vigor and commanding presence, and early became conspicuous in frontier struggles. He volunteered in the expedition to take possession of the Ohio region in 1754; was with Washington at the surrender of Fort Necessity; was present at Brad-dock's defeat; commanded the Sandy creek expedition in 1756; and was made prisoner in the unfortunate enterprise of Major Grant near Fort Du Quesne. In 1768 he was a commissioner on the part of Virginia to conclude a treaty with the Six Nations at Fort Stanwix, N. Y. In 1774 he received the appointment of brigadier general; and as commander-in-chief at the battle of Point Pleasant (the junction of the Great Kanawha with the Ohio), he gained a victory over the most formidable Indian force that ever assembled within the limits of the Old Dominion, headed by the celebrated Cornstalk. The number of troops engaged under Gen. Lewis was about 550, of whom from 40 to 75 were killed and about 140 wounded.

The Indian force is believed to have been 800 or 1,000. Lewis represented the county of Botetourt in the house of burgesses for several years, and was a member of the convention of March and June, 1775. In the same year he was appointed colonel of a regiment in the continental army, and in 1776, at Washington's request, was promoted to brigadier general. One of his first acts after receiving this commission was to drive Lord Dunmore from his retreat on Gwynn's island. His post of duty was afterward in the lower part of the state, where he contracted a fever of which he died. His military abilities were highly valued by Washington, and his statue fills one of the six pedestals around the Washington monument at Richmond.

II. Thomas

II. Thomas, born in county Dublin, Ireland, in 1718, died in 1790. He was a member of the Virginia house of burgesses, where he faithfully supported the rights of the colonies. He advocated the celebrated resolutions of Patrick Henry in the session of 17G5, sat in the conventions of 1775 and 1776, and was a member of the state convention which ratified the federal constitution.

III. William

III. William, born in Ireland in 1724, died in Virginia in 1811. He was engaged in the French and Indian wars under Andrew Lewis, and served with distinction during the revolution. He obtained the rank of colonel.

IV. Charles

IV. Charles, born in Virginia, killed at the battle of Point Pleasant, Oct. 10, 1774. He served with distinction under Andrew Lewis, was a leader in the conflicts on the W. frontier of the state, and became a colonel.