ROACH
ROANE
ROACH, John, sliip builder, was born in
Mitchellstovvn, county Cork, Ireland, Dec. 25,
1813 ; son of a small dealer in cloths, wlio failed
in business tlirough endorsing notes for his
friends, in 1827. John landed in New York city
penniless in 1827, and finally obtained work from
James P. Allaire in the Howell Iron works in
New Jersey, where he remained for three j'ears.
He removed to Illinois, where with $500 of his
savings he purchased some land which became
the site of the city of Peoria, but owing to the
failure of Mr. Allaire he lost the $1000 still due
him, and also lost possession of his land. He re-
turned to New York, worked on marine engines
and shipwork till he had saved $1000, when with
three fellow-workmen he established an inde-
pendent foundry in New York city, shortly after-
ward becoming sole owner, and in four years he
had accumulated $30,000. He was married in New
Jersey in 1837 to Emeline Johnson. In 1856 an
explosion of a boiler destroyed his works, and
failing to recover insurance he was ruined. He
borrowed a small sum of money and rebuilt the
JEtna Iron Works, added to it by purchasing the
Morgan Iron Works in 1868, for which he paid
$400,000, the Neptune Works in 1868. the Franklin
Forge and the Allaire Works in 1870, and the
ship yards at Chester, Pa., owned by Rainer and
Sons, in 1871. He constructed the largest en-
gines built in the United States, up to the time
of his death, also the first compound engines,
and after 1871 devoted himself almost exclusively
to shipbuilding, his plant at Chester, Pa., valued
at $2,000,000, being known as the Delaware River
Iron Ship-building and Engine Works, of which
he was the principal owner. He built sixty-three
iron vessels in twelve years, either for the U. S.
government or for private transportation com-
panies. His government contracts included six
monitors ordered during President Grant's ad-
ministration. The last vessels that he built for
the U.S. navy were the three cruisers Chicago,
Atlanta and Boston, and the despatch boat Dol-
phin. The government refused to accept the
Dolphin in 1885, which act, together with the
financial crisis, forced him to make an assign-
ment for the protection of his creditors and bonds-
men, July 18, 1885. He constructed about 114
iron vessels for private concerns and foreign
governments, and also built the sectional dock at
Pensacola, Fla., and the iron bridge over the
Harlem river at Third Avenue, New York city.
His son, John Baker Roach, succeeded to the man-
agement of the Chester works, which were re-
opened when the government accepted the
Dolphin. John Roach died in New York city,
Jan. 10, 1887.
ROACH, William Nathaniel, senator, was born in Loudoun county, Va., Sept. 25, 1840.
He was a student at Georgetown college, Wash-
ington, D.C. ; served as a clerk in the quarter-
master's department in Washington, 1861-65,
and as cashier of the Citizens' National bank in
Washington, 1878-79, when he removed to Dako-
ta Territory. There he took up a northwestein
mail contract between Grand Forks and Fort
Totten, and subsequently established a number of
overland mail routes. He settled on a farm near
Larimore, Grand Forks county. He was mayor
of Larimore, 1883-87 ; a member of the territorial
legislature in 1885, being the only Democrat
in the assembly, and the unsuccessful Democratic
candidate for governor of North Dakota in 1889
and 1890. He was elected to the U.S. senate by
the joint votes of the Democrats and Indepen-
dents assisted by ten Republican members, Feb.
20, 1893, after a protracted session of over one
month, and served, 1893-99. He was married first
to Mary Lieberman of A\^ashington, D.C; sec-
ondly, Feb. 8, 1899, to Mrs. V. E. Pollock of Ne-
braska. He died in New York city, Sept. 7, 1902.
ROANE, Archibald, governor of Tennessee, was born in Derry, Pa., in 1755; son of Andrew and Margaret (Walker) Roane. Andrew Roane was born in Grenshow, Ireland, of Scotch par- ents, immigrated to America with his brother, the Rev. John Roane, in 1739, and settled in Derry, Pa. Archibald w^as educated by his uncle, the Rev. John Roane, 1768 ; studied law ; re- moved to Tennessee ; was ad- mitted to the bar in 1788 ; and shortly afterward became ter- ritorial attorney-general for the district of Hamil- ton, and was elected a judge of the supreme court in 1796. He was married to Ann. daughter of David and Mary (Hamilton) Campbell of Washing- ton county, Va. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1796, and was elected governor of Tennessee, succeeding John Sevier, and serving, 1801-04. He resumed practice in Jonesboro in 1804 ; was judge of the second cir- cuit court, 1811-14, and a judge of the supreme coux't of errors and appeals, 1815-18. He was married to a Miss Campbell of Virginia. He died at Jonesboro, Tenn., in 1818.
ROANE, John, representative, was born in Virginia in 1754. He received a liberal educa- tion ; was a member of the state legislature for several years ; a delegate to the state constitu- tional convention, Jan. 25, 1788. and a presiden- tial elector from the eighth Virginia district in 1789. He was a Democratic representative from Virginia in the 11th. 13th, 20th, 21st and 24th congresses, 1809-15, 1827-81 and 1835-37. He died at his home in Runiford Academy, King William county. Va., Nov. 15, 1838.
