Astor_3
Astor, William Waldorf, Capitalist: B. New York, 31 March 1848. He Was Called To The United States Bar In 1875; Was A Member Of The Legislature Of The State Of New York I878-81; • And Was United States Minister To Italy 1882-85. In 1890 He Transferred His Resi Dence To ...
Astrocaryum
Astrocaryum, A Genus Of About 30 Species Of Tropical American Pinnate Leaved Palms Noted For Their Profuse Sharp Spines Sometimes A Foot Long. A. Murumuru, The Murumuru Palm, A Common Species In The Lower Amazon Region, Seldom Attains A Height Of More Than 20 Feet. It Bears An Edible, Melon-flavored, ...
Astrology
Astrology, The Science Which Claims To Foretell Future Events, Especially The Fate Of Men, From The Position Of The Stars. Originally, That Is, Among The Greeks And Romans, The Word Had The Meaning Of (astronomy,* And, As In The Case Of Alchemy And Chemistry, The Pseudo Science And The Real ...
Astronomy
Astronomy. Astronomy Is That Branch Of Science Which Treats Of The Heavenly Bodies—including Practically All The Bodies Of The Universe. The Great Advance Which Our Times Have Witnessed In The Methods Of Re Search Has Made It One Of The Most Progressive Of The Sciences, While It Is, At The ...
Astrophotography
Astrophotography. The Use Of Photographic Methods In Astronomical Observa Tions Has Very Greatly Increased Both The Ef Fective Power Of Astronomical Telescopes And Also The Accuracy Of Astronomical Measure Ments. By Exposing A Photographic Plate To The Light Of A Heavenly Body, At The Focus Of A Suitable Telescope Or ...
Asylum
Asylum, A Place Where Persons Flee For Protection. Under The Mosaic Dispensation Cities Of Refuge Were Set Apart To Which The Slayer Might Flee So That Innocent Blood Should Not Be Shed, In Case The Person Was Not Worthy Of Death — That Is, In Case The Act Was Acciden ...
Asylum_2
Asylum, Right Of. In Modern Interna National Law The Phrase Means The Privilege Ex Tended To Foreign Legations, Whether By The Law Of Nations Or By Custom, To Afford Shelter To Persons Who Are Subject To The Jurisdiction Of The States In Which The Legations Are Located. Actually No Person ...
Atahualpa
Atahualpa (d. 1533), Son Of The Famous Inca Emperor Huayna Capac, Of In Terest Chiefly Because Of His Unfortunate Career As Ruler Of Peru. On The Death Of Atahualpa's Father (1525), His Half-brother (huascar) Usurped The Throne. In The Civil War That Im Mediately Followed Between The Followers Of The ...
Atalanta In Calydon
Atalanta In Calydon. Swin Burne's In Calydon,' Perhaps The Greatest, Certainly The Best Known, Of His Works, Is A Lyrical Drama After The Greek Model. Though Lacking The Severe Nobility And Re Straint Of Milton's
Atargatis
Atargatis, A Syrian Deity Referred To In The Apocrypha. She Is Generally Described As The Efish Goddess.* The Name Is Derived By Compounding Two Divine Names: The First Part Being A Form Of The Himyaritic Eathtar,s The Equivalent Of The Old Testament ((ashtoreth,* And The Phoenician ((astarte," With The Feminine ...
Atavism
Atavism (latin Atavtis ; Originally "an Cestor," Later Specialized As ((great-great-great Grandfather'') ; In Biology, The Reappearance In An Organic Being Of Specific Ancestral Peculiari Ties Which Have Not Appeared In Intermediate Generations, Or Of Peculiarities Of Ancestral Side Branches Not Represented In The Direct Line. It Is Often Loosely ...
Atchison
Atchison, Kan., City And County-seat Of Atchison County, On The Missouri River, 20 Miles Above Fort Leavenworth, And On The Atchison, Topeka And Santa Fe, The Chicago, Rock Island And Pacific, The Burlington And Quincy And Other Railroads. The City Is Beau Tifully Situated On The "great Bend) Of The ...
Athalie
Athalie. This Drama By Racine Was Called By Voltaire Masterpiece Of The Human And By Boileau Racine's Beautiful Work, Most Modern Critics Would Accord It At Least The Second Place Among His Dramas. But It Was Slow In Winning General Recognition. After His Had Been Pro Duced With Much Éclat ...
Athanasius
Athanasius, Saint, Bishop Of Alexandria, A Celebrated Greek Theo Logian: B. Alexandria About 296; D. 373. He Had A Christian Education, And Came Into The Family Of Alexander, Afterward Archbishop Of Alexandria. Alexander Took Him To The Council At Nice, Where He Gained The Highest Esteem Of The Fathers By ...
Atheism
Atheism, The Denial Of The Existence Of A God. Among The Greeks Atheism Consisted In A Denial Or Non-recognition Of The Gods Of The State. Socrates Was Put To Death For As Serting The Superiority Of The Divine Wisdom To The Other Gods As The Ruler And Disposer Of Thei ...
Athens
Athens (ancient Greek, Athenai), Greece, The Capital Of The Kingdom Anciently The Capital Of The State Of Attica And The Centre Of Greek Culture. Its Origin And Early History Are Shrouded In Darkness. It Is Situated In The Central Plain Of Attica, Which Is Bounded On The North And Northwest ...
Athos
Athos, Now Hagion Oros Or Monte Santo (holy Mountain), A High Mountain In Macedonia, 50 Miles East Of Salo Nica, The Extremity Of A Long Chain Of Mountains Which Runs Through A Peninsula Jutting Into The Archipelago. The Peninsula Is About 30 Miles Long And Five Miles Broad. It Is ...
Atlanta
Atlanta, Ga., City, Capital Of The State, And County-seat Of Fulton County, 290 Miles Northwest Of Savannah, With Railway Facilities Including 15 Radiating Lines, Five Of Which Be Long To The Southern Railway, And Three Con Trolled By The Louisville & Nashville System. Belt Lines Complete The Terminal System, Which ...
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company, The. A Railway System Extend Ing From Richmond, Va., To Port Tampa, Fla., A Trunk Line Distance Of 900 Miles, With Many Auxiliaries And Branches. On 30 June 1916 The System Was Operating 4,773.66 Miles Of Road, Of Which 52.17 Miles Were Operated Under Lease, ...
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean, The Body Of Water Lying Between The Eastern Coasts Of The Amer Icas And The Western Coasts Of Europe And Africa, And Extending From The Arctic Basin To The Great Southern Ocean. Its Greatest Breadth, Attained In Lat. 25° N., Is 4,500 Miles; But Between Cape S. Roque ...
Atlas
Atlas, An Extensive Mountain System In North Africa, Starting Near Cape Nun, On The Atlantic Ocean, Traversing Morocco, Algiers And Tunis, And Terminating On The Coast Of The Mediterranean. It Is Divided Into The Moroccan, Or Western, And The Algerian, Or Eastern, Atlas. The Western Group Is Divided Into The ...
Atmometer
Atmometer, An Instrument For Measur Ing The Quantity Of Moisture Exhaled In The Open Air In A Given Time From Any Moist Surface, Or From The Surface Of A Liquid. The First In Strument Of This Kind Was Invented By Sir John Leslie. It Consisted Of A Very Thin Ball ...
Atmosphere
Atmosphere (greek, *vaporous Sphere"), In Ordinary Usage, The Gaseous En Velope That Surrounds The Earth. The Atmos Phere Consists Chiefly Of The Gases, Oxygen And Nitrogen, Not Chemically Combined, But Mechani Cally Mixed In The Proportion Of About 21 Vol Umes Of Oxygen To 79 Of Nitrogen. It Also Contains ...
Atomic Theory
Atomic Theory, In Chemistry, The Theory Whose Fundamental Doctrine Is That All Matter Is Composed Of Ultramicroscopic Par Ticles, Separated By Spaces Either Entirely Des Titute Of Matter, Or At Least Containing It In A Very Attenuated State. Such A Theory Was Taught By Lucretius And Other Ancient Philoso Phers, ...
Atonement
Atonement. The Atonement Is The Caption Under Which Christian Theology Intro Duces The Discussion Of The Application Of The Merits Of The, Life And Death Of Christ To The Reconciliation Of Fallen Man To His Creator, As Well As Of The Acceptance Thereof By The Di Vinity. It Expresses The ...
Atropine
Atropine, A Crystalline Alkaloid Ob Tained From The Deadly Nightshade. Its Chemical Formula Is The Plant Con Tains The Alkaloid Hyoscyamine, Which, By The Addition Of Potash To The Juice, Is Converted Into Atropine. The Atropine Is Extracted By Shaking The Alkaline Liquid With Chloroform. The Layer Of Chloroform Is ...
Attachment
Attachment, In Law, A Taking Of A Person, Goods Or Estate By Virtue Of A Writ Or Precept. It Is Distinguished From An Arrest By Proceeding Out Of A Higher Court By Pre Cept Or Writ, Whereas The Latter Proceeds Out Of An Inferior Court By Precept Only. An Arrest ...
Atterbury
Atterbury, Francis, English Prelate: B. Middleton Keynes, England, 6 March 1662; D. Paris, 15 Feb. 1732. He Distinguished Him Self At The University As A Classical Scholar, And Gave Proofs Of An Elegant Taste For Poetry. In 1687 He Took His Degree Of M.a.; Is Thought To Have Assisted His ...
Attica
Attica, A State Of Ancient Greece, Whose Capital, Athens, Was Once The First City In The World. It Is A Peninsula, United, Toward The North, With Bceotia, Toward The West, In Some Degree, With Megaris, And Extends Far Into The 2egean Sea At Cape Sunium (now Cape Colonna). The Unfruitfulness ...
Attila
Attila, At'tl-la (in German, Etzel), The Son Of Mundzuk, A Hun Of Royal Descent, Who Followed His Uncle, Roas, In 434, And Shared The Supreme Authority With His Brother, Bleda. These Two Leaders Of The Barbarians, Who Had Settled In Scythia And Hungary, Threatened The Eastern Empire, And Twice Compelled ...
Attorney
Attorney (attornatus In Latin), A Person Appointed To Do Something For And In The Stead And Name Of Another. A Public At Torney Or Attorney At Law Is A Person Quail Fled To Appear For Another Before A Court Of Law To Prosecute Or Defend Any Action On Behalf Of ...
Attorney At Law
Attorney At Law, An Officer Of A Court Of Justice Employed By A Party In A Cause To Manage It For Him. Appearance By Attorney Has Been Allowed In England From The Time Of The Earliest Records Of The Courts Of That Coun Try. Such Appearances Were First Allowed In ...
Aubenas
Aubenas, Ethinis', France, Town In The Department Of Ardeche, 19 Miles Southwest Of Pnvas. It Is Beautifully Situated On The Bank Of The Arcleche, But Its Streets Generally, Are Crooked And Narrow. It Has A Castle Of The 16th Century, Now Occupied By Several Of The Public Institutions Of The ...
Auburn
Auburn, Me., A City And County-seat Of Androscoggin County, On The West Bank Of The Androscoggin River, On The Line Of The Maine C. And Grand Trunk Railroads, 34 Miles North Of Portland. The City Is One Of The Most Beauti Ful In The State. It Rises Westerly From The ...
Aucassin And Nicolette
Aucassin And Nicolette, One Of The Earliest And By Far The Best Of The Efforts Of French Creative Fancy To Imitate The Oriental And Latin Tales That Had Won Public Favor In Translations, Belongs Probably To The 12th Cen Tury And Illustrates A Type Of Story-telling That Grew In Favor ...
Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand, A Province Forming The Northern Part Of North Island, And With An Area Of 25,746 Square Miles. Auckland, A City And Capital Of The Province, And Formerly Capital Of New Zealand, Is Situated On The Northeast Coast Of North Island At The Mouth Of An Arm Of ...
Auction
Auction And Auctioneer. An Auction Is A Public Sale Of Property To The Highest Bidder. It Is Not Material How The Sale Is Conducted, Whether By Public Outcry Or Other Manner. The Essential Part Is The Selection Of A Purchaser From A Number Of Bidders. Cata Logues Describing The Property ...
Auditor
Auditor. Term Now Commonly Applied To Expert Accountants Who Examine And State The Accounts Of Government Departments, Cor Porations, Etc. An Auditor Is An Officer Of The Government, Whose Duty It Is To Examine The Accounts Of Officers Who Have Received And Dis Bursed Public Moneys By Lawful Authority. In ...
Audubon
Audubon, John James Fon Ere, American Naturalist: B. Les Cayes, Santo Domingo, Now Haiti, 26 April 1785; D. New York, 27 Jan. 1851. His Father Was An Adventurer And His Mother A Creole. At An Early Age He Showed An Absorbing Interest In All Living Things, Especially Birds, A Fondness ...
Audubon Societies
Audubon Societies Are Tions Of Bird-lovers Who Work To Educate Public Opinion To A Proper Appreciation And Protection Of Bird Life. The Term "audubon Society" Was Coined By George Bird Grinnell (q.v.) In 1886, And An Organization For The Protection Of Birds At That Time Started By Him Attained A ...
Auerbach
Auerbach, Berthold, Ger Man Novelist: B. Nordstetten, Wfirtemberg, 28 Feb. 1812; D. Cannes, France, 8 Feb. 1822. He Began To Write While A Student In Heidelberg And Under The Pseudonym Atheobald Chauber" Produced A 'biography Of Frederick The Great' (1834-36). He Was The Founder Of The Modern German °tendency Novel,>> ...
Auf Der Hohe
Auf Der Hohe, 'on The Heights' (1865) Reflects A Period Of Constitutional Po Litical Conflict In Germany, And Is The Most Widely Known Of Auerbach's Novels. The Cen Tral Figure Is A King Whose Self-confident Indi Viduality Comes In Conflict With His Love Of Popular Freedom. Anticipating The "superman* Of ...
Augereau
Augereau, Pierre Francois Charles, Duke Of Castiglione, A Marshal Of France: B. Paris, 1757; D. 12 June 1816. He Came Of Humble Parentage, Served For Some Time In The French Carabineers And Later Joined The Neapolitan Army. He Remained In The Lat Ter Service Until 1787, When He Became A ...
Augier
Augier, Guillaume Victor Emile, French Dramatist: B. Valence, 17 Sept. 1820; D. Croissy, 25 Oct. 1889. He Was Well Educated And Prepared For The Bar. He Was The Grandson Of Pigault Lebrun, And From Him Inherited A Bent For Literature. In 1844 He Wrote A Two-act Play In Verse, Cigue,' ...
Augsburg
Augsburg, Owgz'burg, Bavaria, City And Capital Of The Government Districts Of Suabia And Neuberg, 35 Miles Northwest Of Munich. It Is Situated On A Point Of Land Formed By The Junction Of The Lech And The Wertach. The Town Has A Mediaeval Appear Ance, There Being Very Many Buildings Extant ...
Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession, A Docu Ment Adopted By The. Protestants In 1530 As A Declaration Of Faith. Charles V, On His Acces Sion To The Throne Of Germany (1520), Found His New Dominion The Theatre Of Religious Dis Sensions. The Insurrection In Castile, And The War With France And Italy, Called ...
Augurs
Augurs. See Auguries And Auspices. August, Ou'giist, The Name Of Man August, Ou'giist, The Name Of Man Princes Of The German Principalities: (1) August Wilhelm, Prince Of Prussia, Brother Of Frederick The Great And General In The Prus Sian Army: B. Berlin, 9 Aug. 1722; D. 12 June 1758. He ...
Augusta
Augusta, Ga., The Third City Of The State In Population And Wealth. It Is The Capital Of Richmond County, And At The Head Of Naviga Don On The Savannah River, 231 Miles By Water Above Its Mouth. It Is 132 Miles By Rail From Savannah, 171 Miles East Of Atlanta ...
Augusta_2
Augusta, Maine, City, County-seat Of Kennebec County And Capital Of The State, On The Kennebec River, 40 Miles Above Its Mouth, At The Head Of Tidal Navigation, And On The Maine Central Railroad, 63 Miles Northeast Of Portland. It Is Situated On Both Sides Of The Kennebec, Mainly On Thf ...
Augustine
Augustine, Saint (amman Auccts Tinus), One Of The Most Renowned Fathers Of The Christian Church: B. Tagaste, In Numidia, 13 Nov. 354; D. Hippo, North Africa, 28 Aug. 430. His Father, Patricius, Was A Pagan, His Mother, Monica, A Christian. He Has Re Fated His Own Early Life In The ...
Augustinianism
Augustinianism, The System Of Phi Losophy And Theology Taught By Saint Augus Tine. In Order To Reach A Just Estimate Of The Teachings Of Augustine, We Must Remember That We Are Not Dealing With A Philosopher Simply, Or With A Theologian Simply, But With One Whose Nature Combined In A ...
Augustinians
Augustinians. The Name Of About 60 Different Monastic Bodies In The Roman Catholic Church, All Of Which Deduce Their Community Rules From The Sermons Or Writings Of Saint Augustine, Bishop Of Hippo. The Chief Of These Were The "hermits Of Saint Au Gustine," Or Begging Hermits; The "friars Preachers," Or ...
Augustus
Augustus, Mausoleum Of, A Circular Structure Of Huge Diameter (280 Feet), Built Of White Marble And Covered By A Mound Of Earth, On Which Were Planted Evergreen Trees. At The Summit Of The Mound, Among The Shrubbery, Was Placed A Colossal Bronze Statue Of Au Gustus, Who Had Caused The ...
Augustus
Augustus, Gaius Julius Caesar Octa Vianus, Originally Called Gaius Ocravius, The Celebrated Roman Emperor: B. 23 Sept. 63 Ac.; D. Nola, 19 Aug. 14 A.d. He Was The Son Of Gaius Octavius And Atia, A Daughter Of Julia, The Sister Of Julius Caesar. The Octavian F Am Ily Originated At ...
Augustus H
Augustus H, Frederick (*the Strong"), Elector Of Saxony And King Of Po Land, Second Son Of John George Iii, Elector Of Saxony: B. Dresden 1670.; D. 1 Feb. 1733. He Was Noted For His Activity. In 1695 He Be Came Elector And In 1696 Was Candidate For The Vacant Polish ...
Augustus Iii
Augustus Iii, Frederick, Elector Of Saxony And King Of Poland, Son Of Augustus H : B. Dresden 1696; D. There, 5 Oct. 1763. He Succeeded His Father As Elector In 1733. A Part Of The Polish Nobility Chose Augustus King; And In 1736 He Was First Generally Recognized As Such ...
Aulic Council
Aulic Council, One Of The Two High Est Courts Of The Holy Roman Empire (reichshofrath), The Other Being The Court Of The Imperial Chamber (reichskammergericht). It Was At First A Paid Council Of The Emperor, And Was Reorganized 1497 By Maximilian I, Who Set It Up As A Rival To ...
Aumale
Aumale, Henri Eugene Philippe Louis D'orleans, Duke Of, 4th Son Of King Louis Philippe Of France: B. Paris, 16 Jan. 1822; D. Zucco, Sicily, 7 May 1897. He En Tered The Military Service At The Age Of 17, And Distinguished Himself By His Bravery. At The Age Of 20, He ...
Aurora
Aurora, Ill., City, Kane County, On Fox River, And On The C., B. &q, The C. & N. W., The E. J. & E., And The C. M. & G. Railroads. Is The Hub Of Electric Interurban Lines Ex Tending In All Directions To Chicago, To Elgin And Dundee, To ...
Aurora Borealis
Aurora Borealis (french, Aurore Borfale; German, Nordlicht), The Northern Light. An Illumination In The Sky, Seen Often Est North Of Middle Latitudes In The Northern Hemisphere, And South Of Them In The Southern Hemisphere. In Our Hemisphere It Is Generally Visible In The North, And Has, Therefore, Been Called The ...
Aurora Leigh
Aurora Leigh. 'aurora Leigh,' A Narrative Poem Or "novel,p As Mrs. Browning Herself Termed It, Was Begun In Italy, And Com Pleted In London In 1856. This Romantic Auto Biography In Blank Verse Tells, In Nine Books, The Story Of Its Half-enlish, Half-italian Heroine; Of Her Struggles To Live By ...
Aus Dem Leben Eines
Aus Dem Leben Eines Tauge Nichts (1826) ("out Of The Life Of A Good For-nothing"), By Josef Freiherr Von Eich Endorff Is One Of The Most Pleasing Products Of German Romanticism, A Story Of Perennial Charm. The Hero, Whose Name, Oddly Enough, Is Never Disclosed, Listens Dreamily To The Melody ...
Austen
Austen, Jane, English Novelist: B. Steventon, Hampshire, 16 Dec. 1775; D. Win Chester, 18 July 1817. Miss Austen Was The Daughter Of The Rev. George Austen, Rector Of Steventon And Deane, And Leigh Austen, Daughter Of The Rev. Thomas Leigh And Niece Of Theophilus Leigh, For Many Years Master Of ...
Austin
Austin, Alfred, Poet Laureate Of Eng Land, Critic And Journalist: B. Headingly, Near Leeds, 30 May 1835; D. Kent, .2 June 1913. He Was The Son Of A Wool Merchant, Educated At Stoneyhurst, Oscott And London University; Called To The Bar In 1857. After His Father's Death He Abandoned The ...
Austin_2
Austin, John, The Most Distinguished Of English Writers On Jurisprudence: B. Creeling Mill, Suffolk, 3 March 1790; D. Weybridge, Surrey, 1 Dec. 1859. He Entered The Army In 1806 And Served As A Subaltern In Sicily And Elsewhere Until 1811, When He Resigned His Com Mission, Returned To London, And ...
Austin_3
Austin, Stephen Fuller, American Pioneer: B. Wythe Co., Va., 1792; D. 27 Dec. 1836. He Was A Son Of Moses Austin. He Followed Up The Grant For A Colony In Texas Previously Issued To His Father. By It He Was Clothed With Almost Absolute Power Over The Colonists, And Only ...
Austin_4
Austin, Texas, City, The Capital, And County-seat Of Travis County, Situated On The Colorado River. It Was Settled In 1836, It Was First Called Waterloo, But In 1837, After The Texas Revolution, Incorporated And Renamed After Stephen F. Austin, The Father Of Texas, And The County Was Named After William ...
Australasia
Australasia, As'tral-l'shia, A Geograph Ical Term Of Loose Application, But Usually Re Garded By British Geographers As Comprehend Ing The Continental Island Of Australia And An Unascertained Number Of Other Islands, Some Of Them Very Little Known, Lying Between Long. 110° And 180° E., And Stretching From Papua Or New ...
Australia
Australia, West, One Of The Original States In The Commonwealth Of Australia. It Includes That Portion Of Australia West Of Long. 129° E., And Is Bounded, East By South Aus Tralia, And Northwest And South By The Indian Ocean. It Lies Between The Parallels Of 13° 30' And 35° 8' ...
Australia
Australia, South, One Of The Original States In The Commonwealth Of Australia. It Occupies The Middle Of Australia, And At First, As The Colony Of South Australia, Extended Be Tween Long. 132° And 141° E., And From South Ern Ocean To Lat. 26° N., Having Then An Area Of About ...
Australian Federation
Australian Federation, The Political Union Of The Five Australian Colonies, Together With Tasmania. The First Convention Looking To This End Was Held At Hobart In Jan Uary 1886. The Colonies Represented Were Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Aus Tralia And Fiji. Another Conference Took Place In 1891, At Sydney, New South ...
Austrasia
Austrasia, As-tra'shla (the East King Dom), The Name Given, Under The Merovingians, To The Eastern Possessions Of The Franks, Em Bracing Lorraine, Belgium And The Right Bank Of The Rhine. These Districts, Thickly Inhabited By. Franks, Were Of Great Importance At The Time Of The Rise Of The Frankish Power. ...