RADZIWILL, radsze-vil, ancient, very wealthy Lithuanian-Polish family, descended from Nicholas I (1366-1446), voivode of Vilna. Its members became princes of the empire in 1556. Among its most famous members are: (1) Nicholas VI the Black, son of John the Bearded and palatine of Vilna (1515-65), from whom the modern Radziwills are descended. King Sigismund Augustus gave' him the comb mand, in 1552, in the war against the Polish knights. He also commanded in the war against Russia in 1561. Having become a convert to the Reformation, he financed the translation of the Bible into the Polish tongue and itspublii. cation (Biblia swieta, Breese 1563). (2) aris. topper II, military governor of Lithuania and palatine of Vilna, b. 1585; d. 1640. After the death of Sigismund, in 1632, he undertook the defense of the Protestants at the diet of War saw and obtained complete toleration for them. Enjoying the confidence of Vladislav IV, he commanded in the war against Russia. (3) Boguslav, Prince Radziwal, son of Prince James and Sophie Elizabeth, margravine of Brandenburg, was governor in Prussia, 1657 69, and rendered important services in endow ments to universities and schools. (4) Charles, Prince Radziwill, palatine of Vilna and grand. commander of Lithuania: b. 1734' d. 1790. He was the enemy of Czartogscy and the Russians and an adherent of the Saxon party. He was an ardent supporter of the Confederation of Bar and was several times exiled. For three years he was a member of the constituent diet at Warsaw. In more modern times of the members of the family have occupied un portant military, diplomatic and political posts at the Prussian court. Some branches of the family, however, attached themselves to the Russian court. (5) Michael Geron, Prince Radziwill (1778-1850) fought under Kosciusako and Napoleon I against the Russians. (6) Elsie, Princess Radziwill (1803-34) became the object of a youthful love on the part of Wil liam I, German Emperor. Her nephew, (7) Anton (1833-1904) was attached for many years to the immediate entourage of the latter. Con sult Anon., (Die historische Stellung des Muses
Radziwill' (Berlin 1892).
RAE, rã, Charles Whiteside, American naval engineer: b. Hartford, Conn., 30 June 1847; d. Washington, D. C., 13 May 1908. He was graduated at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1866 and at the linked States Naval Academy in 1868. He remained in the navy, receiving regular promotion, becoming captain 3 Jan. 1903. In the Spanish-American War he served at the bombardment of San Juan, Porto Rico, and at the naval battle of Santiago, 3 July 1898, receiving a medal and promotion for his services. He was appointed engineer-in chief of the United States navy, with rank of rear-admiral and chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering in , the Navy Department, 9 Aug. 1903.
RAE, ra, John, Scottish explorer: h. near Stromness, Orkney Islands, 30 Sept. 1813; d. London, 22 July 1893. He studied medicine at Edinburgh, became surgeon in the Hudson's Bay Company's service in 1833, and from 1835 till 1845 was the company's resident surgeon at Moose Fort. In 1846-47 he made his first ex ploring expedition, covering 700 miles of the northern coast of America along Committee Bay. He then went to London and in 1848-49 accompanied Sir John Richardson in his Frank lin search in the Mackenzie and Coppermine region. He conducted two expeditions in 1851, during the first of which lie explored a large part of the coast of Wollaston Land. During the second he traveled a distance of over 5,000 miles in eight months and explored much of the coast of Victoria Land. In 1853-54 he again conducted an expedition and discovered the first traces of Franklin's fate, for which the party received the government grant of L10,000. He also proved King William's Land to be an island. In 1858, 1860 and 1864 he was member of expeditions to the American Arctic regions. In all he walked 23,000 miles and explored coast lines aggregating over 1,700 miles. Con sult Richardson, 'Arctic Expeditions' (London 1852-53) and 'Polar Regions' (ib. 1861). He published 'Narrative of an Expedition to the Shores of the Arctic Sea in 1846-47' (1850).