Bell, Alexander

MELVILLE, a Scottish-American educator, born in Edinburgh, Scot., in 1819. Son of Alex pediments of speech). Invented the method of phonetic ander Bell (the inventor of a method for removing imnotation, known as "Visible Speech." Wrote Visible Speech and Universal Alpha be tics; Line Writing on the Basis of Visible Speech; Principles of Phonetics; World Bell, CLARK, born at Rodman, Jefferson co., N. Y. A English; Speech Reading; Articulation Teaching, . lawyer; originator and president of the Medico-Legal Society of New York; founder of the Medico - Legal JourBell Animalcule. ( Biol. ) A microscopic animal nal; a copious contributor to the daily pre and the writer of numerous pamphlets. of the order Vorticellidæ, consisting of a slender stalk which ends in a bell-shaped portion, usually turned upward. The mouth of the expanded bell is occupied by highly contractile, the stalk closing up into a spiral and a broad disk, with a row of cilia encircling its margin, while at its edge on one side a funnel-shaped opening serves to admit food to the interior. The animal is quickly withdrawing the head from danger. The bell is equally contractile, rounding up into a ball, with the cilia drawn inside. Ordinarily the cilia are in constant and rapid motion, causing currents in the water which draw food particles towards the funnel, through which they enter the interior. The B. A. consists of a single cell, with a nucleus, a contractile vacuole, and the power of reproducing itself by division. It is one of the most highly differentiated of the unicellular animals, and is usually found in water in which decaying organic substance offers it food materials. Bellamy, EDWARD. An American journalist and economist, b. in 1850. Wrote Looking Backward , 1890; Mi Ludington's Sister ; Six to One , etc. Bellamy, EMILY WHIT FIELD, b. in 1839, at Quincy, Gadsden co., Fla.; pen-name KAMPA THORPE. Wrote Four Oaks , Little Joanna , etc. Beloit College, an institution of learning, situated at Beloit, Wis., where it was founded in 1846, by the Congregationalists and Presbyterians of the then Territory of Wisconsin and of Northern Illinois. A building was erected and college exercises were begun in 1847. Rev. Aaron L. Chapin was elected president in 1849, and was succeeded in 1886 by Rev. Edward D. Eaton. The institution has always maintained a high standard of scholarship, and has given education to about 3,500 students. There are at present about 400 students and a faculty of 20 profe ors. There are 10 buildings, one being a library with 18,000 volumes, and a second known as Pearson's Hall, erected in 1892, contains well equipped laboratories of physical science. Ben, Oil of. A fixed oil existing in the fruits of certain species of Moringa , a genus of leguminous trees growing in the Levant and the East and West Indies. M. apter a is its usual source. It is extracted by pre ure and is a colorle (or slightly yellow) and odorle oil, which is used to extract the odoriferous principles of fragrant plants. Benavente ( ben - ah - văn'ta ), a manufacturing town of Spain, prov. Zamora, at the confluence of the Esla and Cea, 34 m N. of Zamora. Pop . 4,518. Bench Show. An exhibition of dogs of improved breeds. Bench shows are now of annual occurrence, and are having good results in developing and preserving the typical characters of the various strains. Ben'dix, JOHN E., born in 1818. In early life, a New York machinist; organized the 9th regiment of N. Y. volunteer infantry, 1861; fought at Antietam, Fred ericks burg, the Wilderne ; brigadier-general, 1865. Died in 1877. Benedetti, COUNT VINCENT, a French diplomatist of Corsican extraction, born in 1817. Appointed Amba ador at Berlin, 1864. His now historical interviews with King William L. of Pru ia, at Ems, in July, 1870, precipitated the Franco-German war, and he was said to have written the draft of a secret treaty between Pru ia and France in accordance with which the latter would support the former in her projects of aggrandisement, in return for the annexation of Luxemburg and Belgium to French territory. This document, published in the London Times at the very beginning of the war, spread consternation throughout Europe. In October, 1871, Count B. published a pamphlet in which he threw upon Bismarck the whole responsibility of the draft treaty. Benefit of Clergy. ( Eng . Crim. Law.) The exemption of the clergy from secular jurisdiction was one of the privileges claimed by the Roman Catholic Church. During the Middle Ages, it acted to remove all clergymen from the jurisdiction of a secular judge in criminal cases. See Milman's remarks, Lat . Christ ., Vol. III., b. viii., c. 8. The system, gradually introduced in England after the Norman conquest, gave rise to many abuses. Not only the clergy, but clerks and all members of the laity who could read, in cases in which capital punishment was awarded, were at length entitled to claim benefit of clergy, so that when the penalty of death was to be rigidly enforced, the statute expre ly intimated that it was without benefit of clergy. As none but those in the service of the church were supposed to be able to read, this degree of learning acted to exempt all those po e ed of it. But when learning became more general, laymen who could read were permitted only once to claim benefit of clergy, and then (unle they were peers or peere es) were branded on the left thumb. Benefit of clergy was abolished in England by 7 and 8 Geo. IV., c. 27, s. 6 (June 21, 1827), and 4 Vict., c. 22 (June 21, 1841) removed all doubts as to the liability of peers to punishment for felony. It was abolished in Ireland by 9 Geo. IV., c. 54, s. 12 (July 15, 1828). Benevente, a seaport town of Brazil, prov. Espiritu Santo, at the mouth of Benevente river, 47 m. S. of Victoria. Pop . 4,000. Benjamin, JUDAH PHILIP, b. at St. Croix, West Indies, in 1811, of English-Hebrew descent. Admitted to the Louisiana bar, 1832; U. S. Commis i oner on the Spanish Land Titles in California; Whig U. S. Senator from Louisiana, 1853-1861; Confederate Attorney-General, 1861; Secretary of War, 1861-62; Secretary of State, 1862-65. Escaped to England, 1865; called to the English bar, 1867, at the age of 56. Wrote A Treatise on the Law of Sale of Personal Property, considered an authority in England. Died in Paris, France, May 8, 1884. Ben's on, ARTHUR WHITE, Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of all England, born near Birmingham, in 1829. Educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in 1852 with high honors. Was a master at Rugby, and head master at Wellington, 1858-72; subsequently chaplain, chancellor and canon at Lincoln Cathedral: consecrated Bishop of Truro, on recommendation of Lord Beacons field, on April 25, 1877; appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1882, upon recommendation of Mr. Gladstone. He was author of several religious works. Died October 11, 1896. Ben's on, EUGENE, b. 1837, at Hyde Park, N. Y. A genre and figure painter, whose numerous productions breathe the influence of the Venetian masters he has taken for guides, and represent scenes of his oriental travels and long sojourn in the South of Europe. Ben'ue ( Mother of Waters). (Geog . ) A large and important river of Central Africa, which forms the principal tributary of the Niger. Rising in the mountains of Adamawa, and flowing nearly westward, it forms the southern boundary of the kingdom of Sokoto. It enters the Niger at Lokoya, about 230 miles from its mouth. It was cro ed by Dr. Barth in 1851, near long. 12° 30′ E., and found there to be 200 yards wide It was ascended by Dr. Baikie in 1850, his voyage extending to Dulti, or Dolti, about 400 miles up the stream. He made a second ascent in 1862. In 1879-83 it was thoroughly explored by Mr. Flegel, who traced it to its Bources in the Adamawa country, in 7° 30′ N. lat., and 13° E. long. Navigable for 700 miles, and flowing through wide tracts of fertile country, it forms a natural highway into the heart of the Soudan. Ben'zidine, a base made by heating nitro benzine with caustic soda and zinc dust. This yields hydrozobenzine, which, when treated with strong hydrochloric acid, is converted into benzidine. Benzidine is closely related to aniline, and like it is a source of valuable dyes. Ben'zidine Dyes. These dyes are prepared by converting benzidine into a diazo-compound, and exposing this to the action of various phenols and amido-compounds. Of the dyes thus produced, the first of importance was Congo-red. Various others are known, which have the useful property of dyeing cotton without the aid of a mordant. B. dyes are also produced in the same manner from tolidine ( q . v .), of which benzo purpurin, formed by the action of naphthionic acid on diazotized tolindine, is one of the most widely used of dyes. Ber'esford, LORD CHAS. WILLIAM DE LA POER, born in 1846 at Philip town, Dublin co., Ireland; a distinguished officer of the British navy; naval aide-de-camp to the Prince of Wales during his trip to India, 1875-76; in command of the Condor at the bombardment of Alexandria, 1882, and promoted captain for services rendered on that occasion; chiefly noted during his late parliamentary career as the advocate of wholesale reform in in the British navy. Bergedorf ( bār'ja - dorf ), a thriving town of N. Germany, 10 m. S.S.E. of Hamburg. It is the cap. of a small territory under the joint government of the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck, known as the Vierländer (Four Lands), from its being divided into separate communities, each distinguished from the other by peculiarities of popular costume and manners. Pop . of territory estimated in 1896 at 12,000. Bergen, in New Jersey , a N. E. co., bordering on New York, bounded E. by Hudson river, and washed by Hackensack and Saddle rivers. The surface, generally uneven, is mountainous in the W. part. The soil is particularly fertile along the valleys of the streams. The famous palisades of the Hudson are situated in the E. part of this county. Cap . Hackensack. Pop . (1898) 67,960. Bergerat, AUGUSTE EMILE, born at Paris, France, in 1845; son-in-law of Théophile Gautier ( q . v .). A French journalist, playwright and novelist. Author of Une Amie; Père et Mari; Ange Bosari; Séparés de Corps ; a collection of patriotic verses, Poèmes de la Guerre; a biography of Théophile Gautier, and a large number of feuilletons , chroniques, .; pen-name, CALIBAN. Bergh, HENRY, born in New York City, of German ancestry; acting vice consul at St. Petersburg, 1862. His symathies for dumb animals were first aroused by the cruelties he saw practised towards them in Europe, and on his return to this country he devoted his life to their interests. Founder (1866) and president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; author of several plays, Love's Alternative , .; a volume of sketches, The Streets of New York ; a poem, Married Off , and others. Died in 1888. Berghaus, HE IN RICH, born at Cleves, Pru ia, May 3, 1797; died at Stettin, Feb. 17, 1884. A German geographer and historical inquirer. Of his numerous works, Deutschland seit 100 Yahren , Sprachschatz der Sa en , Wör terbuch der Plattdeutchshen Sprache , and Briegwechsel mit Alexander von Humboldt were the latest. Bergmann, CARL, born in Ebersbach, Germany, in 1821; came to New York in 1848. A musical composer and distinguished player of the piano and violoncello. Introduced German opera in this country (Niblo's Garden, N. Y. City) 1856; conducted German and Italian operas and the concerts of the Philharmonic Society in New York City. Died in 1876. Bering or Behring Sea ( bay'ring ). ( Geog . ) The most northerly part of the Pacific Ocean, extending between the peninsulas of Alaska and Kamtchatka, and connected by Bering Strait with the Arctic Ocean. Along its southern boundary extend the Aleutian Is-' lands, while farther north lie the Pribylof Islands (St. Paul and St. George), which po e a special interest as the breeding grounds of the fur seals of North America, B. S. is also called the Sea of Kamtchatka. Bering Sea Question. A controversy (finally settled by arbitration) between Great Britain and the United States, in regard to certain rights and claims connected with seal fishing in Bering Sea. The Pribylof Islands, to which the valuable fur seals have long resorted for breeding purposes, were transferred by Ru ia to the U. S. as part of the Alaska purchase of 1867. These seals have proved a source of considerable revenue to the U. S., the right to use the Pribylof Islands as seal fishing grounds being rented out to the Alaska Commercial Company, whose privilege of killing seals was restricted to 100,000 annually. This number was more than restored by the annual births, and the islands would have continued a fixed source of profit but for the action of Canadian fishermen, who have attacked the seals in the open sea (pelagic fishing) and committed such havoc among them as to approach the point of extermination. The seals make the Alaskan coast waters their feeding grounds. But when cro ing the open sea between the mainland and the islands they are exposed to raids from irresponsible fishermen, and these have been carried on so indiscriminately that females with young have been lavishly slaughtered and you sands killed that were lost in the waters. Hon. James G. Blaine, Secretary of State, stated in 1890: "From 1870 to 1885 the seal-fisheries, carefully guarded and preserved, yielded 100,000 skins a year. The Canadian intrusions began in 1886, and so great has been the damage resulting from the destruction of seal life in the open sea surrounding the Pribylof Islands, that in 1890 the U. S. limited the Alaska Company to 60,000 skins, but the company was able to ве cure only 21,000 skins." By this time a hot controversy had arisen, the question being whether the U. S. had a right to protect its acknowledged property in what might fairly be regarded as part of the open sea, and therefore free by international law for every nation or people to hunt and fish in. The U. S. in 1887 a erted this right. Steps were also taken to put it into effect, by sending out armed ve els to seize the poaching craft and confiscate their plunder. It was proposed to Great Britain that a convention should be entered into, in which Ru ia should be asked to join, limiting the time of the year in which seal-fishing should be permitted, the close time to be made to cover the breeding period. This suggestion was accepted by both Great Britain and Ru ia, and all seemed favorable for a speedy settlement of the difficulty, when an unexpected obstacle arose through the action of Canada, which refused to be governed by the restrictions proposed. As a result, the convention proposition had to be abandoned. The question now became one of international law, the U. S. a erting its right to control the fisheries in Bering Sea on the ground of certain claims made by Ru ia in the early part of the century and to some extent admitted by other nations. These rights or claims were conceded to have pa ed to the U. S. as a part of the purchase. Again, it was held, admitting the right to fish in the open sea, that this did not cover the case in question, the seal being in no sense a fish, but a land animal, it using the sea simply as a feeding ground. Thus it became the property of the owner of the ground on which it lived, and when at sea was entitled to the same protection as any other property. It was urged also that the sea has never been considered free ground for any practices that are injurious to the rights, the property, or the honor of a nation that is able to defend itself. These and other arguments were adduced on the part of the U. S. government, and were variously answered by the other party to the dispute; but in 1891, Great Britain consented to submit several of the points at i ue to international arbitration. Meanwhile, during the period of diplomatic discu ion of the terms of arbitration, Great Britain agreed to a modus vivendi for one year, in order to prevent depredations upon the seals. At the end of the year she declined to renew the modus vivendi , but finally consented to do so in a modified form after the U. S. Senate should have ratified the treaty providing for arbitration. This was done in the spring of 1892, the treaty providing for a submi ion of the questions in dispute to a commi ion of seven persons, two appointed by the President, two by the Queen of England, and one each by the King of Sweden, the President of France and the King of Italy. The tribunal, thus chosen, met in Paris, March 23, 1893. Its decision was made public on the 13th of August, of the same year. In this decision the right claimed by the U. S. to protect the seals anywhere, as a ranchman may protect his wandering cattle, was denied. The arbitrators preferred to consider the seals, when beyond the three-mile limit around the island, as wild animals, and fair prey for anybody. But, on the other hand, they established a "protected zone" of 60 miles around the Pribylof Islands, within which anyone was forbidden, at any time, to "kill, capture, or pursue" the seals. They also fixed a close season extending from May 1 to July 31, during which all seal hunting in the Bering Sea, or the parts of the North Pacific frequented by the seals, was forbidden. Only sailing ve els were permitted to engage in the seal bunt, and each of these was required to take out a government license and make a detailed report of its operations. "The use of nets, fire-arms, or exp osives, is forbidden in fur-sealing," the only weapon permitted being the harpoon, which must be wielded by men skillful in its use. The U. S. was required to pay damages arising from searches and seizures of sealing craft by its naval ve els, and in August, 1894, a compromise sum of $425,000 was offered and accepted as a suitable amount, but Congre refused to make the neo e ary appropriation on the plea that this amount was exce ive. It was thereupon decided in 1896 to settle this question by a commi ion jointly appointed by the countries, the President of the Swi Republic to appoint an umpire if no decision could be reached by the commi ion. Unfortunately, the decision of the arbitration tribunal, from which valuable results were expected, seems to have failed in its purpose of protecting the seals. The largest number known to have been killed in the open sea was in 1894, when 95,048 were reported. In 1895, with a larger fleet and improved weapons, the catch was 73,614 skins, a falling off of 21,434. How many were actually slaughtered to yield this number of skins it is impo ible to estimate, but the extermination of the herd seems so near at hand that it has been gravely suggested by members of Congre to kill the remainder of the herd at once, on their island haunt, and thus at one blow put an end to the reckle slaughter of the fur seal and the troubles that have arisen from our efforts to protect them. Bermudez, REMIJIO MORALES. A Peruvian soldier and statesman, b. in 1836; first noted during the Chilian war, 1879-81; vice-president of Peru, 1886; president, 1890. Died in 1894. Bernard', CLAUDE, b. at St. Julien, France, 1813; died at Paris, Feb. 10, 1878. A noted French physiologist; the author of many publications on the subjects of his researches. Bernard', WILLIAM BOYLE, b. at Boston, Ma ., in 1807, son of the Anglo-American John B. An English dramatist; author of over 100 plays, chief among which are Rip Van Winkle; The Nervous Man and the Man of Nerve; Dumb Belle; The Boarding-School; and (his last) The Doge of Venice. Died 1875. Bernhardt, ROSINE, called SARAH, a French actre , b. of Jewish parents in Paris, 1844. She entered the Paris Conservatoire at fourteen, and made her debut in Raciné's Iphigenie , in 1862, but attracted so little notice that she retired, for a time, from the stage. In 1867 she made a striking succe as the Queen in Hugo's play of Ruy Blas, and began a most brilliant career, in which she soon gained the highest place among French tragediennes. Recalled to the Theatre Française, in which her first appearance had been made, her renown grew steadily, and in 1879 she visited London as a member of a company from the Française, and played with the highest succe . Subsequently withdrawing from the Française, for which she was heavily fined in the courts, she made tours to Italy, Ru ia and America, playing in the U. S. in 1880, 1887, and 1891. She was married in 1882 to M. Damala, a Greek actor, but was soon divorced. Her principal characters have been the title rôles of Raciné's great plays, some of the Shakpearean heroines, and others in plays written expre ly for her. She has herself written a play, L'Aven , produced in 1888, and has exhibited pictures and statues by her own hand. Berrien, JOHN MACPHERSON, b. in N. J., Aug., 1781; a son of Major John B. , of the Revolution. Admitted to the bar of Ga., 1809; district judge, 1810-21; U. S. Senator, 1825-29, and 1840-52; U. S. Attorney-General, 1829-31; one of the regents of the Smithsonian Institution. His lucid oratory won him the title of " American Cicero." Died at Savannah, Ga., Jan. 1, 1856. Berro, BERNARD PRUDENCIO, Uruguay an politician, b. 1800; president of the Senate at various times (1852-58); president of Uruguay, 1860-64; deposed by the Color ados under Flores, and shot through the window of his prison cell during the disorders of the revolution in 1888. Berry, HIRAM GEORGE, b. at Rock land (then Thomas ton), Me., Aug. 27, 1824; Major-General of Volunteers, 1862; fought at Bull Run, York town, Williams burg, Fair Oaks, Chantilly, etc. Was shot dead at Chancellorsville while healing a bayonet charge, in several of which he had been remarkably succe ful, on May 2, 1863. Berry, NATHANIEL SPRINGER. born at Bath, Me., Sept. 1, 1796; grandson of Captain John B. , of the Revolutionary Army; Governor of Ma achusetts, 1861-63; more than 16,000 men were enlisted, equipped, and forwarded to the seat of war in defence of the Union, under his direction. Died 1894. Berthe lot, PIERRE EUGÈNE MARCEL IN, born at Paris, France, Oct. 25, 1827. A noted French chemist and educationalist. Author of La Synthèse Chimique ; Sur la Force des Matières Explosives d'après la Thermochimiè ; Les Origines de l'Alchimie ; Science et Philosophie , . Berthet, BERTRAND, alias ELIE, b. at Limoges, France, 1815, died at Paris, 1891. French journalist and prolific novelist; published more than 100 volumes; among the latest, La Maison du Malheur, L'herb or i ste Nicias, Le Secret du Diamant. Bertin ( bar - tahn '), LOUIS FRANÇOIS, an eminent French journalist and man of letters, born in Paris, 1766. Originally intended for the priesthood, the Revolution changed his course of life by making him a journalist. In 1800 he founded the Journal des Débats , intended to be a prominent political organ of the Conservative party, but, finding it impo ible to maintain for his paper an independent character under the strict censorship of the pre established by Napoleon, B. made of it a literary and scientific organ. Despite all precaution, umbrage was given to the government of that day, and B., after undergoing an imprisonment of nine months, was exiled to Elba for a brief term in 1801. Afterwards, the paper had its name changed to Journal de l' Empire , a change that lasted till 1814. During this period Chateaubriand and Madame de Stäel became its two most prominent contributors. After the second Restoration, the Débats became an opposition organ, and under, Louis Philippe devoted itself to the interests of the constitutional bourgeoisie. Died in 1841. Besant', Mrs. ANNIE, née WOOD, born at London, Eng., of Irish parentage, Oct. 1, 1847. An English theosophist; joined the National Secular Society, 1874; announced her adhesion to Socialism, 1883; and, after laboring and speaking on the Free thought platform, joined the Theosophical Society, 1889, and visited America, Australia, India and New Zealand on its behalf; took a prominent part in forcing an investigation into the charges made against the head of the American branch of the society in 1895; wrote her autobiography, Through Storm to Peace, 1893, and a large number of books and pamphlets on theosophical subjects. Besant, SIR WALTER, born at Portsmouth, Eng., 1838. A prolific English novelist, in early life senior profe or in the Royal College of Mauritius; knighted in 1895. B. was early interested in social reform, and his plan for a People's Palace, as outlined his All Sorts and Condi tions of Men, has been practically realized in the East End of London. A few of his best known novels are: All in a Garden Fair, Herr Paulus , To Call Her Mine ; and among his later, The Rebel Queen, 1893; Beyond the Dreams of Avarice , 1894; The Master-Craftsman, and The City of Refuge, 1895. First chairman of the executive commit tee of the "Incorporated Society of Authors"; editor of the monthly paper, The Author . Bescherella, Louis NICOLAS, born at Paris, France, June 10, 1802. A French grammarian, lexicographer and librarian, whose grammar and dictionary were for a long time the recognized authorities on the French language. Died February 4, 1883. Be els, EMIL, born at Heidelberg, Germany, 1847. A German scientist and Arctic explorer; accompanied Peterman in his expedition, 1869; joined the American Polar is expedition under Charles Francis Hall, 1871; contributed to the U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey; edited the first volumes of the Scientific Results of the U. S. Arctic Expedition; wrote Die Am erik an is che Nordpolexpedition , . Be emer, SIR HENRY, a distinguished English inventor, born at Charlton, in Hertfordshire, January 13, 1813, his father being Anthony Be emer, a French refugee. His remarkable inventive powers early developed, his first commercial succe being a method for the manufacture of bronze powder. This is still employed by his succe ors. Other inventions followed, and in 1854 he first began to experiment on steel manufacture, the result being the strikingly valuable pneumatic proce which bears his name. It was first announced in August 11, 1856, at a meeting of the British A ociation, but was received by most iron makers with disbelief and ridicule. There were some succe es, but serious failures, and costly experiments became nece ary, by which at length the kind of ore and the other conditions requisite to succe were discovered. This was announced in 1859, and in the succeeding ten years the method made such progre in the world of manufacture that B.'s income from it was $500,000 a year. In 1869-74 he made efforts to check the rolling motion of ve els and thus prevent seasickne , but without succe . Later he devoted himself to the improvement of telescopes. His valuable services to mechanics brought him, in 1879, the honor of knighthood. Died March 14, 1898. Be emer Steel. Steel made in the method invented by Sir Henry Be emer (q.v.) The idea involved in the original conception was to blow air through the molten cast-iron until all the carbon was oxidized, in case malleable iron was desired, while to produce steel, the blowing was to cease when the nece ary percentage of the carbon had been removed. The method has never succeeded in producing serviceable malleable iron, nor at first could good steel be produced except from the best charcoal iron, like that of Sweden. With English ores, it became nece ary to oxidize all the carbon and silicon, and then restore the nece ary quantity of carbon by the addition of a small quantity of a kind of cast iron known as Spiegeleisen. In the Be emer proce , as at present conducted, the following are the principal stages: Melted pig-iron is run into a converting ve el, or "kettle," made of wrought iron, lined either with fire-brick or with a silicious material called "ganister," and suspended on trunnions, so that it may be turned at will from an upright to a horizontal position. The charge of a converter may vary from 3 to 10 tons. In the bottom there are 7 tuyeres, each with 7 holes of 1⁄2-inch diameter. Through these a blowing engine forces air at a pre ure of 15 to 20 lbs. to the square inch. During this stage of the operation the effect is exceedingly striking. The roar of the blast is accompanied by a volcano-like shower of sparks from the converter, while the flame produced is of dazzling splendor; 15 or 20 minutes suffice to di ipate the whole of the carbon. This first blow over, the converter is lowered to a horizontal position, and a quantity of molten spiegeleisen (from 5 to 10 per cent. of the whole charge in quantity) is run into its mouth. The blast is then turned on again for a few minutes to secure a thorough mixture and the diffusion of the carbon of the spiegeleisen throughout the ma . The steel is next molded into ingots, which are condensed under heavy steel hammers, B. S. lacking density. B. S. will not serve for cutlery, springs, or similar purposes, but the cheapne of the proce renders it invaluable for the production of steel rails, while it is equally suitable for ties, boiler-and armor-plates, and other heavy products. Active as is its production in England, and other countries of Europe, it is still more extensively produced in the United States, the annual yield of American converters at latest advices (1896) being about 6,000,000 tons. Be tan court, SALVADOR CISNEROS. President of the Cuban revolutionary government, 1895; formerly Mar quis of Santa Lucia, a title which he formally renounced on joining the revolutionary movement in 1868. Bethlen ( oat'len ), or Bethlen-Gabor, GABRIEL, a Magyar hero, b. in Transylvania, 1580, became in 1613, through the aid of the Sultan, sovereign prince of that country. In 1619, he proclaimed himself the champion of the Protestant cause in Hungary, and marched against Vienna at the head of an army of 100,000 men, compelling the imperial forces to retire before him. Though unable, through want of supplies, to besiege the Austrian capital, B. maintained the supremacy he had acquired in Hungary, of which country he was crowned king at Presburg in 1620. Resuming the offensive, so as to aid his allies, the German Protestants, B. carried terror and devastation to the very gates of Vienna. The emperor thereupon entered into a treaty of peace with him, granting him important conce ions, besides the dignity of prince of the German empire. Later, B. once more engaged in war on behalf of the Protestant cause in Germany, and died in 1629, leaving behind him the reputation of having been one of the ablest generals and administrators of his time, besides an eminent patron of science and letters. Beuthen ( boo ' then ), or Buton, a manufacturing town of Pru ia, 50 m. S. E. of Oppeln. Pop . in 1895, 36,905. Bewick, THOMAS, a noted English wood engraver and reviver of the art in England, born near Newcastle-onTyne, Aug. 12, 1753. The modern school of wood engraving arose with him, and he was surpa ed by none of his many pupils. The works illustrated by him include Gay's Fables, Æsop's Fables, History of British Quadrupeds , History of British Birds, . Also, with his brother John, he produced designs for Goldsmith's Traveller and Deserted Village . Died at Gates head, Nov. 8, 1828. Beypore, a port of India, 6 m. S. of Calicut, and connecting by railroad with the city of Madras. Bezique ( be - zeek ' ). [Fr. bézique .] ( Games ) A game at cards; usually played by two persons with a double pack, which contains only the aces, tens, kings, queens, knaves, nines, eights, and sevens, the cards ranking in the order named. 8 cards are dealt each players and, after each trick, each draws one from the top of the pack, the winner of the trick having the first draw. The top card of the stock is turned up as trump, and then placed face upward under the stack, as its last card. The non-dealer has the first lead; afterward the winner of the trick leads, the trick being won by a higher card of the suit lead, or a trump. There is no nece ity to follow suit until after the stack cards are all drawn; then the second player must follow suit if po ible, and take the trick if po ible. 1,000 points constitute the game. If made while the opponent has scored le than 500, the game counts double. The points scored are the following: the winner of the last trick scores 10; each brisque (ace or ten) which is taken in a trick counts 10. If the seven is turned up as trump it scores 10. The seven of trump in the hand counts 10, and the holder of a seven is privileged to exchange it for the turned up trump. Various combinations of cards count as follows when declared: marriage (king and queen of the same suit) 20; royal marriage (same for the trump suit) 40; any 4 aces 100; 4 kings 80; 4 queens 60; 4 knaves 40; B. (queen of spades and of diamonds) 40; double B. (both queens of spades and knaves of diamonds) 500; sequence of the five highest trumps (ace, ten, king, queen, and knave) 250. A declaration, or exchange of the seven of trumps, can be made only after a trick has been won, and before drawing, and only one can be made at a time. None can be made after the stock is all drawn. In making a declaration the cards which constitute it must be placed face upward on the table, and remain there until played or until the stack is exhausted. A card which has scored in one combination may form part of others of a higher grade. Three or four players occasionally play B. , and there is a game called Rubicon B. , in which four packs are used instead of two, while the method of counting somewhat difters. Bhilsa ( beeľsah ), a town of India, on the Betwa, 32 m. N. E. of Bhopaul. Bhowan (bo- hawn '), or Bhowannee, a town of British India, N. W. Provinces, 55 m. W. of Delhi. Bhutan ( boo - tahn '), or Bhotan. ( Geog .) An Indian state, situated in the Eastern Him a lay as. It is bounded by the Him a lay as (which separate it from Thibet) on the N., Thibet on the E., and Bengal on the W. and S. On the northern border rises the peak of Shumalari to a height of some 27,000 feet. B. has an area of about 16,800 sq. miles, and about 200,000 population, the people being Buddhists in belief. They practice polygamy and polyandry. The principal agricultural products are wheat, barley, rice, and maize. Bible Revision. Since 1611, when the King James, or authorized version of the Bible appeared, this version, though scholars from time to time pointed out errors or inaccuracies in it, has been in steady use by English speaking peoples, nor does it seem likely to be quickly set aside by the newly-revised version. Since 1611 there have been great advances in biblical scholarship, greater skill and knowledge having been attained in textual criticism, Greek and Hebrew philology, biblical geography and archæology. As a result, a pre ure arose to adapt the King James version to the existing state of critical knowledge, and a new revision of the Bible was inaugurated on May 6, 1870, in the appointment by the Convocation of Canterbury of a committee of eminent biblical scholars and dignitaries of the Church of Eng. land for this purpose, they being directed to a ociate with them representative scholars of other denominations. The committee divided itself into two sections one for the Old and one for the New Testament. At its invitation a similar committee of scholars and divines was organized in the U. S. and began work in October, 1872. This was likewise selected from the different denominations and divided into Old and New Testament sections. Its meetings were held in the Bible House in New York. The British and American committees were virtually one body, being in constant correspondence with each other. They had in all 79 members, 52 in London and 27 in New York. The first result of their labors, the revised New Testament, was published in 1881. The revised Old Testament was published in 1885. As a whole, the result of this deliberate and careful work went far to show the accuracy and discrimination of the 1611 revisers. Many of the verbal changes made scarcely modify the sense, while radical departures in meaning are largely wanting. In consequence of this lack of e ential importance in most of the changes, the old version vigorously holds its own, and can only be slowly set aside by the new though doubtle more scholarly version. Bickers teth, EDWARD HENRY, b. at London, Eng., Jan. 25, 1825, son of Edward B. , the clergyman and author [1786-1850]. A clergyman and a poet; author of Yesterday , To -day, and Forever; The Two Brothers; The Shadow of the Rock ; From Year to Year, . Bick'more, ALBERT SMITH, an eminent American naturalist, born at St. George's, Maine, 1839, graduated at Dart mouth College in 1861. Early devoting his attention to the study of natural history, he formed the idea of founding in the city of New York a museum on an extensive scale to be appropriated to that department of science. In 1865 he visited China, Japan, and the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, returning home by way of Siberia and Europe. Of this scientific tour he published the results in a work entitled Travels in the East Indian Archipelago (Lond. and N. Y., 1869.) In 1870 he was appointed Prof. of Natural History in Madison (now Colgate) University, Hamilton, N. Y., and has since been actively engaged in carrying out his original idea of the institution of the museum before spoken of. This institution, the Museum of Natural History, adjoining Central Park, New York, is under the superintendency of its founder, Prof. Bickmore, and is growing rapidly in scope and value of contents. Bicycle, n. [Lat. pref. bi , two, and Gr. kuklos , a circle.] Literally, any two-wheeled contrivance. Specifically, a modern vehicle consisting e entially of two wheels arranged in tandem fashion, a frame bearing a saddle or saddles for the rider or riders, a steering IMG:content-0858.png:[graphic] IMG:content-0859.png:[graphic] drop - frame for ladies (Fig. 2714) are practically the only two in present use among us; tubular steel is the favorite material for its construction, hickory wood, bamboo and aluminum pushing forth their claims also on public patronage. In the manufacturing of the rim , steel has been discarded in this country in favor of wood and also of paper and rubber. The chain , as a rule, works in almost parallel lines; yet it has been History. Antiquarians of the future will doubtle make every effort to elucidate the connection of the modern B. with the "something not unlike a velocipede" depicted in 1642 on a stained window in the Church of Stoke Poges, Bucking hams hire, Eng. (Fig. 2711), and also with the more remote allusions to wheels in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel; both of these have been gravely mentioned at various times in