Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 03.djvu/271

LEFT CURTISS 22^ CURVE of the Nihilist" (1888) ; "Japan Sketch- es," "Venezuela," "Life of Zachariah Chandler," "The Yankees of the East," etc. He was for several years director of the Bureau of American Republics, and was chief of the Latin-American de- partment and historical section of the World's Columbian exposition, 1891-1893. He died in 1911. GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS GITRTISS, GLENN HAMMOND, an American aviator. He was bom at Ham- mondsport, N. Y., in 1878, beginning work as a newsboy and later developing into a mechanic and cycle rider. In 1906 he established a record for the fastest mile on a motor cycle, and later experi- mented with flying machines. His first international cup was won in the contest at Rheims in 1909, and he also won the $10,000 prize offered by the New York "World" in 1910 for the New York-Al- bany flight. He also engaged in the man- ufacture of aeroplanes, becoming presi- dent of the Curtiss Aeroplane Co. at Hammondsport, and treasurer of the Curtiss Exhibition Co. During the World War the Curtiss Engineering Cor- poration produced the "NC-1," the larg- est seaplane in the world, making a flight with fifty men on board, a record which was bettered only in 1920. CURTIUS, ERNST (k6r'tse-6s), a German archaeologist and historian; born in Liibeck, Sept. 2, 1814. His studies were all directed toward Grecian antiq- uity, and he visited Greece repeatedly on scientific missions. "Peloponnesus" (1851) is a history of that peninsula. His "Greek History" is a scholarly work written in a popular style. His works on "Olympia" and other ancient cities are addressed rather to scholars than to the general public. He died July 11, 1896. CURTIUS, MARCUS, a Roman hfiro, who devoted himself to the infernal gods for the safety of his country. According to the legend, a wide chasm having sud- denly appeared in the Forum, the oracle declared that it never would close until Rome threw into it its most precious pos- sessions. Thereupon Curtius, arming himself, mounted his horse, and saying that Rome contained nothing more pre- cious to its greatness than a valiant citi- zen fully accoutered for battle, he sol- emnly threw himself into the abyss, which instantly closed over his head, B. c. 362. CURVE, a line by a moving point which continually changes its direction in contradistinction to a straight line. A curve which lies wholly in a plane is called a plane curve or curve oi simple curvature; but when a curve lies par- tially outside of a plane it is called a GLENN HAMMOND CURTISS curve of double curvature or a skew, tor- tuous or twisted curve. Ordinary curves can be defined as geometrical loci, by a