Page:LA2-NSRW-3-0169.jpg



MARCHESI

1169

MARGARET OF ANJOU

and   moist    cliffs. See   HEPATIC^    for figure.

Marches! (mdr-kd'se), Pompeo, an Italian sculptor, was born in 1789. He was a pupil of Canova, and became professor in the Academy of Fine Arts and one of the foremost sculptors of modern Italy. His masterpiece is The Good Mother, the Virgin with the dead Christ in her lap, which is in the church of San Carlo at Milan. Other works are his statues of Goethe at Frankfort, Venus Urania and St. Ambrose. He died at Milan on Feb. 7, 1858.

Marconi (mdr-ko'ne}, Quglielmo, an Italian electrical engineer famous as the inventor of wireless telegraphy, was born near Bologna, Italy, in 18 7 5. Even as a boy he showed a genius for experi-m e n t s with electricity. He studied ^at the University of ^ Bologna under the scientist Righi and also at the University of Padua. The idea of using the Hertzian waves to transmit messages appears to have occurred to, Marconi in connection with his work under Professor Righi. He made successful experiments with wireless telegraphy in 1895; and, failing in negotiations with the Italian government, proceeded to England, where the value of his invention was to a degree recognized. The Wireless Telegraph Company was established in 1897. In 1899 and 1900 Marconi continued his experiments in the United States. In 1901 he succeeded in getting transatlantic messages to Newfoundland. His station was shortly afterwards removed to Cape Breton Island. The Marconi apparatus is used on British government vessels and to a large degree on American vessels. In October, 1907, a commercial service by wireless telegraphy was successfully inaugurated between Europe and America. It is not thought that the Marconi apparatus will wholly supersede the submarine cable, as the success of the former is dependent to a great degree upon suitable weather conditions.

Marc'o Po'lo. See POLO, MARCO. Mar'cy, William Learned, an American politician, was born at Southbridge, Mass., Dec. 12, 1786. He was brought up on a farm and graduated at Brown University in 1808. He became a lawyer, but when the War of 1812 broke out he entered the army as a lieutenant. For some, years he was editor of a Democratic paper at Troy, N. Y. In 1823 he was chosen comptroller of the state; in 1829 justice of the state

supreme court; and two years later United States senator. In 1832 he resigned to become governor of New York and was twice re-elected. He was secretary of war in Folk's administration, which covered the era of the Mexican War. He was also of great service in the settlement of the Oregon boundary question with England. As secretary of state under Pierce, he carried on foreign affairs in a masterly manner. Throughout his public life he showed great ability as a writer, statesman and diplomatist. Marcy was the author of the famous political maxim: "To the victors belong the spoils." He died at Ballston Spa, N. Y., July 4, 1857.

Mardi Qras (mdr'de'grd\ meaning Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, (the first day of Lent), the same day that was formerly celebrated in England as Shrove Tuesday. The custom of holding high carnival and making merry on that day was observed for hundreds of years in Europe and is still kept up in some of the southern cities of the United States, especially at New Orleans. It was introduced there in 1827 by Creoles who had taken part in the festival at Paris. The day is a legal holiday, and all the afternoon the streets are filled with masqueraders and Balconies and windows with spectators. An ox, with its horns covered with wreaths, heads a procession of butchers. The carnival king (Rex), appears at noon, the Eapers having beforehand announced his inding at New York or some other port and told of his courage in war. He is represented usually as a gray-bearded, dignified man. Two pages go before him carrying his scepter and the keys of his kingdom on velvet cushions. There is also a night parade of young gentlemen maskers dressed to represent some poem, as Lalla Rookh, a feast, the Darwinian theory etc. The day ends with a ball, where Rex chooses his queen.

Mare Island, Cal., an important U. S. navy-yard and Federal naval establishment on the Pacific coast, about 25 miles north of San Francisco.

Maren'go, a village near Alessandria in northern Italy. Here, on June 14, 1800, Napoleon with 33,000 French defeated 30,500 Austrians under Melas. The absence of Napoleon when the fighting began came near giving the Austrians a victory. It was the cavalry charge of the younger Kellermann that decided the day, and gained upper Italy for France. The Austrian loss was 6,400, besides 3,000 prisoners; the French loss 7,000. General Desaix was among the killed.

Margaret of Anjou ( mdr'gd-ret of an' zhob'), queen of England, wife of Henry VI and daughter of Ren£ of Anjou, titular king of Sicily and Jerusalem, was born in March, 1429. At 15 she was married to Henry, tii^a in his 24th year. The queen

GUGLIELMO MARCONI