Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/116

 108 DIJON of Louis XL, which served for a time in the 18th century as the prison of the duchess de Maine, Mirabeau, and the chevalier d'Eon; and the ancient palace of the dukes of Bur- gundy, subsequently the palais des etats, now occupied partly as a town hall and partly as a museum of painting and sculpture, containing numerous relics of the middle ages, and a li- brary of 70,000 printed volumes and 800 to 900 MSS. The tower is now used as an ob- servatory. The hall of justice, an ancient edifice, was the parliament house of Burgun- dy. The theatre is one of the finest in France. Dijon is the seat of a bishop and of courts of appellate and original jurisdiction. It is well provided with benevolent and educational in- Cathedral of Dijon. stitutions, including two hospitals, an orphan asylum, two prisons, a cabinet of natural his- tory, a botanic garden, a university with 16 professors and faculties of law, science, and literature, eight colleges, a normal school, and schools of fine arts and medicine. It has man- ufactories of linens, hosiery, vinegar, and can- dles, distilleries, bleacheries, sugar and wax refineries, tanneries, breweries, and establish- ments for the manufacture of liqueur de cassis or black-currant wine. It is the principal market for the sale of Burgundy wines, and there is also a large trade in grain, flour, and wool. The origin of Dijon is traced back to times preceding the Roman dominion. Under Marcus Aurelius it was surrounded by walls flanked with towers, and it was embellished DIKE and enlarged by Aurelian. It was burned by the Saracens in the 8th century, sacked by the Normans in the 9th, and again ravaged by fire in 1127. It was for three centuries the resi- dence of the dukes of Burgundy, by whom its present fortifications were constructed. In 1513 it was besieged by the Swiss, and saved itself only by a humiliating treaty. On Oct. 30, 1870, there was a sharp encounter between a division of the German corps of Gen. Von Werder and the advance troops of the French army of Lyons, which led on the next day to the capitulation of the town and its occupation by the Germans. On the approach of the army of Bourbaki the town was evacuated by the Germans, Dec. 27. On Jan. 21 and 23, 1871, severe fighting again took place near Dijon between the Garibaldians and portions of the second German army corps; the latter were finally compelled to retreat, leaving be- hind them a flag, the only one lost in the war. Dijon is the birthplace of some of the most eminent men of France, including Bossuet, Crebillon the elder, Piron, Cazotte, Guyton de Morveau, and Maret, duke of Bassano. DIKE (Dutch, dijk, from the root of dig). I. Primarily a ditch, but now more commonly a wall or embankment intended to restrain the flow of water. Such earthworks were in for- mer times a common means of defence, and were built around castles and fortresses. In Holland are the most remarkable dikes in the world, constructed to prevent the overflow of the lands reclaimed from the sea. Their im- portance may be appreciated from the fact that a single inundation from the sea in the year 1277 caused the destruction of 44 villages ; and in 1287 80,000 persons were destroyed by an- other, and its present extent and shape were given to the Zuyder Zee. In the 15th century about 100,000 persons were destroyed through the imperfection of the dikes, when their con- struction was undertaken in the most thorough manner, and a law was enacted enforcing their being kept in order. At present this work is conducted on a systematic plan and at great cost. Embankments are made toward the sea with heavy timbers filled in with stone, and the surface is covered with bundles of flags and reeds fastened down by stakes. Piles also are driven into the sand, and protected by planking as well as by earth, turf, and stones. These artificial dikes are often 40 ft. above ordinary high water, and wide enough at top for a com- mon roadway. Frequently the slopes are cov- ered with wickerwork made of willow twigs, and the willow tree is extensively cultivated to furnish supplies of these, which require frequent renewal, as also to bind together by its roots the loose sands. Walls of masonry are built in some of the most exposed situations, and rows of piles outside protect the dikes from the ac- tion of the waves. The expenditure in Hol- land for maintaining dikes and regulating the water levels is annually from $2,000,000 to $2,500,000. Engineers are constantly employed,