Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/321

ALARM. term which is not so important now as formerly. Originally an alarm was signified by the burning of a beacon, the ringing of a bell, beating of drums, or the firing of a gun. Now, i^ most instances, an alarm is transmitted by telegraph, telephone, signal lamps, and heliograph, among other devices. In military camjis, army posts or barracks there is generally an alarm or assem- bly post arranged, where the troops may assem- ble in response to calls of sudden emergency, such as fire, riot, or otlier unusual wcurrcnce.

ALARM. A self-acting contrivance employed to call attention to danger or accidents, or to arouse persons from sleep. The common alarm- clock is a familiar example of such a device, and the electric burglar-alarm is another. The simplest and most common arrangement of bur- glar-alarm consists of an electric bell with wires leading to all parts of the windows, doors, and other parts of the building to be protected. The terminals of these wires are set in the framing of the windows and doors, so that if they are opened the action presses springs together and rings the bell in precisely the same way as by pressing the ordinary push-button. All special kinds of alarms for house protection consist of modifications in the method of making the con- tact suitable for s]iecial purposes, such as laying sheets of tin under the carpet to make contact with the wires when the carpet is stepped upon. Means are also generally introduced for indicat- ing which window the signal comes from. This is done by leading the wires fiom each window separately through an annunciator, which shows through which rire, and consequently from which window, the signal came. The alarm will also sound if a window is carelessly left open. The en- tire wiring of houses is also frequently connected with the police station by wire, so that it is notified of any tampering with the house in the absence of its occupant. Bank vaults and safes are also protected by numerous complicated mechanical and electrical devices which in- stantly give an alarm to watchmen or police officers of any disturbance due to tampering or attempted burglary. Automatic fire alarms are made in a variety of forms. A frequent arrange- ment consists of a string supporting a weight whose fall sets in operation a train of mechan- ism which sounds a bell alarm. The weight is caused to fall by the burning of the supporting string. (See Fire Alarms.) In steam boilers an alarm check valve, operating under the pres- sure of steam, is employed to give the alarm when the injector ceases to Work, or when the water falls below the point of safety. In locomotive boilers a fusible plug is set into the crown sheet over the firebox ; this plug remains intact as long as water covers the crown sheet, but melts should it become dry. allowing the steam to es- cape into the firebox and warn the engineer of the danger. Telegraph and telephone lines xisu- ally have some arrangement by which a break in the wires is indicated by a bell alarm. Fog bells, fog whistles, and whistling buoys are forms of alarms, and there are a great variety of other forms, such as alarm compasses, which are con- trived to sound an alarm wlien the vessel de- viates from its course; alarm funnels contrived to ring a bell when the liquid has reached a cer- tain height in a cask which is being filled, and typewriter alarm bells which ring as the end of the line being written is approached.

AL'ABO'DIAN. A term derived from the Alarodii of the classical geographers and Herod- otus, applied by Sayce and some other ethnogra- phers and philologists to the linguistic stock represented especially by the Georgian among the numerous languages of the region of the Cau- casus. The Alarodii dwelt about Mount Ararat, and are supposed by some to be identical with the Urartu of the Assyrian inscriptions.

ALARY, a'la'rc', Jules (1814 — ). A French dramatic composer. He was born at Mantua. Italy, of French parentage, and was educated at the Milan Conservatory. After fre- quent tours through Europe he became estab- lished at Paris as nuisical director at the Thea- tre des Italiens. Among his principal works are: Hosamonda, an opera (Teatro de la Pergola, Florence. 1840) ; La redemption, an oratorio (Paris, 1851); Sardanapale, an opera (St. Pe- tersburg. 1852); La I'oix humainr (Royal Op- era. Paris, 1861); Locanda Gratis, opera-bouffe (Thft'itre des Italiens, 1866).

ALAS, a-liis'. Leopoldo (1852—). A Span- ish journalist and novelist, and professor of law at the University of Oviedo. As a critic, he is noted for his intolerance of pretense and medi- ocrity, and for the fearlessness with which he speaks his mind regarding men of established reputation. As a novelist, he has produced an unimportant work. Su linico hijo, a volume of short stories called Pipa. and one serious novel. La regenta. an analytical study of criminal pas- sion, revealing a rare subtlety of observation. Alas is justly regarded by many critics as one of the most promising figures in contemporary Spanish liteiature. In journalism he is best known under the pseudonym of Clarin.

ALAS'CANS. A designation of foreign Protestants in London in the time of Edward VI. from the name of .Tohn a Lasco (or Laski). a Polish reformer ami refugee, who, in 1550, was appointed by the King as superintendent of the foreign consrregation there.

ALAS'CO. In Scotfs Kenihrorth (g.v.), an astrologer, also known as Dr. Demetrius Do- boobie. who aids the evil designs of Richard Varney against Amy Robsart.

A LASCO, ii las'k6, Johannes, or Jan Laski (1499-1500). A Polish nobleman and traveler, born in Warsaw. He imbibed the doctrines of Zwingli at Ziirich. He also knew Erasmus, who esteemed him highly, and in his will provided for the sale of his library to him. He returned to Poland, 1520, but left in 15,36. on his declara- tion of Protestantism, and went to Frisia. There he preached Protestantism, but. anticipating per- secution, he went to London, on Cranmer's invita- tion, and became superintendent of the congre- gation of the foreign Protestant exiles. On the accession of Mary, in 155.3. he and all his congre- gation were banished. In 1550, he returned to Poland, where he died, at Pirchow, .Tanuary 13, 1560. He wrote many treatises, and was one of the eighteen divines who prepared the Polish version of the Bible. For his biography, con- sult H. Dalton (London, 1880).

ALASHEHR, a'lS-shgHr' (Turk. Mottled City). A city in the Turkish vilayet of Aidin, or Smyrna, lying about 75 miles east by south of Smyrna, on the northern slope of Mount Tmolus (Map: Turkey in Asia, C 3). It is surrounded