Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/845

* ELBA. 733 ELBERFELD. EL'BA (Gk. AWdXda, Aithalcia, Lat. Iha). A uiouiilaiiious, unwooded island of the iledi- tenani-aii. atlaclied tn the Tuscan Province of Le-ihoni, Italy, live and one-half miles s<mth«est of Pionibino (q.v.). with which it has steamboat eommuniealioii twice daily (Map: Italy, E ,5). It is eijihleen miles lonj;. fioni three to ten broad, and has an area of eij;hty-six square miles. The highest point is Mount C'apanne, 3350 feet. The climate is mild and healtliful and the soil is fertile, but farmiiif; is neglected and grain and meat have to be imported. From ancient times tlba has been famous for its iron ore, as is indicated by the name of the capital, Porto Ferrajo (iron jwrtl. Most of the inhabitants of the island (population, in 1S81, 23,<»97 : in 1901, 24,213) are employed in the iron industry. Other mineral products are copiHT, tin. lead, marble, granite, sandstone, and salt. Tunny and sardine fishing and the extraction of sea-salt are other important industries. To the world at large Klba is known as the residence of Napoleon after his first abdication, from ^ay 4, 1814, to February 26, 1815, when he escaped and returned to Franco, landing at Cannes, March 1. He enjoyed full sovereignty over the island, with the title of Emperor and an income of 2.000,000 francs a year. During his stay he had the road built conn^-ting Porto Longone with Porto Fer- rajo. The villa San Martino that he occupied still stands in Porto Ferrajo between the forts Stella and Falcone, erected by Cosimo I.. Duke of FTorence. In the Jliddle .ges Elba was subject in turn to Pisa, Genoa. Sora, and Piom- uino. After Xapoleon departed the island was restored to Tuscany. Consult : L. Simonin, La Toscane et ia mer tyrrhcnienne (Paris, 1868); Fatichi. Isola (VKlba (Florence, 1885). EL-BASSAN, el-bas-siin'. A town of Euro- pean Turkey in the Vilayetof ilonastir (Albania) on the Scumbi. 35 miles east of the mouth of the river (Map: Turkey in Europe, B 4). It stands in a fertile plain surrounded by moun- tsins. is the capital of a sanjak, and the seat of a Greek bishop. There are a number of hot sul- phur springs in the vicinity. It has manufac- ti;res of iron and copper wares. Population esti- mated at 10,000. ELBE, eiajp (dialectic Albe, OHG. Elba, Alba, from OHG. elf, Icel. clfr, river: called by the Romans Albi.'i, by popular confusion with albus, white, and by the Hohemians Labe). An im- portant river of central Europe (Map: Ger- many, D 2). It originates in the confluence of numerous streams which ri.se at the southwest- ern base of the Schneekoppe. one of the highest summits of the Riesengebirge, a mountain range on the northeast border of Bohemia. Beginning near latitude nO" 45' N. at an elevation of 4400 feet above sea-level, it has a total length of about 725 miles. Its basin is estimated at 56,.500 square miles. Tlirough most of its course the Elbe is less than 1000 feet wide, but at its long estuarj--like mouth it has a width of several miles. Front the base of the Schneekoppe it flows south to Pardubitz, thence west to Kolin, and then in a generally northwest direction past Melnik. where it is 425 feet wide and becomes navigable for small boats. At Tetschen it leaves Bohemian territory and enters Saxony. Its prin- cipal affluent in Bohemia is the Moldau. On its way northwest through Saxonv the Elbe passes Pirna (where it becomes navigable for quite large boats), Dresden, and Meissen. Enter- ing Pruj.?ian Saxony, it passes Wittenberg, from which point it Hows lirst west, then northwest to ilagdeburg (where it has a width of 800 feet), having received the -Mulde and the Saale, both from the south. From -Magdeburg flowing north- east the Elbe arrives at the border of Branden- burg, receiving the Havel from the southeast. Turning northwest, it enters Hanover, through which it flows for about 30 miles. Then, still coursing northwest and past Hamburg and Al- tona, the Elbe em]>ties into the North Sea at Cu.x- haven, where it attains a breadth of about 10 miles, and wherc the tide rises 13 feel. Numerous islands divide the Kibe into several branches be- tween Hamburg on the north and Harburg on the south. Ocean liners ascend to Hamburg. The scenery of the valley of the Elbe, though gener- ally pleasing, is not remarkable in any portion of its course e.xeept that between Aussig and Dres- den. Here the bold and picturesque clilTs and other beautiful landscape features have given the district the name of "Saxon Switzerland.' The Elbe is stocked with fine fish. Its commerce is very extensive and important. Consult: Semm- ler and MUnnig, Dcr Elbstroin von seinciii Ur- spiung his zu seiner MUndung (Dresden, 1845) ; Bose, AUgemcinv gcoyrapliischc luiii hydrotcch- nische llcschrcihuny dcr Elbe (Annalmrg. 1852) ; Nehls and Bubenderg, Die Elbe (Hamburg, 1852). ELBE, AvGUSTE vox DER. See Decken, Au- GUSTE vox DEB. ELBEE, el'ba', MAtRicE Lori.s Joseph Gigot I)' (1752-04). A Vendean general. He was born at Dresden and was of remote Scottish extrac- tion. Ipon the outbreak of the Kevplution he was elected to the Constituent Assembly, but emi- grated in 1791. He returned in 1792. and after the death of Cathelineau was proclaimed com- manderinchief of the "Catholic and Royalist Army.' After winning a succession of brilliant battles he was captured by General Thureau, condemned to death by a council of war, and shot. ELBERFELD, elTjer-ftdt. One of the most important manufacturing towns in Germany, situated on both sides of the Wupi)er. an ;ifiUient of the Rhine, in the Prussian Rhine Province. 16 miles cast-northea.st of Diisseldorf (Maji: Ger- many, B 3). The old parts of the town are somewhat poorly built, with irregular streets, while the more recently erected portion is well built, with numerous spacious and imposing buildings, .mong public edifices may be men- tioned the lv;ithaus and the court-house. Many of the public squares are adorned with hand- some modern monuments. Ellierfeld is one of the chief centres of the textile industry in Ger- many. It has numerous establishments for the dyeing, weaving, and printing of cotton, silk, woolen, and mixed goods, and also manufactures of furniture, dyes, chemicals, iron and steel prod- ucts, paper articles, carpets, and beer. Most of the textile industries of Elberfeld date from the eighteenth century. The commerce of the town is extensive and there are a number of finan- cial institutiims and consular agents from many foreign countries. Elberfeld is an im- portant railway centre and has seven stations. Electric street railway lines traverse the town and connect it with the adjoining town of Bar-