Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/524

* SAINT SOPHIA. 472 SAINT VINCENT. upon it. The materials were supplied from every part of the empire, including columns and marbles frum pagan monuments. I'litold sums were lav- ished upon its decoration and the sacred furni- ture with which it was adorned. The church is the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, and one of the epoch-making l)iildings of the world. Its architect was Antheniiis ((pv.). The buililing may be described as a square of 241 feet, forming interiorly a Greek cross, and surroundeil in the interior by a woman's choir or gallery, supported by magnificent columns. In the centre rises a dome, supported at the front and back by two great semi-domes, which in their turn rest upon smaller semi-domes, and on the sides by heavy buttresses, the whole presenting a series of unexampled beauty. The height of the dome is 175 feet. The building is approached by a double porch, which is about 100 feet in depth. The whole of the interior was richly decorated with marbles and mosaics. Even in the reign of Justinian, a further reconstruction of the build- ing became necessary, the dome liaving fallen in in consequence of an earthquake in 558, but this may be said to have been the last important change in the structure within the Christian period of Constantinople. On the occupation of that city by the Turks in 1453, Saint .Sophia was appropriated as a mosque. All its purely Christian fittings and internal structures were swept away. The Chris- tian emblems were either mutilated or covered from view by a coating of plaster. The latter course was adopted throughout the building in the case of mosaic pictures, containing represen- tations of the human figure, which the Koran proscribes as unlawful, and thus the mosaics have in great part escaped destruction. The fSultan Abdul Medjid having ordered a complete restora- tion of the building, the mosaics were acciden- tall.v brought to light, and, with the consent of the Sultan, accurate copies were made of all of these interesting relics of antiquity. The interior of the building at present is restored for Mohammedan worship, the Chris- tian decorations being again carefull.v covered up. Consult: Salzenburg, Altchristliche Bnu- denkmiiler Konstantinopels (Berlin. 1854) ; Pul- gher, hes ancietmes eglises byzantines de Con- stantinople (Vienna, 1878-80) ; Adamy. Archi- tektonik der altchristlich-en Zeit (Hanover, 1884) ; Lethaby and Swainson, The Church of Sancta fiophia (^London, 1894) ; and Barth, "Konstantinopel," in Beriihmte Kunststatten (Leipzig. 1901). SAINT STANISLAS, stan'is-las. Order of. A Russian order of merit, of Polish origin, hav- ing been founded by King Stanislas II. in 1765. After the partition of Poland it lapsed, and was restored in 1815 by the Czar Alexander as King of Poland. The decoration is an eight-pointed red enameled cross with gold eagles between the arms. The white medallion is surrounded b.v laurel and bears the initials S. S. (Sanctus Stanislas). SAINT STEPHEN, ste'vfn. Order of. A royal Hungarian civil order with three classes, founded in 1704 by Maria Theresa. The King of Hungary is the grand master and onlv nobles are eligible for membership. The decora- tion, a green enameled cross with the crown of Saint Stephen, has a red medallion on which is a green mountain with a crown bearing a silver apostolic cross, and the inscription, Publicum iiuriturium l'r(vmiuin. See Plate of Okueks. SAINT THOMAS, tOm'us. An island in the Gulf (if Guinea. Sec Sao Tiiom£. SAINT THOMAS. One of the Danish West Indian islands (see West Indies, Danish), sit- uated 36 miles east of Porto Rico, in latitude 18" 20' X. and longitude 64° 56' W. (Map: West Indies, P 5). It is about 13 miles long from east to west and covers an area of 33 square miles. It has a hilly surface, and rises in its highest summit. West Mountain, to an altitude of 1555 feet. The principal formations are i)or- phyry and granite. The climate is hot but steady, and the mean annual temperature is 78° F. Earth- quakes are frequent. The economic importance of the islands has disappeared with the abolition of slavery (1848), which was essential to the sugar industry. At present the island produces chiefly rum,, and is important on account of its situation, which makes it especially suitable for a coaling station. Population, in 1901. 11.012, mostly descendants of negro slaves. English is the predominant language. Capital, Charlotte Amalie (q.v. ). The island was discovered by Columbus in 1403 ; passed to the Danish West India and Guinea Company in 1671; and was taken over by the Crown in 1754. SAINT THOMAS. Capital of Elgin County, Ontario. Canada, a railway .junction, 15 miles south of London and 75 miles southwest of Ham- ilton (Map: Ontario, B 5). It has manufactures of various sorts, the most imitortant of which is car-building. Population, in 1901, 11,485. SAINT-VICTOR, saN'v^k'tor', Paul de (1827-81). A French critic. He replaced Theo- phile Gautier in 1855 as dramatic and art critic on the Presse. After ten years of brilliant work on this paper he wrote for Girardin's Liberie (1866- 69) and the Mmiiteur Universel (1869-81). His most picturesque effort is Barbares et bandits (1871), and his other works, mostly made up of his journalistic writings, include Uoinmes ct dieux (1866), his masterpiece: Les femmes de Goethe (1809); Victor Huyo (1885): Le the- atre contemporain (1889) ; and Les dieux et les demi-dieux de la peinture (1863, with Gautier and Houssave). Consult Deljant, Paul de iSaint- Victor (Paris, 1887). SAINT VIN'CENT. An island of the British West Indies, belonging to the colony of the Wind- ward Islands, and situated about 25 miles south of Saint Lucia (Map: West Indies, R 8). It is oval in shape, with an area of 132 square miles. It is of volcanic origin, and traversed from north to south by a ridge or mountain range which rises near the northern eml in the active volcano of La Souflri&re to a height of 3700 feet. The climate is healthful and e(|uable, the tempera- ture ranging between 90° and 65°. The raiiif ill is abundant, the mountains are covered with for- ests, and there are many fertile valle.ys. The chief products ai'e arrowroot, cocoa, cotton, fruits, and spices. The sugar industry has been steadily declining. Population, in 1891. 41,054; in 1900 (estimated), 44,600. chiefly negroes. The capital is Kingstown (q.v.). Saint Vincent was discovered in 1498 by Columbus. In 1797 most of the native Caribs, who had been left in pos- session of the island, were transferred to Ruatan in the Gulf of Honduras, The island has re-