Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/604

* STAURO SCOPE. 518 STEAM. direction are examined by use of parallel rays of plane polarized light. See Conoscope; Cbystallookapuv. STAVANGEB, stil'vang-er. A seaport of Soutliwestern Norway, on the south shore of the wide entrance to the Stavanger or Bukken Fiord, 190 miles southwest of Christiania (Map: Norway, A 7). It has a Gothic cathedral, one of the finest in Norway. The town produces woolen, linen, and cotton goods, soap, preserves, oleomargarine, hardware, pottery, and bricks. There are iron foundries, and the harbor is provided with sliip-yards. Fisheries and the cur- ing of fish are important industries. The ship- ping at the harbor amounts to about 325,000 tons annually, and the trade in 1899 was valued at $3,807,100, the principal exports being fish, preserved foods, butter and margarine, marble, and manure. Population, in 1891, 23,899; in 1901, 30,.541. STAVROPOL, stiiv'ropol-y'. A government of Ciscaucasia, bounded by the Province of the Don Cossacks and the Government of As- trakhan on the north, the Territory of Terek on the east and soutli, and the Territory of Kuban on the west (Map: Russia, F 5). Area, 23.430 square miles. The surface is largely steppe-like in character, and only the southwestern part is mountainous, the highest point being about 2200 feet. The principal rivers are the Kuma and the Great Egorlyk. Agriculture and stock-raising are the principal occupations. The chief cereals are wheat, oats, and barley. In 1898 there were in the government over 3,800.000 head of live stock, including over 2,600,000 sheep. Popula- tion, in 1898, 912,039, of whom the Russians con- Btitutod 90 per cent. STAVROPOL. The capital of the Russian government of the same name, situated about 700 miles south-southeast of Moscow (Map: Russia, F 5). Farming and gardening are the main occupations. Population, in 1897, 41,621, chiellj' Russians. STAWELL, st.a'cl. . A town of Borung County, Victoria, Australia, 179 miles northwest of Mel- bourne, in the centre of the richest gold-mining region of the province (Map: Victoria, B 4). There are important freestone quarries. Popu- lation, in 1901, 5290. STAY (OF. estate, estaye, Fr. etai, from MDutch staeye, a stay). In law, a suspension of legal proceedings by order of a court. A stay is usually granted by the court in which an action or proceedings are pending, and is commonly ordered for the purpose of compelling a party to an action to comply with some con- dition or order of the court, as to pay costs on some interlocutory motion, or to give security for costs, etc. In a few instances the courts may grant absolute stays, as, for example, where an unfounded action is commenced merely to harass or annoy the defendant. It is custom- ary for the United States courts to stay the proceedings in all actions pending against a bankrupt in State courts during the pendency of the bankruptcy proceedings. A temporary stay of execution may usually be obtained, especially where the defeated party desires to appeal. No rights ai-e destroyed by a stay, as it only oper- ates to suspend proceedings and does not involve their merits. See Chitty, Ore Pleading; New York Code of Civil Procedure. STEAD, William Thomas (1849 — ). An English journalist, born at Embleton, Northum- berland. After a brief schooling he went into business, but in 1871 was appointed editor of the Northern Echo (Darlington). Here he remained until 1880, when he was called to be assistant editor, under John Jlorlcy, of the Pall Mall Ga- zette. He was editor of this paper from 1883 to 1889 and in the next year founded the Rcvicio of KcL^ieirs (monthly). He established similar pub- lications in the United States (1891) and Aus- tralia (1894). As editor of the Pall Mall Ga- zette, a daily, he introduced American journal- ism into England, in the way of the interview, illustrations, and 'extras.' Though regarded as thoroughly sincere and intensely earnest in his treatment of public afi'airs, he aroused criticism by these methods and by injudicious conclusions. He became known as a vigorous opponent of so- cial evils, a steadfast advocate of international peace, and, though patriotic, an apologist of Rus- sia. His The Truth About the Navy (1884) led to the laying down of more ships in the following year. In 1885 his The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon, an exposure of legally permissible out- rages upon women and children, landed liim for a three months' term in Holloway Gaol, but it was followed by the enactment of the Criminal Law Amendment Bill. In 1898 he started War Against AVar, a weekly devoted to the opposition of the Anglo-Boer War. His publications in- chule: The Truth About Russia (1888); The Pope and the Xew Era (1889) ; The Story that Transformed the World (1890) ; If Christ Came to Chicago (1893); The Labor War in the United States (1894) ; Satan's Invisible World: A Study of Despairing Democracy (1897) ; Mr. Carnegie's Conundrum (1900); The American- ization of the World (1902) ; The Last Will and Testament of Cecil John Rhodes (1902). STEALING. See Labceny. STEAM (AS. steam, Fris. stoame, Dutch stooin, steam; of unknown etjmiology). Water in a gaseous condition. It is a dry, colorless gas with a specific gravity of 0.625 as compared with air at the same pressure. The white cloud of vapor which rises from boiling water and which is commonly called steam is a vapor composed of minute particles of water suspended in the air and formed by the condensation of the steam coming in contact with the cool air. When water is subjected to the action of heat, it is converted into steam. Though a change takes place in tlip physical condition of the substance, the chemical composition of the steam is in no way different from that of the water from which it was gen- erated. If heat be applied to the bottom of a vessel containing water, the air contained in the water will first appear as little bubbles which rise to the surface. Then the water in imme- diate contact with the heated portion of_ the ves- sel will be converted into steam, which will form as bubbles on the bottom of the vessel, and these will rise through the liquid, but at the commencement of the operation they will be at once condensed by the cold upper layers of water. Finallv, however, the water becomes heated through when the bubbles rise to the surface and the steam exudes upon the air, and we have the phenomenon known as boiling. As the steam