health resort on account of its hot mineral springs. They were known to the Romans, who built large baths there in the first century of our era, the remains of which have been discovered. There are several fine old churches, extensive buildings and beautiful parks. Richard I granted the city its charter, which was extended by George III. Population, 50,729.
Bath, Me., the capital of Sagadahoc County, southern Maine, on the west bank of the Kennebec River, twelve miles from the Atlantic, and about equidistant from Portland to the southeastward and from Augusta to the north of the city. It has a large commerce, chiefly in lumber, in machines, boilers and iron and brass work, as well as a large industry in ship-building, including battle-ships and steel steamers. It has steamboat communication with Boston and Portland. It possesses some excellent schools. Population, 9,396.
Bath′sheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. After the death of her husband at King David's instigation, Bathsheba became the wife of the latter. She was the mother of King Solomon. See II Samuel xi and I Kings i.
Baton Rouge (băt-ŭn′roozh), the capital of the state of Louisiana, is situated on the left bank of the Mississippi River. It was one of the earliest French settlements. The state house, state university and many other public buildings are there. The city was occupied by Federal troops during the Civil War, after the capture of New Orleans, and defended by General Williams against a Confederate force led by General Breckenridge. General Williams was killed during the contest. Population, 14,897.
Battenberg, House of, members of a grand-ducal family reigning in Hesse, Germany, many of whom have by marriage and otherwise been connected with royalty on the European Continent and in Great Britain. The mother of the present reigning Grand-Duke of Hesse was Princess Alice of Great Britain, third daughter of the late Queen Victoria; this Grand-Duke (Ernest Ludwig) in 1894 married Princess Victoria, daughter of Duke Alfred of Saxe-Coburgand Gotha, a marriage which was dissolved in 1901. The Battenberg title was first conferred in 1857 on Countess Hanke, morganatic wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse, three of whose four children attained high honor as Princes of Battenberg. One, Louis Alexander (b. in 1854) is a British naval officer; another, Alexander Joseph, was from 1879 to 1886 Prince of Bulgaria; while the third, Prince Henry Maurice, in 1885 married Princess Beatrice, youngest child of the late Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Prince Henry, who was created a royal highness by his august mother-in-law and made governor of the Isle of Wight, died on his way home from Kumasi in 1896, having seen service in the Ashanti campaign. His widow, the Princess of Battenberg, still survives, and one of their children, Victoria Eugenie (b. 1887), married in 1906 Alfonso XIII, King of Spain.
Bat′tering Ram, an instrument of war used in ancient times. It was a beam of wood, with a head of iron or bronze, like a ram's head. It was used to batter down walls and doors, and was either carried by the soldiers or fastened in a frame and made to swing. Another kind moved on rollers. To protect those who were operating it, a wooden roof was built over it and the whole mounted on wheels. The ram varied in length from 60 to 120 feet, the head sometimes weighing over a ton, and as many as a hundred men were needed to manage it. The Romans borrowed it from the Greeks, but who invented it is not known.
Battersea, a suburb of London, on the Surrey side of the Thames, with a fine park, 185 acres in extent. Chelsea Hospital has its seat here.
Bat′tery. See Artillery.
Bat′tery (electric), any combination of voltaic cells, whether used for the purpose of furnishing an electric current or merely to produce electrical pressure. For most purposes, the cells of a battery are joined up in series, that is, the positive pole of one cell is connected with the negative pole of the next cell, and so on (as shown in abovebelow cut). But if the object be to make a battery of the least possible resistance, the cells are joined in parallel, that is, all the positive poles are connected together and all the negative poles connected together, thus forming one large cell. If the object be to obtain the largest possible current, then the cells are so arranged as to make the internal and external resistances of the circuit equal.
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SIMPLE GALVANIC BATTERY
Battle Creek, Mich., a city in Calhoun County, on the Kalamazoo River, southwestern Michigan, 120 miles west of Detroit and 44 miles southwest of Lansing, the capital of the state. It is on the lines of the Michigan Central and the Chicago and Lake Huron railroad. It has large manufactories, chiefly of farm implements, including threshing-machines, and of flour and knitting mills, a boiler works, pipe-organ
