hospital, and a school for young women, Pop. (1910) 5,574; (1920) 5,526.
COLUMBIA, DISTRICT OF. See District of Columbia.
COLUMBIA RIVER, after the Yukon the largest river on the W. side of America; rises in British Columbia, on the W. slope of the Rocky Mountains, near Mounts Brown and Hooker, in about lat. 50° N.; has a very irregular course, generally S. W. through Washington; forms the N. boundary of Oregon for about 350 miles; and enters the Pacific by an estuary 35 miles long and from 3 to 7 wide. Its estimated length is 1,400 miles. The area drained by this stream and its affluents, of which the largest are Clarke's Fork and the Snake river (with very remarkable cañons), has been computed at 298,000 square miles. The river is broken by falls and rapids into many separate portions, and the ingress and egress are embarrassed by a surf-eaten bar. Still, it is open to steamboat navigation from its mouth to the Cascades (160 miles), and goods are carried past the obstruction, for 6 miles, by railway; the next reach, of 50 miles, extends to Dalles, where another railway, of 14 miles, has been constructed past the Great Dalles channel; and immediately above this are two sections, of 185 and 250 miles respectively, navigable for small steamboats. The extraordinarily abundant salmon-fisheries of the Columbia have been largely developed.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, an institution for higher education, in New York City. It was incorporated in 1754 as King's College. In 1784 the State Legislature passed an act vesting the property of King's College in the regents of the State of New York, and changing the name of the college to Columbia College. This act was repealed in 1787, and by a new charter granted by the State the property and franchises of King's College were vested in the trustees of Columbia College. From 1857 to 1897 the university was situated at 49th street and Madison avenue, New York. In the latter year it was removed to its present location on Morningside Heights. The university includes Columbia College, Barnard College, founded in 1899, which is an under-graduate college for women, the Graduate School, Schools of Political Science, Philosophy, Pure Science, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, School of Mines, School of Engineering, Teachers' College, College of Pharmacy, School of Journalism, School of Architecture, School of Business, and School of Dentistry. The university also maintains a summer session of six weeks in which are offered courses that are accepted as partial fulfillment of the requirements of certain academic degrees and diplomas. There is also a system of extension teaching for men and women who are engaged in teaching and can give only a portion of their time to study. The property of the university is valued at about $72,000,000, of which about $35,000,000 has been added by gift or bequest in the past twenty years. The annual expenses amount to about $6,500,000. The teaching staff in 1920 numbered 1,150. The total enrollment in all courses and departments is 28,314, President, Nicholas Murray Butler.
COLUMBIAN UNIVERSITY. See George Washington University.
COLUMBIDÆ, a family of birds, the typical one of the sub-order columbacei. The bill is moderate and compressed, having at its base a soft skin in which the nostrils are placed. The feet have three divided toes before and one behind.
COLUMBINE, a popular name for Aquilegia vulgaris or other species of the genus Aquilegia. The common columbine has drooping purplish-blue flowers with five flat sepals; five petals, with long spurs, often curved; five follicles, the root-leaves twice or thrice ternate, the others singly ternate. The word is also applied to a female character in the Italian comedy, the “Daughter of Cassandra,” and the mythic Harlequin, and to the female dancer in the English pantomime.
COLUMBITE. A mineral containing iron, columbium, and usually manganese and tantalum. Its formula is commonly given as (Fe, Mn) (Cb, Ta)2O6. Occurs as opaque orthorhombic crystals, dark brown or black in color; specific gravity about 6.0. The mineral is found in Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, North Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and in Norway, and is of interest because the element Columbium was first discovered in it by C. Hatchett, in 1802, the name being given because the mineral in which the metal was found came from America.
COLUMBUS, a city and county-seat of Muscogee co., Ga.; on the E. bank of the Chattahoochee river; on the boundary line between Georgia and Alabama; and on the Central of Georgia, the Southern, and the Seaboard Air Line; 100 miles S. W. of Macon. It is connected by steamship lines with Appalachicola, Fla. On account of its large and important manufacturing interests it is known as the “Lowell of the South.” The city is regularly laid out with an excellent street system.
