DAVITT 280 DAWES great danger results when the ship is under way. DAVITT, MICHAEL, founder of the Irish Land League; born near Straid, County Mayo, in 1846. Evicted from their small holding, the family emigrated to Haslingden in Lancashire (1851) ; and here six years later the boy lost his right arm in a cotton machine. In 1866 he joined the Fenian movement, the result being that he was sentenced in 1870 to 15 years' penal servitude. He was re- leased in 1877; and began some two years later an anti-landlord crusade in Ireland, which culminated in the foundation of the Irish Land League (Oct. 21, 1879). Davitt was thenceforward in frequent collision with the government, and from February, 1881, to May, 1882, was im- prisoned in Portland for breaking his ticket-of-leave. His "Leaves from a Prison Diary" were published in 1885. Though a strong Home Ruler, on the question of land nationalization he found himself in opposition to the Pamellites. He opposed the continued leadership of Mr. Parnell, and was returned to Parlia- ment in 1892 as an anti-Parnellite, but unseated on petition. He was returned unopposed for South Mayo in 1895. He died May 31, 1906. DAVOS (da'vos), a small valley lying among the Alps of the eastern Orisons, 16 miles S. E. of Coire. The village of Davos-Platz stands 5,105 feet above sea- level; but the valley, inclosed by lofty hills, has become famous as a health- resort in winter, especially for such as suffer from chest disease. The inhabi- tants of the valley, which till 1848 was one of the 26 independent republics of the Orisons, are mostly Oerman Protes- tants. DAVOUT, LOiriS NICOLAS (da-v6'), a marshal of France; born in An- noux, May 10, 1770. He studied with Napoleon at Brienne, and entered the army in 1785. He took sides with the revolutionists, fought several battles under Dumouriez, and was made a Brig- adier-General in 1793. He accompanied Napoleon in his Italian campaigns and in his expedition to Egypt. In 1804 he was made a marshal of the empire. The vicories of Ulm and Austerlitz were mainly due to him, as also those of Eck- miihl and Wagram. For these meritori- ous services he was created Duke of Auerstadt and Prince of Eckmiihl. He joined the Russian expedition, and was wounded at Borodino. After the retreat from Moscow he defended Hamlburg against all the forces of the allies, and surrendered only after the peace of 1814. When Napoleon returned from Elba, Da- vout was appointed his minister of war. After the battle of Waterloo he lived in retirement until 1819, when he took his seat in the Chamber of Peers. He died in Paris, June 1, 1823. DAVY, SIR HUMPHBY, BART., an English chemist; born in Penzance, Dec. 17, 1778. After having received the rudi- ments of a classical education he was placed with a surgeon and apothecary, and early developed a taste for scientific experiments. He was appointed Profes- sor of Chemistry in the Royal Institution at the age of 24. In 1803 he was chosen a member of the Royal Society. His dis- coveries with the galvanic battery, his decomposition of the earths and alkalies and ascertaining their metallic bases, his demonstration of the simple nature of the oxy-muriatic acid (to which he gave the name of chlorine), etc., obtained him an extensive reputation; and in 1810 he received the prize of the French Insti- tute. In 1814 he was elected a corre- sponding member of that body. Having been elected Professor of Chemistry to the Board of Agriculture he delivered lectures on agricultural chemistry during 10 successive years. The numerous accidents arising from fire-damp in mines led him to invent his safety-lamp. He was knighted in 1812 and created a baronet in 1818. In 1820 he succeeded Sir J. Banks as president of the Royal Society. His most important works are: "Philosophical Researches," "Elements of Agricultur- al Chemistry," "Electro-Chemical Re- searches," "Elements of Chemical Phil- osophy." He also contributed some valuable papers to the "Philosophical Transactions," and was author of "Sal- monia, or Days of Fly-fishing," and "Consolations in Travel, or the Last Days of a Philosopher." He died in Oeneva, May 29, 1829. DAVY LAMP, the safety-lamp of Sir Humphry Davy, in which a wire-gauze envelope covers the flame-chamber and prevents the passage of flame outward to the explosive atmosphere of the mine, while it allows circulation of air. DAWES, CHARLES GATES, an Amer- ican financier and public official; born in Marietta, C, in 1865. He graduated from Marietta College in 1884 and studied law at the Cincinnati Law School. After his admission to the bar in 1886 he practiced law in Lincoln, Neb. In 1894 he left law to engage in business, He was active in politics and was a member of the executive committee of the Republican National Committee in the campaign of 1896. From 1897 to 1902 he was Comptroller of the Currency. He served in the World War in the Engineers, rising to the rank of
