Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/104

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ROCHEFORT-SUR-MER 78 ROCHESTER works. Among them: "The Depraved Ones" (1882) ; "Return from Nova Sco- tia" (1877); "Mile. Bismarck" (1880); "Bitter Farces" (1886); "The [political] Lanterns of the Empire" (1884) ; "Fan- tasia" (1888) ; "Adventures of My Life" (1896). He died July 1, 1913. ROCHEFORT-SUR-MER, a French seaport, naval arsenal, and fortress of the first class, in the department of Charente-Inf erieure ; on the right bank of the Charente, 9 miles from its mouth, and 18 miles S. S. E. of Rochelle, 89 S. W. of Poitiers. It was founded in 1665 as a naval station by Colbert, Louis XIV.'s minister, and fortified by Vau- ban, being covered now on the sea side by strong forts; and it is a modern, clean, well-built place. It contains im- portant public works. The most cele- brated of these is the naval hospital (1783-1788). There are both a naval harbor, and, higher up the river, a com- mercial harbor with three basins; Roche- fort besides possesses rope walks, can- non foundries, and other establishments for the manufacture and preservation of naval stores and marine apparatus of every kind. From 1777 till 1852 it was the seat of a great convict prison. Na- poleon meant to take ship for the United States at Rochefort, but instead had to surrender to Captain Maitland of the "Bellerophon," July 15, 1815. During the World War Rochefort became an important military center. Pop. (1911) 35,019. ROCHEFOUCAULD, FRANCOIS, DUC DE LA, Prince de Marcillac, a French author; born in Paris, France, Sept. 15, 1613. His celebrity is due to his small volume of "Reflections, or Moral Sen- tences and Maxims," commonly known as the "Maxims" (first ed. 1665; final edition of the author, 1678, comprising 504 maxims). The dominant note of the "Maxims" is egoism. His "Memoirs" (1662) are equal to the most celebrated memoirs of the time. He died in Paris, March 17, 1680. ROCHELLE (ro-shell'), LA, a forti- fied town and seaport in France, capital of the department of Charente-Inferieure, on the Atlantic, 120 miles N. by W. of Bordeaux. The chief buildings are the cathedral, town hall, exchange, courts of justice, hospital, arsenal, and a public library. The harbor is easily accessible and commodious. The roadstead is pro- tected by the islands of Re and Oleron. La Rochelle has an extensive trade in wines, brandies, and colonial produce. In the religious wars it was long a Prot- estant stronghold. It stood an eight months' siege in 1572, but was forced to surrender by famine after a year's siege in 1628. Pop. about 36,000. ROCHELLE SALT, the popular name of the bitartrate of soda and potash (KNaC4H 4 OG + 4H 2 0), this salt having been discovered in 1672 by a Rochelle apothecary named Seignette. It occurs, when pure, in colorless transparent prisms, generally eight-sided; and in taste it resembles common salt. It is prepared by neutralizing cream of tartar (bitartrate of potash) with carbonate of soda. After a neutral solution has been obtained, it is boiled and filtered, and the resulting fluid is concentrated till a pellicle forms on the surface, when it is set aside to crystallize. This salt is a mild and efficient laxative, and is less disagreeable to the taste than most of the saline purgatives. ROCHES MOUTONNEES, smooth, rounded hummocky bosses and undulat- ing surfaces of rock, of common oc- currence in regions which have been overflowed by glacier ice. The name is that used by the Swiss peasants — the bare rounded rocks of a valley bottom when seen from above having a fanciful resemblance to a flock of sheep lying down. ROCHESTER, a city and county-seat of Olmsted co., Minn.; on the Zumbro river, and on the Chicago and North- western and the Chicago Great Western railroads; 90 miles S. E. of St. Paul. Here are a public high school, Stafe Hos- pital for the Insane, St. Mary's Hospital, a Roman Catholic Seminary, National banks, and several daily and weekly newspapers. The city was the home of the Mayo brothers (q. v.), surgeons, who conducted and endowed St. Mary's Hos- pital. It has a number of foundries, and manufactories of wagons, furniture, and agricultural implements. The city was incorporated in 1858. Pop. (1910) 7,844; (1920) 13,722. ROCHESTER, a city of New Hamp- shire, in Strafford co. It is on the Co- checo river and on the Boston and Maine railroad. It has important industries including the manufacture of shoes, wool- en goods, brick, leather goods, and lum- ber. It has excellent schools and a pub- lic library. Pop. (1910) 8,868; (1920) 9,673. ROCHESTER, a city of New York, the county-seat of Monroe co. It is on Lake Ontario, the Barge canal, and on the New York Central, the Erie, the Lehigh Valley, the Pennsylvania, and the Buf- falo, Rochester and Pittsburgh railroads.