TROLLOPE
1944
TROUBADOUR
trolleys, trie most rapid and convenient are the underground-car systems in use in such cities as New York, London and Boston. In an overhead-trolley the current passes along the wire overhead, down through the rod to the motor, thence to the rails and so back to the central station. In America the posts for the overhead wires usually are plain and occasionally unsightly; in Europe usually ornamental and expensive. To avoid the cumbrous overhead construction, some trolley lines are constructed on the conduit-system. This is expensive, because it is necessary to construct a complicated conduit between or at the side of the rails, having a groove opening to the street, so that the so-called plow may connect the conductors in the conduit with the motor. There also is a movement in the direction of carrying storage-batteries in the car, as in New York City's 34th Street crosstown cars. Similar storage-batteries are of use in the regulation of the current along parts of third-rail systems, as the subway of New York City. See ELECTRIC MOTOR and ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
TroIIope (trol'lup), Anthony, an English novelist, was born at London on April 24, 1815. He spent 33 years in the British postal service, and visited the United States, Austria and the West Indies in its interests. He invented the postal pillar-box. Some of his stories appeared first in St. PauVs Magazine, of which he was editor. His novels include Orley Farm, The Bertrams, The Small House at Allington, Barchester Towers, The Last Chronicle of Barset and many others, as he was a most prolific writer. He also wrote a Life of Cicero, a Life of Thackeray and works on North America and South Africa. His works number 70. He died on Dec. 6, 1882. Consult his Autobiography.
Trom'bone, a musical instrument, a form of the trumpet. The name is from the Italian, and means a great trumpet. It is a brass wind-instrument, so made in two parts that, by sliding one part into the other or drawing it out, the tube through T/hich the air passes can be lengthened or shortened and the depth and power of the tone changed. Three kinds of trombones are used, called alto, tenor and bass trombones, according to the pitch. The tone of the trombone is grander and more powerful than that of the trumpet, making it a very effective instrument in an orchestra.
Tromp, Martin Harpertzoon van, a Dutch admiral, was born at Briel, Holland, In 1597. He was captured at sea, when a boy, in a fight on the coast of Guinea, in which his father, a Dutch commander, was killed. He served as cabin-boy for his eaptors for more than two years. In 1624 jae was in command of a frigate, and in 1637 was at the head of a squadron of Si ships. His first victories were over the
Spanish fleet, taking 13 ships in one battle, Oct. 21, 1639. In November, 1652, he encountered the English fleet under Admiral Blake in the Straits of Dover, and drove them before him, sailing up the Channe1 with a broom at his masthead, to denote that he had swept his enemies from the seas. He was defeated by the English in February, 1653, after a terrible three days' fight; and again in June of the same year when he lost 17 vessels. On Aug. 10 thfc struggle between the Dutch and English was renewed, the Dutch losing 30 men-of-war and Tromp himself. He was buried at Delft.
Trop'ic=Bird, the name for three species of sea-birds commonly seen in the tropics far from shore. During the breeding-season they frequent rocky shores and cliffs, but build no nests. The more common variety, sometimes seen on the coast of Florida, is about the size of a partridge. It has white plumage with fine black markings above and black bands on its wings. These birds have the two central tail-feathers greatly prolonged, and, therefore, are called marlinspike by the sailors; and because of their loud, shrill cry, the sailors also name them bo's'n-bird. The young do not in the least resemble the adults, but look like balls of white down. From tae tail of the roseate tropic-bird the Pacific islanders procure the highly-prized red feathers worn by warriors in battle.
Trop'ics, the two lines of latitude parallel to the equator, drawn, one through the winter, and the other through the summer, solstice. They are equally distant from the equator, being about 23° 28' north and south of it, and include between them all those points of the earth's surface where the sun always is vertical or directly overhead. The northern line is called the Tropic of Cancer, because the sun, which is directly over this tropic at the summer solstice, then enters the constellation of Cancer; the southern line is called the Tropic of Capricorn, because the sun, when vertically over it, enters the constellation of Capricorn. The country between the two tropics is called the torrid or hot zone, and the temperature is known as tropical The word tropic comes from a Greek word meaning a turning, and indicates that the sun turns back at these linp.s.
Troubadour (trod'ba-door'}, in southern France, Spain and Italy a class of poets distinguished from minstrels and strolling musicians by the fact that they indulged in verse-making for the love of it, and not for money. In northern France they were called trouveres. They were often attached to the courts, and were attended by minstrels or jongleurs, who accompanied them on musical instruments, as it was usually considered beneath the dignity of a troubadour to be his own fiddler. The
