Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/452

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LOESS.
400
LOFTUS.

Sixth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey (Washington, 1888) ; Sardeson, American Journal of Science, vol vii. Fourth Series, p. 58 (New Haven, 1899) ; McGee, "The Pleistocene History of Northeastern Iowa," in United States Geological Survey, Eleventh Annual Report (Washington, 1891).

LOESSING, les'sing, Heraian. The secular name of the German Jesuit Jose de Jesfl Maria Ignacio (q.v.).

LOEWE, lO'vc, WiLiiELM {1814-86). A Ger- man Lilirral ixjlititiaii, also called Ijocwe-Kalbe. He as l>oiii at Olvenstedt, near Jlagdeburg, was educated at Halle, and became a practicing physi- cian. In 1848 he was elected to the Frankfort Parliament, was a prominent member of the extreme Democratic Party, was soon chosen first vice-president of the Parliament, and, after its removal to Stuttgart, was made president. At first acquitted on the charge of sedition for his part in this revolutionary movcnicnt, lie was finally .sentenced in contumaciam to life imprison- ment. He spent several years in Switzerland, Paris, and London, and then jiracticcd medicine for eight years in New York. In 1801 lie bene- fited i>y the amnesty and returned to Germany. Two years later he was elected to the Prussian House of Deputies, and in ISti" to the North Ger- man Kcichstag ,as a member of the Progressist Party. In 1874 he quarreled with his party on the military law of that year, and tried to form with other indejiendents a Liberal Party which would agree in political matters with the Progressist Party, but would be free on economic questions. In carrying out this policy, he eagerly defended the protective tariff of 1879. He was defeated for reelection in 1881.

LOEWY, lèvé. Maurice (1833- ). A French astroiKiiiier, born in Vienna. He studied astron- omy in his native city, but was later called to Paris by Levcrrier, who offered him a position in the observatory there. In 1872 he became a memlier of tlic Bureau dcs Longitudes, and the next year succeeded Delaunay in the Academy of Sciences. After Leverricr's death he was asso- ciated with Admiral Mouchez in the management of the observatory of Jlontsouris. He devised the ffjiialorfal coudf ; and, in addition to editing the Connaissancc dcs temps and the Annuaire du Bureau des lonr/iludes, made frequent contribu- tions to the Memoirs of the academies in Paris and Vienna. In 1878 he was appointed sub- director of the Paris observatory. LOFFTZ, lefts, LuDWio (1845—). A German painter, born at Darmstadt. He was a pupil of Kreling and Ivaujip at Nuremberg, then of Diez at the Academy in Munich, where he became pro- fessor in 1879, and of which he was director in 1801-99. His works are not numerous, but are of great perfection. A lofty atmosphere pervades his interiors, treated in the spirit of the Flemish masters, while his religious subjects are imbued with deep feeling and solemn grandeur. Great technical skill and masterly treatment of the chiaroscuro produce the most harmonious efTects in all his paintings, which include: "Cardinal Playing the Organ" (1876), a likeness of Franz Liszl ; "Avarice and Love" (1879, in the collec- tion of V. H. Vanderbilt. New York), suggestive of Quentin Massys; and "Krasmus in His Study" (Stuttgart Museum). The impressive "Pieth" (1883) won for him the gold medal at the Inter- national Exhibition in Munich, and is now in the New Pinakothek, which also contains "Eury- diee" (1898). For the Cathedral at Freising he painted a large altarpiece, "Assumption of the Virgin" (1880). LO'FOTEN, or LOFODEN. A chain of isl ands extending about 175 miles in a southwest direction from the northwestern coast of Norway {Ma]i: Norway, E 2). It comprises the Lofoten pro]Jcr and the Vesteraalen Islands, to the north. The archijielago consists of several large islands and innumerable small islets and rocks. The largest islands are Hindi), Langij, Andii, Oest- Vaagi), Vest-Vaagij, and jloske-na^sii, of which the first three belong to the Vesteraalen grouj). Hinnij, which lies nearest to the mainland, has an area of 850 square miles. They are extremely irregular in outline, being indented with numer- ous narrow and winding fiords, and consist of masses of rocks torn asunch'r to an extraordinary degree, rising abruptly from the deep water in precipices and needle-shaiied crags often over 1000 feet high. The mountains rise in Ilindij to a height of 3600 feet. The tidal currents in the narrow channels .separating the islands are in some places so swift as to make navigation dilH- cult even for steamers. (See Malstrom.) The interior of the islands is mostly barren and un- inhabited, though the eastern portions of Hindo are covered with forests, and some of the shel- tered valleys support a little agriculture and sheep-raising, as the climate is not severe in spite of the high latitude (08°-69"'). The inWabi- tants, who in 1900 numbered 42,817, live along the coasts in isolated farm-houses or in small fishing villages. The cod-fisheries are the main support of the islands, as well as of thousands of fishermen from the mainland who brave these dangerous waters every year from December to March. These fisheries have been famous for centuries; they are an important source of na- tional wealth, and are among the richest in the world. LOFTUS, lof'tus, Augustus William Fred- erick Spencer. Lord (IS17-I904). An English diplomat, fourth son of the Marquis of Kly. Educated by private tutors and at Eton and Cam- bridge, he entered the diplomatic corps in 1837 as attache at Berlin and later at Stuttgart . (1844). In 1848 he was secretary to Sir Strat- ford Canning on the RadelilTe special mission to the European courts. Four years aftervards he became secretarv of legation at Stuttgart and in 1853 held a like post at Berlin. In 1858 he was Envoy at Vienna, in 1800 at Berlin, and in 1802 at Munich; as Ambassador he served at Berlin (1805), as agent to the North German Confederation (1808-71), and then at Saint Petersburg (1871-79). After six years as Gov- ernor of New South Wales, Loftus was retired in 1885. He published The Diplomatic Reminis- cences of Lord Augustus Loftus (1892-94). LOFTUS, William Ivennett (c.l82I-58). An English archteologist, born at Rye fn Sussex. He was educated at Cambridge, and from 1849 to 1852 made extensive explorations on the sites of the ancient cities on the Tigris and Euphrates. In 1853-55, under the auspices of the Assyrian Excavation Fund, he made particular examina- tion of Nineveh and Babylon, returning with ' highly valued collections for the British ftluseum. He published Travels and Researches in Chaldcea