Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 09.djvu/501

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TORGAir 439 TORPEDO Leipsic. It is inclosed by a wall and has manufactories of woolen goods, hosiery and leather. Its chief building is the cas- tle, Hartenfels. It was fortified by Na- poleon in 1810; was besieged by the Al- lies in 1813 and surrendered Jan. 14, 1814. Pop about 11,000. TORMENTIL, in botany, Potentilla tormentilla, formerly Tormentilla offici- nalis. The stem is slender, the leaves three-foliolate, more rarely five-f oliolate ; the petals usually four in place of the normal five of other Potentillas. Abun- dant on heaths, copses, and dry pastures, flowering from June to September. The rootstock, which is very astringent, is used for tanning. TORNADO, a whirlwind, usually com- ing on suddenly, continuing but a brief period, and covering only a small area. It is generally accompanied by rain, lightning, and thunder. It is of the same type of storm as a cyclone, but more local, covering a smaller area, and generally less violent, though still suf- ficiently so to be highly dangerous. The term tornado is used specifically of ro- tating or spiral storms in the South Indian Ocean, and those on the coasts of Africa and North America. TORONTO, a city of Canada, the capital of the Province of Ontario. It is on the north shore of Lake Ontario, on an inlet called the Bay of Toronto. The city has a water frontier of about 10 miles from E. to W. and extends in- land from N. to S. about 6 miles. The harbor is about 5 miles long and 1 mile wide. It has accommodations for the largest vessels passing through the Wel- land canal. All three trans-continental railroads of Canada pass through the city. Toronto has a total area of about 32 square miles. The city from its favor- able location is unusually attractive. The business section contains many handsome office buildings, ranging from 12 to 20 stories in height. The notable buildings include the Provincial Legislative Build- ing, the University of Toronto, City Hall and the governor's house. There are over 100,000 buildings in the city limits. The street system includes 531 miles of streets and 140 miles of lanes. In 1920 there were 88,254 registered pupils in public and private schools, and 15,034 in at- tendance at the high, technical and com- mercial schools. There are 32 colleges, 13 libraries, and 8 public hospitals. In industrial importance Toronto ranks second among the cities of Canada. The value of the products of the 125 indus- tries in 1918 was $456,250,198. The as- sessed valuation in 1919 was $642,816,- 690. The bank clearings in the same year amounted to $4,251,644,303. The customs receipts in 1919 amounted to $32,956,819c The net debt of the city was $77,836,811, while the revenue was $25,502,586. Toronto is the greatest live stock market of Canada. The city was founded in 1749 as a French trading post, and was chosen as the provincial capital in 1792. It was incorporated as a city in 1834. Pop. (1910) 325,302; (1920) 499,278. TORONTO, UNIVERSITY OF, an institution for higher education, at To- ronto, Canada; founded as King's Col- lege in 1827. It assumed its present title in 1849. It has a medical school, an agricultural college, a college of dentis- try, pharmacy, music, practical science, veterinary science, etc. There are about 5,000 students and about 400 instructors. TORPEDO, in ichthyology, the type genus of Torvedinidse, vnth the charac- ters of the family. There are six species distributed over the Atlantic and Indian oceans; three of these occur in the Medi- terranean, and two, T. marmorata and T. hebetans, are sometimes found on the British coast. The electric organs con- sist of many perpendicular prisms, most- ly hexagonal, the whole forming a kid- ney-shaped mass. Each column in the living fish appears like a clear trembling jelly. Hunter counted 470 of these col- um_ns in a specimen of T. marmorata, and says that the partitions between them are full of arteries, which bring the blood direct from the gills. These or- gans convert nervous energy into elec- tricity. Each organ receives one branch of the trigeminal and four branches of the vagus, the former and the three an- terior branches of the latter being each as thick as the spinal cord. The fish gives the electric shock voluntarily, to stun or kill its prey or in self-defense ; but to receive the shock the object must complete the circuit by communicating with the fish at two distinct points, either directly or through the medium of some conducting body. The force of the discharge varies with the size and vigor of the fish; large and healthy specimens can inflict severe shocks sufficient to disable a man. The electric currents generated in these fish possess all the other known powers of electricity; they render the needle magnetic, decompose chemical compounds, and emit sparks. Also the common name of any individual of the genus. In southern European waters the best known species is T. mar- morata. It is dark brown in color, lighter round the eyes. Specimens have been taken weighing 100 pounds, but they usu-