Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/335

ROSS. 303 KOSSELLI. icans had burned the Canadian Government build- ings at York (Toronto). General Ross was killed at Xortli Point, Jld., while marching to Baltimore on September 12, 1814. ROSS, Sir William Charles (1794-1800). An English miniature painter, born in London. After receiving instruction from his mother, Maria Koss, portrait painter, in 1808 he entered the schools of the Roal .Veademy. In 1814 he was made assistant to . <hew Robertson, a min- iature painter. Although at tirst ambitious to sur- pass in historical compositions, in time he devoted himself entirely to miniatures, securing a lucra- tive practice among the fashionable circles and royalties of Europe. In 1843 he was made Royal Academician, and on June 1, 1842, was knighted by Victoria. Ross e.xecuted over 2000 minia- tures on ivory. His portraits are refined, grace- ful, and distinctively characteristic of the indi- vidual: the color is pure and rich. ROSS, The IVIan of. See Kyrle, John. ROSS AND CROM'ARTY. A northern county of Scotland. The mainland portion is bounded on the north by Sutherland, east by the North Sea. south by Inverness, and west by the Atlantic (Map: Scotland, C 2). The greater part of the island of Lewis, with Harris, belongs to this county. Area, 3078 square miles. Ross and Cromarty in many parts presents a w'ild and mountainous aspect. The high grounds afford excellent pasture for sheep and cattle and the glens, in the more favored portions, are generally fertile, producing grain of a superior quality. The fisheries are important. The principal loch is ilaree (Insignificant). Chief towns, Cromar- tv, Ding-vall (the county town). Tain, and Stor- nowav. Population, in 1801, .50,300; in 18.51. 82.700: in 1!)01, 76,400. ROSSANO, ros-sii'no. A city in the Province of Co>enza, Italy, situated on a foot-hill of the Apennines, near the Gulf of Taranto, 28 miles northeast of Cosenza ( Map : Italy, L 8 ) . It is walled, well built, and defended by a castle. The city has a beautiful cathedral, and an arehiepis- eopal library with a valuable manuscript of the C4ospels. Alabaster and marble are quarried, and there are manufactures of silk and olive oil. Population (commune), in 1881, 17,979; in 1901, 13,55.3. ROSSBACH, rosTiaG. A village in Prussian Saxony. 9 miles southwest of ilerscburg. It is celebrated for the victory gained here by the Prus- sians under Frederick the Great over the com- bined French and Imperialist armies under the Prince de Soubise and the Prince of Saxe-Hild- burghausen on November 5, 1757. The Prussians numbered some 22,000 men. while the forces of the allies are variously estimated at from 43,000 to 63,000. It was the intention of the allies to turn Frederick's left flank, while creating a diversion by an attack in front. Fred- erick, perceiving the manfeuvre, shifted his left wing, consisting mainly of the cavalry under Seydlitz. so as to meet the enemy's threatened attack. The allies were thrown into ulter dis- order after less than a half hour's fighting, and put to flight. The Prussians lost some .500 men in killed and wounded, while the loss of the allies was more than 700 dead. 2000 wounded, and 5000 prisoners. The victory of Rossbach was important for the moral strength it brought to the Prus- sian cause at a time when it.s fortunes were at the lowest. Consult Von der Gollz, HosHbacli und Jimi ( Hcrlin, 1883). ROSSBACH, AKiisr (182;)-!t8). A (ierninn archseologisi, horn in Selimalkalden. und eilu- cated at Leipzig and .Marburg. He was appointed doeent in 18,52, and professor in 1854 at Tubin- gen, and in 1850 went to Hreshiu ns professor of philology and ardneohigy. lie edited CatulluH (1854; 2d ed. 1800) and Tibullus (18.54). and wrote on Roman marriage, Rdmuiche HochzrilK- und f:iu>Uiil:malcr (1871) ; but 11 is with Greek metrics that his name is most closely connected because of cooperation with W'estpliui on Milrik tier gricchischiii Dmmulikcr und Li/rikcr (1854- (i5: 3d ed., as Thcorie der musischvn Kiinxlc der Hcllencn, 1885-89). His .son. Otto (1858—), also an archa-ologist, was born in Hreshiu ; studied there, at .lena, at Rostock, and al ISerlin. where in 1884 he became a.ssistant in the anthro- pological nuisenm: was profes.sor at Kiel from 1890 to 189,5.. aiul then was appointed to a chair of archa'olog^' in the Iniversily of Kiinigsberg and to the post of instructor in the .cadeniy of Art. He wrote: Dc .S'OKca,- J'hiltisiiphi Ursvn- sione (1880) ; (Iriecliiscbc Anlikcn dis iirclwolu- gi.ichm Musciimf: in Hrcslau (1889) ; an edition of Florus (1896), and many contributions on mythology, art, and literature to the Pauly- Wissowa Healencyklopiidk: In 1900 he published a memoir of his father. ROSSE, William Parsos.s, third Earl of (180007). An English astronomer, born in Yiuk. He was educated first at Trinity College, Dublin, and afterwards at Magilalen College. Ox- ford, where he graduated lir^t-class in mathe- matics in 182;>. At an early age Rosse devoted nuich attention to the study of practical science, and especially to the problem of the l)est mode of constructing the speculum of the refiectinp telescope. The two great defects which had baflled opticians were 'spherical aberration' and ab- sorption of light by specula ; and in the casting of these of large size there was the apparent iin- |)ossibility of ])reventing cracking and warping of the surface on cooling. By a long series of care- fully conducted experiments. Rosse succeeded in discovering a mode of operation by which the last defect was wholly obviated, an<l the two others greatly diminished. The metal for the speculum of his great telescope (see Tklescopk). three tons weight, was poured into the iron mold in .pril. 1842. and the mold was kept in an an- nulling oven for 16 weeks, so that the metal should cool equably. It was then polished and mounted in his park at Parsonstown. at a cost of £30,000. The first addition to astronomical knowledge ma<le by this telescope was the reso- lution of certain nebuhv, which had defied Her- schel's instrument, into groups of stars; next came the discovery of numerous binary and triple stars. The telescope itself is now dismounted; and experience has shown that metal retlectors cannot be made permanently useful, on account of the rapid tarnishing of the polished surfaces. ROSSELLI. rAzSl1<^. Cosimo di I.okexzo Fi- Lil'i'i (1439-1507). A Florentine painter of the Renaissance. He was the pupil and assistant of Xeri di Bieei (1453-5(i) and perhaps of Benozzo Gozzoli. At all events, he shows unmistakable traces of the lafter's influence, as well as that of