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KEPHIR 335 KEPPEL the largest hydro-electric power plants in the world. It has a very large river commerce and extensive manufactures, including foundry products, boots and shoes, canned goods, overalls and shirts, brick and tile, machinery, packed pork, and pickles. Among the notable insti- tutions are St. Vincent's Academy (R. C), St. Peter's Boys' School (R. C), St. Joseph's and Mercy Hospitals, the Home for the Friendless, United States government building, and several li- braries. The city contains also the gen- eral offices of the Keokuk and Western railroad. Pop. (1910) 14,008; (1920) 14,423. KEPHIR, a beverage produced by bringing about alcoholic fermentation in milk. Originally made in the Caucasus, mainly from goat's and sheep's milk. It contains approximately three-quarters of one per cent, alcohol, about one per cent, of lactic acid and two-and-one-half per cent, sugar. Koumiss is a similar beverage, originally made by the Tar- tars from mare's milk, but is also pre- pared from cow's milk by adding a small quantity of sugar and yeast to skim milk. It may contain as much as three per cent, alcohol. KEPLER, or KEPPLER, JOHANN, a German astronomer; born in Weil der Stadt, Wiirttemberg, Dec. 27, 1571. He was left to his own resources when a mere child, his education depending on his admission into the convent of Maul- bronn. He afterward studied at the Uni- versity of Tubingen, applying himself chiefly to mathematics and astronomy. In 1593 he was appointed Professor of Mathematics at Gratz, and about 1596 began a correspondence with Tycho Brahe, went to Prague, where he lived for 11 years in gn'eat poverty. He then obtained a mathematical appointment at Linz, and 15 years afterward was re- moved to the University of Rostock. In his "Mystery" (1596), he proclaims that five kinds of regular polyhedral bodies govern the five planetary orbits. At length convinced that this theory was only an error, after 22 years of patient study he was able at last to announce in his "Harmonies of the World" (1619) that the "square of a planet's periodic time is proportional to the cube of its mean distance from the sun." This rule is known as Kepler's Third Law. Find- ing the theory of epicycles unable to bear the strain of Tycho Brahe's accurate ob- servations, especially in the case of the planet Mars, he endeavored to find a law for the planet's movements which would be simple and satisfactory. After enor- mous labor, and by a process of trial and error, he found that (1) the planet's orbit was an ellipse, of which the sun is one focus, and (2) that, as the planet describes its orbit, its radius vector tra- verses equal areas in equal times. These rules (published in 1609 in his work on "The Motions of Mars") are known as Kepler's First and Second Laws respec- tively. These laws formed the ground- work of Newton's discoveries, and are the starting-point of modern astronomy. Besides, we owe to Kepler many discov- eries in optics, general physics, and ge- ometry. He died in Ratisbon, Nov. 15, 1630. KEPPEL, AUGUSTUS, VISCOUNT, an English naval officer; born April 2, 1725. Entering the navy, he served un- der Hawke in 1757, captured Goree in 1758, took part in the battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, and in the capture of Belle* isle in 1761, and commanded at the cap- ture of Havana in 1762. In 1778 he en- countered the French fleet; a sharp but indecisive action ensued, owing to a dis- agreement between Keppel and Sir Hugh Paleiser, his second in command. Both admirals were brought before a court- martial, but both were acquitted. In 1782, in which year he was created Vis- count Keppel of Elveden in Suffolk, he became First Lord of the Admiralty, but resigned on Pitt's accession to govern- ment. Keppel died, unmarried, Oct. 3, 1786. KEPPEL, SIR COLIN RICHARD, a British admiral. He was born in 1862 and in 1875 joined H. M. S. "Britannia." In 1882 he became midshipman of "In- constant" during the Egyptian War and won medal and Khedive's bronze star He was the sub-lieutenant on "Invinci- ble." served in the Nile Expedition, 1884- 1885, flag lieutenant to Duke of Edin- burgh in Mediterranean, 1886-1889, and commanded gunboat flotilla on Nile, 1898. He was pi-omoted captain in 1899, receiving thanks of parliament for Sou- dan services 1899. In 1910 he was rear- admiral in command of Atlantic Fleet and retired in 1917. KEPPEL, FREDERICK PAUL, an American educator and public official, born in Staten Island, N. Y. in 1875. He graduated from Columbia University in 1898. From 1901 to 1902 he was as- sistant secretary and from 1902 to 1910, secretary of Columbia University. He was appointed dean of the college in 1910. He served as assistant to the sec- retary of war in 1917 and 1918, and was appointed third assistant secretary of war in 1918, serving until 1920. He wrote "Columbia University" (1913);