term which is not so important now as formerly. Originally an alarm was signified by the burning of a beacon, the ringing of a bell, beating of drums, or the firing of a gun. Now, i^ most instances, an alarm is transmitted by telegraph, telephone, signal lamps, and heliograph, among other devices. In military camjis, army posts or barracks there is generally an alarm or assem- bly post arranged, where the troops may assem- ble in response to calls of sudden emergency, such as fire, riot, or otlier unusual wcurrcnce.
ALARM. A self-acting contrivance employed
to call attention to danger or accidents, or to
arouse persons from sleep. The common alarm-
clock is a familiar example of such a device,
and the electric burglar-alarm is another. The
simplest and most common arrangement of bur-
glar-alarm consists of an electric bell with wires
leading to all parts of the windows, doors, and
other parts of the building to be protected. The
terminals of these wires are set in the framing
of the windows and doors, so that if they are
opened the action presses springs together and
rings the bell in precisely the same way as by
pressing the ordinary push-button. All special
kinds of alarms for house protection consist of
modifications in the method of making the con-
tact suitable for s]iecial purposes, such as laying
sheets of tin under the carpet to make contact
with the wires when the carpet is stepped upon.
Means are also generally introduced for indicat-
ing which window the signal comes from. This
is done by leading the wires fiom each window
separately through an annunciator, which shows
through which rire, and consequently from which
window, the signal came. The alarm will also
sound if a window is carelessly left open. The en-
tire wiring of houses is also frequently connected
with the police station by wire, so that it is
notified of any tampering with the house in the
absence of its occupant. Bank vaults and safes
are also protected by numerous complicated
mechanical and electrical devices which in-
stantly give an alarm to watchmen or police
officers of any disturbance due to tampering or
attempted burglary. Automatic fire alarms are
made in a variety of forms. A frequent arrange-
ment consists of a string supporting a weight
whose fall sets in operation a train of mechan-
ism which sounds a bell alarm. The weight is
caused to fall by the burning of the supporting
string. (See Fire Alarms.) In steam boilers
an alarm check valve, operating under the pres-
sure of steam, is employed to give the alarm when
the injector ceases to Work, or when the water
falls below the point of safety. In locomotive
boilers a fusible plug is set into the crown sheet
over the firebox ; this plug remains intact as
long as water covers the crown sheet, but melts
should it become dry. allowing the steam to es-
cape into the firebox and warn the engineer of
the danger. Telegraph and telephone lines xisu-
ally have some arrangement by which a break
in the wires is indicated by a bell alarm. Fog
bells, fog whistles, and whistling buoys are forms
of alarms, and there are a great variety of other
forms, such as alarm compasses, which are con-
trived to sound an alarm wlien the vessel de-
viates from its course; alarm funnels contrived
to ring a bell when the liquid has reached a cer-
tain height in a cask which is being filled, and
typewriter alarm bells which ring as the end of
the line being written is approached.
AL'ABO'DIAN. A term derived from the
Alarodii of the classical geographers and Herod-
otus, applied by Sayce and some other ethnogra-
phers and philologists to the linguistic stock
represented especially by the Georgian among
the numerous languages of the region of the Cau-
casus. The Alarodii dwelt about Mount Ararat,
and are supposed by some to be identical with
the Urartu of the Assyrian inscriptions.
ALARY, a'la'rc', Jules (1814 — ) . A
French dramatic composer. He was born at
Mantua. Italy, of French parentage, and was
educated at the Milan Conservatory. After fre-
quent tours through Europe he became estab-
lished at Paris as nuisical director at the Thea-
tre des Italiens. Among his principal works are:
Hosamonda, an opera (Teatro de la Pergola,
Florence. 1840) ; La redemption, an oratorio
(Paris, 1851); Sardanapale, an opera (St. Pe-
tersburg. 1852); La I'oix humainr (Royal Op-
era. Paris, 1861); Locanda Gratis, opera-bouffe
(Thft'itre des Italiens, 1866).
ALAS, a-liis'. Leopoldo (1852—). A Span-
ish journalist and novelist, and professor of law
at the University of Oviedo. As a critic, he is
noted for his intolerance of pretense and medi-
ocrity, and for the fearlessness with which he
speaks his mind regarding men of established
reputation. As a novelist, he has produced an
unimportant work. Su linico hijo, a volume of
short stories called Pipa. and one serious novel.
La regenta. an analytical study of criminal pas-
sion, revealing a rare subtlety of observation.
Alas is justly regarded by many critics as one of
the most promising figures in contemporary
Spanish liteiature. In journalism he is best
known under the pseudonym of Clarin.
ALAS'CANS. A designation of foreign
Protestants in London in the time of Edward VI.
from the name of .Tohn a Lasco (or Laski). a
Polish reformer ami refugee, who, in 1550, was
appointed by the King as superintendent of the
foreign consrregation there.
ALAS'CO. In Scotfs Kenihrorth (g.v.), an
astrologer, also known as Dr. Demetrius Do-
boobie. who aids the evil designs of Richard
Varney against Amy Robsart.
A LASCO, ii las'k6, Johannes, or Jan Laski
(1499-1500). A Polish nobleman and traveler,
born in Warsaw. He imbibed the doctrines of
Zwingli at Ziirich. He also knew Erasmus, who
esteemed him highly, and in his will provided
for the sale of his library to him. He returned
to Poland, 1520, but left in 15,36. on his declara-
tion of Protestantism, and went to Frisia. There
he preached Protestantism, but. anticipating per-
secution, he went to London, on Cranmer's invita-
tion, and became superintendent of the congre-
gation of the foreign Protestant exiles. On the
accession of Mary, in 155.3. he and all his congre-
gation were banished. In 1550, he returned to
Poland, where he died, at Pirchow, .Tanuary 13,
1560. He wrote many treatises, and was one
of the eighteen divines who prepared the Polish
version of the Bible. For his biography, con-
sult H. Dalton (London, 1880).
ALASHEHR, a'lS-shgHr' (Turk. Mottled City). A city in the Turkish vilayet of Aidin, or Smyrna, lying about 75 miles east by south of Smyrna, on the northern slope of Mount Tmolus (Map: Turkey in Asia, C 3). It is surrounded
