Alabama Claims

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a claims made in 1871 by the United States against the English Government for damages done to shipping during the Civil War, after a formal discussion between the two governments in 1865, and fruitless conventions for their settlement in 1868 and 1869. These damages were inflicted chiefly by the "Alabama," an armed vessel of the Confederate States, which was fitted out in a British port and permitted to sail in violation of existing international law. A tribunal, created in 1871 to pass upon these claims, held its sessions in Geneva, Switzerland, during the year 1872, and awarded the United States the sum of $15,500,000 in gold, in satisfaction of all ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTI- TUTE, a coeducational (non-sectarian) institution in Auburn, Ala., organized in 1872; reported in 1899: Professors and instructors, 31; students, 347; volumes in the library, 13,000; grounds and buildings valued at $136,500; productive funds, $253,500; income, $58,182; grad- $58,1 uates, 522; president, W. Le Roy Broun, Confederate ALABAMA, THE, a cruiser which devastated American shipping during the Civil War. She was a bark-rigged steamer of 1,040 tons, built under secret instruction at Birkenhead, England. Her destination was suspected by the United States minister, but when orders for her detention were finally obtained, she had departed (July 31, 1862). She made for the Azores, where she was equipped and manned by an English crew, under the command of Capt. Raphael Semmes, of Maryland. She then proceeded to capture and burn vessels bearing the American flag, and ALABAMA, UNIVERSITY OF the destruction wrought in less than two years amounted to 65 vessels, and about $4,000,000 in property. In June, 1864, she put into Cherbourg, France, for repairs. Here she was intercepted by the Federal corvette "Kearsarge," Captain Winslow, and, after an hour's battle, Semmes surrendered. An account of her history is given in "Two Years on the Alabama," by Arthur Sinclair (1895). ALABAMA, UNIVERSITY OF, or ganized in 1831; location, Tuscaloosa. Besides a curriculum of science and belles-lettres, it has a medical school at Mobile. In 1919 it had a teaching corps of 125 instructors and was attended by 1,800 students. It has 6,000 graduates. President, G. H. Denny, LL. D. ALABASTER (from Greek alabastros, or the earlier form, alabastos), a tapering box, made for holding ointment; a rosebud; a measure of capacity, holding 10 ounces of wine or 9 of oil. The word is also applied to the mineral now called granular gypsum, and to any vessel made of it. Alabaster was named from Alabastron (near modern Antinoë), an Egyptian town. In mineralogy, massive gypsum, either white or delicately shaded.