Plata
RIO DE LA, River of Silver; a body of water which extends for more than 200 miles between the Argentine Republic and Uruguay, and is not, strictly speaking, a river, but rather an estuary, formed by the junction of the great rivers Paraná and Uruguay. It flows into the Atlantic between Cape St. Antonio and Cape St. Mary, and has here a width of 170 miles. On its banks are the cities and ports of Montevideo and Buenos Ayres. It was discovered in 1515 by Juan Diaz de Solis, and called Rio de Solis; it owes its present name to the famous navigator Cabot.
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Plataea
A town of Boeotia , near Mount Citheron, celebrated as the scene of a battle between Mardonius, the general of Xerxes , king of Persia, and Pausanias , who commanded the Athenians. The Persians were defeated with great slaughter.
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Platea
a city in the W. part of Bœotia, on the borders of Attica, and at the foot of Mount Cithæron, 6 miles from Thebes. In 480 B. c. it was destroyed by the Persians, because the inhabitants had taken part with Athens in the battle of Marathon; but in the following year it was the scene of the glorious victory won by the Lacedæmonian Greeks, under Pausanias and Aristides, over the Persian hordes commanded by Mardonius. In the third year of the Peloponnesian war (429) it was attacked by a Theban-Lacedæmonian force, and heroically defended itself for more than two years, when the little garrison of about 200 men were put to the sword, and the city demolished. Some Platæans escaped to Athens and by the treaty of Antalcidas (387) their descendants were allowed to return and rebuild their city. They were driven forth again by the Thebans, and half a century passed before Philip of Macedon's victory at Chæronea enabled the Platæans to return home where they remained until the 6th century A. D.
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Platform
The scaffold round the cupola, built for convenience in charging. If possible, they should always be of sufficient area to accommodate the stowing of all the iron, fuel, material for repairs, etc., required for one day's melting at least, for which reason there should be no mistake made as to the strength of such structures. If there be a system of tracks in the yard, an incline from the platform will serve to communicate therewith. See PIGIRON SCALES; CHARGING-PLATFORM. Platform-cranes are walking cranes erected on trucks which run on rails or road. See CRANES.
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Platinum Alloys
These alloys are almost nonoxidizable, and may be prepared by the usual methods of melting, without flux. Nickel 100, tin 10, platinum 1--suitable for table-ware. Nickel 100, tin 20, platinum 1, silver 2--a good mixture for bells. Nickel 100, tin 20, platinum 20--optical and similar instruments. Another non-oxidizable alloy of platinum is composed of nickel 60, brass 130, platinum 70. Platinum alloys readily with steel, and produces a very tough and fine-grained product when present to the extent of 1 per cent. See SILVER; SILVER ALLOYS; SILVERING; NICKEL.
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Platt
THOMAS COLLIER, an American legislator; born in Owego, N. Y., July 15, 1833; prepared for college at Owego Academy; entered Yale College 1853, but ill-health forced him to leave. Engaged in mercantile life; was president of the Tioga National bank at its organization; interested in the lumbering business in Michigan; was county clerk of the county of Tioga in 1859, 1860 and 1861; was elected to the 43d and 44th Congresses; was elected United States Senator Jan. 18, 1881, and resigned that office May 16 of the same year, with Roscoe Conkling, both Senators being offended because President Garfield made New York appointments without consulting them; was chosen secretary and director of the United States Express Co. in 1879, and in 1880 was elected president of the company; was member and president of the board of quarantine commissioners of New York from 1880 till 1888; was delegate to the National Republican conventions from 1876 to 1904 uninterruptedly; was president of the Southern Central railroad; a member of the National Republican committee; and United States Senator from 1896. He died March 6, 1910.
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Platte
a river in the United States, which rises in the Rocky Mountains by two branches, called respectively the North and South Forks of the Platte. The united stream falls into the Missouri after a course of about 1,900 miles. It is from 1 mile to 3 miles broad, shallow, encumbered with islands, has a rapid current, and therefore not navigable.
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Plattsburg
a town and countyseat of Clinton co., N. Y.; at the mouth of the Saranac river, which here enters Cumberland Bay, a part of Lake Champlain, and on the Delaware and Hudson, and the Chateaugay railroads; about 155 miles N. of Albany. Here are electric lights, public library, court house and jail, barracks for United States soldiers, custom house, Home for Aged Ladies, Home for the Friendless, Plattsburg Academy, a State Normal school, National banks, and a number of daily and weekly newspapers. The town has a large harbor, and ships lumber, grain, and other commodities. It has manufactures of shirts, wood pulp, sewing machines, etc. On Oct. 11, 1776, one of the earliest naval actions of the Revolutionary War took place here, Benedict Arnold commanding the American forces. On Sept. 11, 1814, Commodore Mc- Donough gh gained a remarkable victory berland over the British fleet in Cumberland Bay. About the same time an American army under General Macomb repulsed a superior force which, under General Prevost, had attacked the town. Pop. (1910) 11,138; (1920) 10,909.
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Platypus
. See Duckbill Duckbill or platypus. Platypus and spiny anteater Spiny anteater of Australia. Platypus Inner view of pouch and teats. Platypus Underside of female showing pouch. Platypus
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Platypus or Duck-Bill
the name of popular Ornithorhynchus Anatinus or Paradoxus . (See ORNITHOR- HYNCHUS , Vol. VII.) An effort was made in 1922 to bring a living specimen of this animal to America, but the only one which survived the voyage from Australia died within a few weeks at the New York Zoological Park.
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Plauen
one of the most important manufacturing towns of Saxony; on the Elster, 72 miles S. of Leipsic. Its chief industries are the manufacture of cotton goods, muslin, cambric, jaconet, and embroidered fabrics, with in a secondary degree cigars, paper, machinery. Pop. about 130,000.
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