Watermelon
a running fruit-bearing vine of the gourd family, closely related to the cucumber, pumpkin, and squash. A native of tropical Africa. The African is traditionally fond of a watermelon. It would be an aggravation to describe its cool green rind or luscious red and pink flesh. Watermelons are raised successfully from Ontario to Texas, but reach their greatest development in Georgia where an official record gives the weight of an extreme specimen at one hundred twenty pounds. Melons of thirty to fifty pounds are large. Under modern systems of cultivation, large raisers locate near railroads and have temporary tracks laid out into the melon patch. Car lots are shipped in bulk; small lots are reshipped from wholesale centers in crates. Shippers' unions aim to direct shipments judiciously. The famous Muscatine watermelon is raised on an island in the Mississippi. The citron is a solid spherical melon used only for pickles and preserves. See Iowa ; Georgia ; Gourd ; Muskmelon
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Waterspout
. See Whirlwind
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Watertown (City and countyseat)
a city and countyseat of Jefferson co., N. Y.; on the Black river, and on the Boston and Maine railroad: 69 miles N. of Syracuse. The river here has rapids and falls which furnish good water power and is spanned by a number of bridges. The city contains the Convent of the Immaculate Conception, Irving School, a high school, State armory, Henry Keep Home for the Aged, business college, Orphans' Home, public library, public park, National and savings banks, electric street railroads, electric lights, and daily, weekly, and monthly periodicals. It has manufactories of machinery, sleighs, electrical apparatus, furniture, printing presses, agricultural implements, air and vacuum brakes, carriages, wagons, woolen goods, paper, thermometers, lamps, tinware, etc. Pop. (1910) 26,730; (1920) 31,285.
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Watertown (City in Dodge and Jefferson)
a city in Dodge and Jefferson cos., Wis.; on the Rock river, and on the Chicago and Northwestern, and the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railroads; 45 miles W. by N. W. of Milwaukee. Here are the Northwestern University (Luth.), the Sacred Heart University (R. C.), a high school, several churches, libraries, electric lights, National and State banks, and daily and weekly newspapers. Watertown is an important barley and cheese market, and has a shoe factory, foundry, brass works, mills, etc. Pop. (1910) 8,829; (1920) 9,299.
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Watertown (City of South Dakota)
a city of South Dakota, the county-seat of Codington co. It is on the Big Sioux river, and on the Chicago and Northwestern, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, the Great Northern, and other railroads. In the midst of picturesque scenery and a popular summer resort, it is also the center of an important farming and cattleraising region, and has grain elevators, and warehouses, flour mills, and manufactories of agricultural implements, carriages, etc. Pop. (1910) 7,010; (1920) 9,400.
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Watertown (Town of Massachusetts)
a town of Massachusetts, which includes several villages, in Middlesex co. It is on the Charles river, and on the Boston and Maine railroad. It is chiefly a residential suburb of Boston, but has also important industries, including the manufacture of automobiles, rubber goods, stoves, soap, furnaces, etc. It has a public library and is the seat of a United States arsenal. The town was settled and incorporated in 1630. Pop. (1910) 12,875; (1920) 21,457.
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Waterville
a village in Kennebec co., Me.; on the Kennebec river, and Cyo 21 on the Maine Central railroad; 18 miles N. of Augusta. Here are COLBY COLLEGE (q. v.) .), Coburn Classical Institute, high school, several libraries, waterworks, street railroad and electric light plants, National and savings banks, and a number of daily, weekly, and monthly periodi cals. The city contains the car and locomotive works of the Maine Central railroad. It also has pulp, paper, and cotton mills, sawmills, plow, axe, hoe, and scythe factories, machine shops, tanneries, etc. Pop. (1910) 11,458; (1920) 13,351.
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Watervliet
a city in Albany co., N. Y.; on the Hudson river, the the Erie canal, and the Delaware and Hudson railroad; opposite Troy. Prior to 1896 it was known as the village of West Troy. Here are the famous Watervliet Arsenal, founded in 1807 by the United States Government, street railroads, electric lights, numerous churches, a National bank, and a weekly newspaper. The arsenal plant contains extensive foundries, and shops for the manufacture of siege, coast defense, and field guns, shot and shell, gun carriages, and small ammunition. The city also has large car works, and an extensive and noted bell foundry. Pop. (1910) 15,074; (1920) 16,073. WATER WHEEL. See TURBINE: WATER POWER.
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Watkin
SIR EDWARD WILLIAM, an English railway manager; born in Northenden, Cheshire, England, in 1819. He was engaged in his father's London warehouse from the time he was 10 years old, till 1845, when he was appointed secretary to the Trent Valley Railroad Company. From this post he came by stages ges to be general manager of the London and Northwestern Company, director and chairman of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway, president of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, chairman of the South Eastern, and director of the Great Western and Great Eastern Companies. While he was president of the Canadian road he undertook, at the instance of the Duke of Newcastle, negotiations with the five British North American provinces, which resulted in the passage of the Confederation Act and the establishment of the union between the provinces. Vol. X For this service he was knighted. He was intimate with Disraeli, Cobden, and Salisbury, and had been a friend to Dickens. He died in London, April 14, 1901.
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Watkins Glen
a remarkable ravine and pleasure resort near the head of Seneca Lake in the W. central part of New York. It has become famous owing to its attractive scenery, which draws thousands of visitors each year. The rocks consist of Devonian shale, which during the Pleistocene period were here cut into deep narrow gorges by the glacial ice. These gorges contain merous cataracts and have steep, smooth walls.
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Watling's Island
a small island in the Bahama group, West Indies. It is 18 miles long, and has a lake in its center. It is supposed to be the first land in the New World seen by Columbus, generally known as San Salvador.
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