Weasel
in zoology, the genus Putorius; specifically, P. vulgaris, the 12 inches, common weasel; length abo about of which the tail occupies nearly a quarter; body extremely slender and arched, head small and flattened, eyes and lively, remarkably quick and black and rema ears short and rounded; the neck is long, being but little shorter than the trunk and very flexible; tail short, and without a terminal tuft of hair; legs short, and furred to end of toes. Upper part light reddish-brown, under surface quite white.
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Weather Signal
a signal for indicating weather conditions. Five flags are used by the United States Weather Bureau to indicate the temperature and ordinary conditions of the weather. They are numbered 1 to 5, but some are used in couples to form combinations. No. 1 is a perfect white square and indicates "clear or fair weather." No. 2 is all blue, also square, and its meaning is "rain or snow." No. 3 is a black triangle and is called the "temperature signal." It is always used in combination with either the white or blue square. When placed above the white or blue flag it means that the weather will be warmer, and when below, that it will be colder. When it is omitted altogether, the significance is that the temperature will Sometimes three flags are used in combination. For example, when the triangular flag is at the top of the pole, with the white square immediately below it, and the blue square below the white, the signal reads "warmer, fair weather, followed by rain وو or snow." No. 4 is the "cold wave" signal. It is a white square with a black square in the center of the white. It shows up very clearly, and can never be mistaken for anything else. No. 5 indicates "local rains or showers." It is a square flag, of which the upper half is white and the lower blue. See WEATHER BUREAU.
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Weathering Ore
Such ores of iron as contain pyrites or shale in a large proportion are subjected, before calcination, to the action of the atmosphere and moisture, by which means the sulphur is oxidized and dissolved out by the rains. Being spread on the ground in the open air the process is called weathering. See CALCINATION; CAST IRON; KILN.
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Weaver
JAMES B., an American lawyer; born in Dayton, O., June 12, 1833; was admitted to the bar in 1854; served in the Union army during the Civil War, becoming a Brigadier-General of volunteers. After the war he practiced law in Iowa; filled several offices in that State; edited the "Iowa Tribune," e," published in Des Moines; was a member of Congress in 1879-1881; the Greenback candidate for President of the United States in 1880; again in Congress in 1885-1889; and in 1892 again became a candidate for the presidency, this time on the People's party ticket, receiving 22 electoral votes. He died in 1912.
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Weaving
the art of interlacing yarn threads or other filaments by means of a loom, so as to form a web of cloth or other woven fabric. In this process two sets of threads are employed, which traverse the web at right angles to each other. The first set extends from end to end of the web in parallel lines, and is commonly called the warp; while the other set of threads crosses and interlaces with the warp from side to side of the web, and is generally called the weft or woof. In all forms of weaving the warp threads are first set up in the loom, and then the weft threads are worked into the warp, to and fro, by means of a shuttle. It was by this fundamental process of interlacing two sets of thread in looms of simple mechanism that the mummy cloths of Egypt, the fine damasks and tapestries of the Greeks and Romans, the Indian muslins, the shawls of Cashmere, and the famed textile fabrics of Italy and the Netherlands were produced. From the latter countries weaving by means of a hand loom was introduced into England.
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Web-smoother
See SLICKER. Wedge is one of the mechanical powers which, in principle, is simply a modification of the inclined plane. This implement, simple as it is, constitutes one of the most important tools in foundry practice. It is made of wood and cast iron, but the latter kind is to be deprecated, because of its liability to snap. Wrought-iron wedges, well taken care of, are a good investment in any foundry.
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Webb
ALEXANDER STEWART, an American educator; born in New York City, Feb. 15, 1835; was graduated at the United States Military Academy in 1855; commissioned 2d lieutenant in the 4th Artillery; entered the Civil War was major of the 1st Rhode Island Infantry, Sept. 14, 1861; served with distinction and was wounded at Gettysburg; was in the Rapidan and Wilderness campaigns; promoted lieutenantcolonel 49th Infantry, July 26, 1866; transferred to the 5th Infantry, March 15, 1869; brevetted Major-General, U. S. V. and U. S. A.; was discharged at his own request, Dec. 3, 1870. He was president of the College of the City of New York from 1869 to 1903, and wrote: "The Peninsula: McClellan's Campaign of 1862." He died in 1911.
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Webb (II)
JAMES WATSON, an American military officer and diplomatist; born in Claverack, N. Y., Feb. 8, 1802. He became a lieutenant in the artillery; was made adjutant in 1825, served for a time under General Scott; resigned from the army, in April, 1827, to take up journalism. He was connected with the "Morning Courier, " New York (1827- 1829); "The Morning Courier and New York Enquirer" (1829-1859 ). He was the author of: "Altowan ; or, Incidents of Life and Adventure in the Rocky Mountains" (2 vols. 1846 ); "Slavery and its Tendencies" (1856) ; and a pamphlet on "National Currency" (1875). He died in New York City, June 7, 1884.
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Webb (SIDNEY an English socialist)
SIDNEY, an English socialist, one of the founders of the Fabian Society; born in London , England, July 13, 1859; was educated in Switzerland, Germany, Birkbeck Institute, and City of London College; for some time in the civil service; became a barrister in 1885; lectured on political economy at City of London College, Workingmen's College, and London School of Economics and Political Science. He wrote: "Socialism in England" (1889); "The Eight Hours' Day" (1891), in collaboration with Harold Cox; and "The London Program" (1892). His wife, Beatrice (Potter) , wrote: "The Coöperative Movement in Great Britain," and together they wrote the noted "History of Trades-Unionism in England" and "Industrial Democracy" (1898), "Problems of Modern Industry" appeared in 1898; " English Poor Law Policy" in 1910; " The Prevention of Destitution" in 1911.
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