742 SKOBELEFF, MICHAEL D. 



SMITH, JOHN 0. 



Tong, near Bradford, in England, for several 

 years. Black ash- waste, a by-product of alkali- 

 works, is used in conjunction with lime in the 

 purification, and is said to remove the germs 

 of infection. There is from one and a half to 

 two tons of waste produced for every ton of 

 soda. The waste contains the sulphur used in 

 , the pyrites-kiln, amounting to one fifth or one 

 sixth of its weight. It is in the form of sul- 

 phide of calcium, and under the action of the 

 atmosphere hecomes the disulphide. Brought 

 into contact with caustic lime this precipitates 

 in the forms of monosulphide and sulphate, 

 carrying off all the sewage impurities. These 

 deodorizers are stirred with the sewage in cis- 

 terns, and the sewage is then conducted into 

 settling-tanks. The residuum is used as ma- 

 nure. The sewage furnishes the hydraulic 

 power to work the apparatus. 



SKOBELEFF, MICHAEL DIMITRIEVITCH. 

 This illustrious Russian general died at Mos- 

 cow, July 7th, of a stroke of apoplexy, before 

 he had passed the thirty-seventh year of his 

 age. Born near Moscow, in October, 1845, the 

 son of an officer of the Guards, and grandson 

 of a distinguished general who had risen from 

 the ranks, he studied at the University of Mos- 

 cow ; but, being expelled for engaging in a 

 students' riot, he obtained a commission in the 

 Guards, and, serving in Poland in 1863, was 

 promoted to a captaincy. He served in the 

 Caucasus a couple of years, and then in Cen- 

 tral Asia, winning the reputation for daring 

 courage which was the source of his magnetic 

 influence over the soldiery, and the secret of 

 his success. Pie was made a colonel, and at- 

 tached to General Kaufmann's staff. He took 

 part in the expedition against Khokand, and 

 on one occasion is said to have ridden with 

 150 Cossacks into the enemy's camp the night 

 before the proposed attack, and caused the 

 whole force of 6,000 or 7,000 to throw down 

 their arms and take to flight in terror. 



In this campaign he was promoted to the 

 rank of major-general. He was given the com- 

 mand of the next year's expedition, and at the 

 head of 4,000 men he subjugated Khokand. 

 While officiating as governor of the new prov- 

 ince, the Turkish War broke out. Skobeleff 

 hastened to the seat of war, and was one of the 

 first to cross the Danube, which he accom- 

 plished on horseback. He held no command 

 at first, but as a leader of forlorn hopes and 

 volunteer for every dangerous and difficult ser- 

 vice he was one of the most conspicuous fig- 

 ures in the army. In the second attack on 

 Plevna he led three regiments, and, after hold- 

 ing the captured position twenty-four hours, 

 fell back for lack of support with a loss of 

 nearly three fourths of his detachment. He 

 was afterward placed in command of his fa- 

 mous Sixteenth Division, with the rank of 

 lieutenant-general. He turned back the left 

 flank of the Turkish army at the passage of 

 the Balkans. He took the village of Shenova 

 from Vessel Pasha, after Mirsky and Kadetsky 



had failed. He led the advance upon Adrian- 

 ople, proceeding by forced marches, and then 

 advanced to occupy Tchataldja. Skobeleff took 

 a watchful interest in the welfare of his men. 

 His division was the best fed and best clothed 

 in the Russian army, and not infrequently their 

 general advanced money from his private 

 means to secure their comfort. General Sko- 

 beleff was a brilliant strategist, and, being al- 

 ways near his men in battle, could manoeuvre 

 them more effectively than the generals who 

 kept in the rear. 



In 1880 General Skobeleff was placed in 

 command of the expedition against the Tekke- 

 Turkomans. The impetuous hero of Plevna 

 here showed himself more cautious than his 

 predecessors, and through his prudence suc- 

 ceeded where they had failed. Before advanc- 

 ing upon Geok Tepe he had a railroad of con- 

 siderable length constructed, and forwarded 

 ample supplies of ammunition and provisions. 

 With 10,000 troops he subdued the 40,000 

 Turkomans of the Akhal-Tekke country, his 

 losses amounting to 937 men. He wished to 

 advance to an oasis south of Merv, but was 

 recalled by the Czar, who feared embroilment 

 with Persia. A speech made by Skobeleff in 

 Paris, to the effect that a conflict was unavoid- 

 able and imminent between Russia and the 

 German powers, caused some political anxiety 

 in the early months of 1882. 



General Skobeleff was a tall, slender, active 

 man, of intellectual features. He required un- 

 questioning obedience to his orders. He lost 

 no occasion for exhibiting to his soldiers his 

 own reckless bravery. He dressed himself 

 conspicuously in white, and rode a white horse 

 in battle, wearing his neatest uniform, display- 

 ing his decorations, and carrying a jewel-hiked 

 sword. 



SMITH, JOHN COTTON, D. D., rector of the 

 Church of the Ascension, New York city, died 

 at his home, January 9, 1882. Dr. Smith came 

 of a distinguished New England family, his 

 father, Thomas M. Smith, having been Presi- 

 dent of Kenyon College, and his uncle, John 

 Cotton Smith, at one time Governor of Con- 

 necticut. He was born at Andover, Mass., 

 August 4, 1826. Graduating from Bowdoin 

 College in 1847, he studied divinity at the 

 Theological Seminary at Gambier, O., and in 

 1850 was ordained priest. In 1852 he be- 

 came assistant minister at Trinity Church, Bos- 

 ton, where he remained nearly eight years. 

 In 1860 he entered upon the duties of rector 

 of the Church of the Ascension, New York, in 

 which position he remained until his death. 

 As the head of a wealthy congregation, Dr. 

 Smith was engaged in many and various works 

 of a charitable and reformatory nature. He 

 was greatly interested in the subject of tene- 

 ment-house reform, and gave much attention 

 to mission and industrial schools, in which he 

 was amply supported by the liberality of his 

 congregation. Among the works carried out 

 by members of his church were the building 



