{
    "system": "GoGuides Verified Text",
    "api_version": "verified-text-v1",
    "status": "ok",
    "response_type": "verified_text_record",
    "source_key": "britannica_1911",
    "source_title": "Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911)",
    "license_code": "public_domain",
    "attribution": null,
    "license_url": null,
    "chunk_id": "1911:blende:5bff292f490e",
    "title": "BLENDE",
    "section": null,
    "hash_alg": "sha256",
    "hash_sha256": "8b1f013fa93751e89536a6221eac496ee2974d322f64e3f295f88be5d31ea85d",
    "normalizer": {
        "name": "ggnorm",
        "version": "1.0"
    },
    "verified_text": "blende, or sphalerite, a naturally occurring zinc sulphide, zns, and an important ore of zinc. the name blende was used by g. agricola in 1546, and is from the german _blenden_, to blind, or deceive, because the mineral resembles lead ore in appearance but contains no lead, and was consequently often rejected as worthless. sphalerite, introduced by e.f. glocker in 1847, has the same meaning ([greek: sphaleros], deceptive), and so have the miners' terms \"mock ore,\" \"false lead,\" and \"blackjack.\" the term \"blende\" was at one time used in a generic sense, and as such enters into the construction of several old names of german origin; the species under consideration is therefore sometimes distinguished as zinc-blende. [illustration: fig. 1. ] crystals of blende belong to that subclass of the cubic system in which there are six planes of symmetry parallel to the faces of the rhombic dodecahedron and none parallel to the cubic faces; in other words, the crystals are cubic with inclined hemihedrism, and have no centre of symmetry. the fundamental form is the tetrahedron. fig. 1 shows a combination of two tetrahedra, in which the four faces of one tetrahedron are larger than the four faces of the other: further, the two sets of faces differ in surface characters, those of one set being dull and striated, whilst those of the other set are bright and smooth. a common form, shown in fig. 2, is a combination of the rhombic dodecahedron with a three-faced tetrahedron y (311); the six faces meeting in each triad axis are often rounded together into low conical forms. the crystals are frequently twinned, the twin-axis coinciding with a triad axis; a rhombic dodecahedron so twinned (fig. 3) has no re-entrant angles. an important character of blende is the perfect dodecahedral cleavage, there being six directions of cleavage parallel to the faces of the rhombic dodecahedron, and angles between which are 60 deg. when chemically pure, which is rarely the case, blende is colourless and transparent; usually, however, the mineral is yellow, brown or black, and often opaque, the depth of colour and degree of transparency depending on the amount of iron present. the streak, or colour of the powder, is brownish or light yellow, rarely white. the lustre is resinous to adamantine, and the index of refraction high (2.369 for sodium light). the substance is usually optically isotropic, though sometimes it exhibits anomalous double refraction; fibrous zinc sulphide which is doubly refracting is to be referred to the hexagonal species wurtzite. the specific gravity is 4.0, and the hardness 4. crystals exhibit pyroelectrical characters, since they possess four uniterminal triad axes of symmetry. [illustration: fig. 2.] [illustration: fig. 3.] crystals of blende are of very common occurrence, but owing to twinning and distortion and curvature of the faces, they are often rather complex and difficult to decipher. for this reason the mineral is not always readily recognized by inspection, though the perfect dodecahedral cleavage, the adamantine lustre, and the brown streak are characters which may be relied upon. the mineral is also frequently found massive, with a coarse or fine granular structure and a crystalline fracture; sometimes it occurs as a soft, white, amorphous deposit resembling artificially precipitated zinc sulphide. a compact variety of a pale liver-brown colour and forming concentric layers with a reniform surface is known in germany as _schalenblende_ or _leberblende_. a few varieties of blende are distinguished by special names, these varieties depending on differences in colour and chemical composition. a pure white blende from franklin in new jersey is known as cleiophane; snow-white crystals are also found at nordmark in vermland, sweden. black blende containing ferrous sulphide, in amounts up to 15 or 20% isomorphously replacing zinc sulphide, is known as marmatite (from marmato near guayabal in colombia, south america) and christophite (from st christophe mine at breitenbrunn near eibenstock in saxony). transparent blende of a red or reddish-brown colour, such as that found near holywell in flintshire, is known as \"ruby-blende\" or \"ruby-zinc.\" pribramite is the name given to a cadmiferous blende from pribram in bohemia. other varieties contain small amounts of mercury, tin, manganese or thallium. the elements gallium and indium were discovered in blende. blende occurs in metalliferous veins, often in association with galena, also with chalcopyrite, barytes, fluorspar, &c. in ore-deposits containing both lead and zinc, such as those filling cavities in the limestones of the north of england and of missouri, the galena is usually found in the upper part of the deposit, the blende not being reached until the deeper parts are worked. blende is also found sporadically in sedimentary rocks; for example, in nodules of clay-ironstone in the coal measures, in the cement-doggers of the lias, and in the casts of fossil shells. it has occasionally been found on the old timbers of mines. in these cases the zinc sulphide has probably arisen from the reduction of sulphate by organic matter. localities for fine crystallized specimens are numerous. mention may be made of the brilliant black crystals from alston moor in cumberland, st agnes in cornwall and derbyshire. yellow crystals are found at kapnik-banya, near nagy-banya in hungary. transparent yellow cleavage masses of large size occur in limestone in the zinc mines at picos de europa in the province of santander, spain. beautiful isolated tetrahedra of transparent yellow blende are found in the snow-white crystalline dolomite of the binnenthal in the valais, switzerland. (l. j. s.) blenheim (ger. _blindheim_), a village of bavaria, germany, in the district of swabia, on the left bank of the danube, 30 m. n.e. from ulm by rail, a few miles below hochstadt. pop. 700. it was the scene of the defeat of the french and bavarians under marshals tallard and marsin, on the 13th of august 1704, by the english and the austrians under the duke of marlborough and prince eugene. in consideration of his military services and especially his decisive victory, a princely mansion was erected by parliament for the duke of marlborough near woodstock in oxfordshire, england, and was named blenheim palace after this place. the battle of blenheim is also called hochstadt, but the title accepted in england has the advantage that it distinguishes this battle from that won on the same ground a year previously, by the elector of bavaria over the imperial general styrum (9-20 september 1703), and from the fighting between the austrians under krag and the french under moreau in june 1800 (see french revolutionary wars). the ground between the hills and the marshy valley of the danube forms a defile through which the main road from donauworth led to ulm; parallel streams divide the narrow plain into strips. on one of these streams, the nebel, the french and bavarians (somewhat superior in numbers) took up their position facing eastward, their right flank resting on the danube, their left in the under-features of the hilly ground, and their front covered by the nebel, on which were the villages of oberglau, unterglau and blenheim. the imperialist army of eugene and the allies under marlborough (52,000 strong) encamped 5 m. to the eastward along another stream, their flanks similarly protected. on the 2nd-13th of august 1704 eugene and marlborough set their forces in motion towards the hostile camps; several streams had to be crossed on the march, and it was seven o'clock (five hours after moving off) when the british of marlborough's left wing, next the danube, deployed opposite blenheim, which tallard thereupon garrisoned with a large force of his best infantry, aided by a battery of 24-pounder guns. the french and bavarians were taken somewhat by surprise, and were arrayed in two separate armies, each with its cavalry on the wings and its foot in the centre. thus the centre of the combined forces consisted of the cavalry of marsin's right and of tallard's left. here was the only good ground for mounted troops, and marlborough followed tallard's example when forming up to attack, but it resulted from the dispositions of the french marshal that this weak point of junction of his two armies was exactly that at which decisive action was to be expected. tallard therefore had a few horse on his right between the danube and blenheim, a mass of infantry in his centre at blenheim itself, and a long line of cavalry supported by a few battalions forming his left wing in the plain, and connecting with the right of marsin's army. this army was similarly drawn up. the cavalry right wing was in the open, the french infantry near oberglau, which was strongly held, the bavarian infantry next on the left, and finally the bavarian cavalry with a force of foot on the extreme left in the hills. the elector of bavaria commanded his own troops in person. marlborough and eugene on their part were to attack respectively tallard and marsin. the right wing under eugene had to make a difficult march over broken ground before it could form up for battle, and marlborough waited, with his army in order of battle between unterglau and blenheim, until his colleague should be ready. at 12.30 the battle opened. lord cutts, with a detachment of marlborough's left wing, attacked blenheim with the utmost fury. a third of the leading brigade (british) was killed and wounded in the vain attempt to break through the strong defences of the village, and some french squadrons charged upon it as it retired; a colour was captured in the _melee_, but a hessian brigade in second line drove back the cavalry and retook the colour. after the repulse of these squadrons, in which some british cavalry from the centre took part, cutts again moved forward. the second attack, though pressed even more fiercely, fared no better than the first, and the losses were heavier than before. the duke then ordered cutts to observe the enemy in blenheim, and concentrated all his attention on the centre. here, between unterglau and blenheim, preparations were being made, under cover of artillery, for the crossing of the nebel, and farther up-stream a corps was sent to attack oberglau. this attack failed completely, and it was not until marlborough himself, with fresh battalions, drove the french back into oberglau that the allies were free to cross the nebel. in the meanwhile the first line of marlborough's infantry had crossed lower down, and the first line of cavalry, following them across, had been somewhat severely handled by tallard's cavalry. the squadrons under the prussian general bothmar, however, made a dashing charge, and achieved considerable temporary success. eugene was now closely engaged with the elector of bavaria, and both sides were losing heavily. but eugene carried out his holding attack successfully. marsin dared not reinforce tallard to any extent, and the duke was preparing for the grand attack. his whole force, except the detachment of cutts, was now across the nebel, and he had formed it in several lines with the cavalry in front. marlborough himself led the cavalry; the french squadrons received the attack at the halt, and were soon broken. marsin's right swung back towards its own army. those squadrons of tallard's left which retained their order fell back towards the danube, and a great gap was opened in the centre of the defence, through which the victorious squadrons poured. wheeling to their left the pursuers drove hundreds of fugitives into the danube, and eugene was now pressing the army of marsin towards marlborough, who re-formed and faced northward to cut off its retreat. tallard was already a prisoner, but in the dusk and confusion marsin slipped through between the duke and eugene. general churchill, marlborough's brother, had meanwhile surrounded the french garrison of blenheim; and after one or two attempts to break out, twenty-four battalions of infantry and four regiments of dragoons, many of them the finest of the french army, surrendered. the losses of the allies are stated at 4500 killed and 7500 wounded (british 670 killed and 1500 wounded). of the french and bavarians 11,000 men, 100 guns and 200 colours and standards were taken; besides the killed and wounded, the numbers of which vere large but uncertain--many were drowned in the danube. marsin's army, though it lost heavily, was drawn off in good order; tallard's was almost annihilated.",
    "source_url": "https://archive.org/details/EB1911WMF",
    "observed_at": "2026-02-08 18:42:37",
    "integrity": {
        "hash_check": "match",
        "hash_scope": "full_normalized_text",
        "computed_sha256": "8b1f013fa93751e89536a6221eac496ee2974d322f64e3f295f88be5d31ea85d"
    },
    "machine_use": {
        "read": true,
        "cite": true,
        "decision": "verified_public_domain_text"
    },
    "goguides_data_license": "https://www.goguides.com/data-license",
    "goguides_data_license_version": "2.0",
    "documentation": {
        "white_paper_url": "https://www.goguides.com/white-paper.php",
        "pdf_url": "https://www.goguides.com/whitepapers/goguides-ai-source-clearance-white-paper.pdf"
    }
}