Mokanna, Or Mocanna

See Atha ben Hakem.

Mola

I. Pictro Francesco

Pictro Francesco, an Italian painter, born at Coldre, near Como, in 1612 or 1621. died in Rome about 1666. He was a pupil of Cesare d'Arpino and Albani. He was one of the best of the Italian landscape painters, and was much employed by Innocent X. and his successor Alexander VII., as also by Queen Christina of Sweden.

II. Giambattista, A Painter

A Painter Giambattista, sometimes erroneously called a brother of the preceding, born in France about 1618, died in 1661. He studied in Paris, and under Albani at Bologna. He excelled in landscapes.

Molasse

Molasse, the name of a peculiar, mostly gray sandstone, found abundantly throughout a large portion of the Alpine system. It occurs in masses frequently alternating with beds of conglomerate, and being of a line, granular texture, is highly prized as a building stone. Owing to the fact of its forming in certain localities one of the characteristic rocks of the tertiary formation, the term molasse, as applied to group, is sometimes used synonymously with tertiary, corresponding to the eocene, miocene, and pliocene of Lyell.

Moldau

Moldau, a river of Bohemia, which rises in the Bohemian Forest, on the frontiers of Bavaria, flows S. E. as far as Rosenberg, and then N. to Melnik, opposite which town it falls into the Elbe. It is about 300 m. long, and for nearly half its course is navigable. Its chief tributaries are the Luschnitz, Sazawa, Beraun, and Wattawa. The principal towns on its banks are Krummau, Budweis, Pisek, and Prague. Vessels of 60 tons can ply on it to Prague.

Molenbeek - St.JEAN

Molenbeek - St.JEAN, a town of Belgium, adjoining Brussels and forming one of its suburbs; pop. in 1871, 30,974 (in 1840, 12,0655). It has a celebrated geographical institution and a museum of natural science belonging to Messrs. Van der Maalen.

Molfetta (Anc. Respa)

Molfetta (Anc. Respa), a fortified seaport town of S. Italy, on the Adriatic, in the province and 16 m. W. N. W. of the city of Bari: pop. in 1871,26,829. It is the see of a bishop find has a cathedral, several other churches, a college, a museum, and a castle. Linen and saltpetre are manufactured, and small coasting vessels are built. In the vicinity are numerous oval caverns arranged in tiers, one of which, called the Pulo di Molfetta, is upward of 1,000 ft. in circumference and 100 ft. deep. Nitre abounds in all the caverns, and is largely extracted.

Moline

Moline, a city of Rock Island co., Illinois, on the E. hank of the Mississippi river, 3 m. above Rock Island, and at the intersection of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific, the Rockford. Rock Island, and St. Louis, and the Western Union railroads, 179 m. W. by S. of Chicago; pop. in 1870. 4,166. The river is here divided by an island 3 m. long, and from 16 m. above to 3 m. below the city are the Upper Rapids. By means of a dam immense water power is obtained, and employed by various manufactories, constantly increasing in number and importance. The principal establishments are two extensive plough factories, a paper mill, a woollen factory, tub and bucket factory, wagoo factories, founderies, machine shops, flouring mills, etc. The surrounding country contains extensive coal fields. The city has graded schools, including a high school, a free public library, two national banks, a savings hank,:i weekly newspaper, and eight churches. It was first settled in 1832.