Directory_and_Chronicle_1903 — Page 683

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SHANGHAI

for the land, the opposition of the officials has hitherto prevented their construc- tion. Now, however, by the granting of the extension of the Settlements the Muni- cipal Council has the right to build and police roads in certain adjacent districts. At the time the Taipings approached Shanghai some roads for the passage of artillery were made by the British military authorities at the expense of the Chinese Govern- ment, one of them extending for seventeen miles into the country; but, excepting those close to the settlement, they have now been turned into ploughed fields. The foreshore in front of the settlement has been reclaimed, raised, turfed, and planted with shrubs, and forms a delightful and spacious promenade. The trees planted some years ago having now attained a good height, and several more imposing buildings having been completed; the English and French Bunds form as magnificent a boulevard as any in the East.

Many foreign houses, nearly all of them with several mow of garden ground, have been, and more are still being, erected near the outside roads, especially on the Bubbling Well, Sicawei, and Sinza roads, which are the main outlets from the settlement, and from which most of the other roads branch off. These roads are planted with trees on both sides, forming fine avenues of about five miles in length. A small but well laid-out and admirably kept Public Garden was formed about 1868 on land recovered from the river in front of the British Consulate. It has been considerably extended in area by reclaiming the foreshore. A general Public Garden, intended for Chinese, eight mor in extent, by the bank of the Soochow Creek, was opened in December, 1890. There is a public conservatory well stocked with flowers and ferns. A Park measuring 364 by 216 feet is laid out in Hongkew. The Public Recreation Ground has also been thoroughly drained, turfed and laid-out, in spaces not devoted to sport, with flower beds. These arc all under the care of a public gardener, secured from Kew Gardens, in 1899.

Immense suns have been wasted in various attempts to drain the settlements, principally from the want of skilled direction; but the great difficulties in this matter, arising from the low lying and level nature of the ground, have now been fairly overcome, though very much work of this nature will have to be undertaken in the recently acquired area. The settlements are well provided with telephonic fire alarms. The desire of the Municipal Councils to keep the monopoly in their own hands retarded for many years the inauguration of water works, but a public company is now established, which furnishes a continuous supply of filtered water at moderate rates. A separate system of waterworks for the French Concession is being inaugurated, and Chinese waterworks, to supply the native city, were completed in September, 1899. The electric light was introduced in 1882. and are lamps are erected on all the principal thoroughfares and wharves. In 1893 the Municipality purchased the property and business of the Electric Company, but the administra tion of the Electric Light Department has not given entire satisfaction and in 1899 the Municipal Council advertised for tenders for the purchase of its plant and the introduction of a private service. The French Municipality has an excellent electric light service and the native Bund is lighted by a Chinese Electric Light Company.

Shanghai can boast of several fine buildings of various and varied styles of architecture. Trinity Cathedral, erected from a design by Sir Gilbert Scott, is said to be one of the finest specimens of modern ecclesiastical architecture to be found out of Europe. The foundation stone was laid on 16th May, 1866, and the church was opened for public worship on 1st August, 1869. It is Gothic of the thirteenth century. 152 feet long, 585 feet wide, and 54 feet from the floor to the apex of the nave. The structure was not completed, however, until 1892, when the spire was erected, the cross being placed on the top on the 4th October of that year. It attains a total height of 160 feet, and, like the body of the edifice, is built of red brick, with stone dressings. The foundation of the spire was laid by the Bishop of Mid-China on the 19th August, 1891. There is a fine Roman Catholic Church in the French Concession called St. Joseph's, built in 1862, and another in Hongkew known as the Church of the Sacred Heart. There are also the Union Church on the Soochow Creek, a handsome church with spire and bells in Yunnan Road belonging to the American Methodist Episcopal Mission, a chapel belonging to the London Mission, and one to the American Episcopalians, and a very pretty and prettily situated Seamen's Church at Pootung (latterly disused except for the purposes of a mortuary), besides several mission chapels for natives. The Jesuit Fathers have an extensive mission establishment and orphanages at Sicawei, where a mission has existed for over a hundred years. The present church was built in 1851. To this mission is attached a museum of natural history, etc., and an astronomical