Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 897

SHANGHAI

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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, and a further extension of five and a half mow by diverting the Soochow Creek was completed in 1905. A general Public Garden, intended for Chinese, eight mow in extent, by the bank of the Soochow Creek, was opened in December, 1890. A Park measuring 364 ft. by 216 ft. 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.

Immense sums 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 has still 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 waterworks, but a public company is now established, which furnishes a continuous supply of filtered water at moderate rates, and so successful has it been that the capital has now been doubled. A separate system of waterworks for the French Concession has been 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 thorough- fares and wharves. In 1893 the Municipality purchased the property and business of the Electric Company, but the administration of the Electric Light Department has not given entire satisfaction. 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 tine buildings of various and varied styles of architecture. The first English church, built in 1817, did not long exist, for in 1850 the roof fell in. It was, however, patchel up, and continued in use till 1862, when it gave way to a building professedly only temporary. On the 16th May, 1866, accordingly the foundation stone was laid of a new building which was opened for public worship in August, 1869. Although at the time considereil extravagantly large, the congregation has already outgrown the accommodation. It possesses a fine organ, and a full and highly-trained choir. It is Gothic of the thirteenth century, according to the practice of the day, 152 feet long, 583 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 169 feet and, like the body of the edifice, is built of red brick, with stone dressings. There is a 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 church with spire and bells in Yunnan Road, belonging to the American Methodist Episcopal Mission, a chapel belonging to the London Mission, and two to the American Episcopalians, and recently erected in the Broadway, Hongkew, the church of St. Andrew, which besides serving as a Seamen's church, acts also as a chapel of ease to the Anglican Cathedral, 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 and meteorological observatory. In connection with the latter there is a time-ball on the French Bund, and the Fathers hope to introduce Marconi's system of wireless telegraphy between Sicawei, Shanghai, and Woosung for signalling purposes. Under the direction of this institution, a complete system of meteorological observations, embracing the whole of the China Seas, is carried out. The Shanghai Club occupies a large and elaborate building at one end of the English Bund. It cost £42,00, and at that is said to have ruined three contractors. It was opened in 1864 and has passed through a varied and peculiar history. It has long been found too small for its membership, and the erection of a new Club House on the same site has been decided on. On the 22nd October, 1904, by Prince Adelbert of Prussia, was laid the foundation of a new German Club to replace the old Club Concórdia. The new building is a large edifice, with some pretension to architectural display in German Renaissance style. The present buildings of the British Consulate and Supreme Court, at the other end of the Bund, were opened in 1873. Near to them is a fine Masonic Hall recently partially rebuilt. Amongst the other conspicuous buildings may be mentioned those occupied