Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/566

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

542 SAINT LOUIS and a new exchange are in course of erection (1875). The public squares and parks embrace in the aggregate about 2,000 acres. Missouri park, Hyde park, Gravois park, Jackson place, Carr place, St. Louis place, and Washington square, with from 1^ to 12 acres each, are New Court House. within the settled portion of the city. Lafay- ette park, in the S. portion, contains about 30 acres ; it is handsomely laid out, and sur- rounded by elegant dwellings. The North- ern park, 180 acres, on the bluffs in the N. portion, is noted for its fine trees. Lindell park, 60 acres, on the line of Forest Park boulevard, is tastefully laid out, and filled with native forest trees. Forest park, 1,850 acres, still mostly covered with primitive trees, W. of the centre of the city and about 4 m. from the river, is bounded by wide boule- vards. Lindell boulevard (194 ft. wide) and Forest Park boulevard (150 ft. wide), each about 2 m. long, extend from it toward the heart of the city. The Des Peres river mean- ders through this park. Other public grounds are Carondelet, Laclede, and Benton parks, Ex- change square, and Clinton and Marion places. Tower Grove park, adjoining Shaw's botanical garden, is in the S. W. part of the city, and contains 277 acres. The garden (109 acres) is owned by Henry Shaw, who has opened it to the public, and intends it as a gift to the city. The fair grounds of the St. Louis agricultu- ral and mechanical association, 85 acres, N. W. of the centre of the city, are handsomely laid out and ornamented, and contain exten- sive buildings; the amphitheatre will seat 25,- 000 persons. The handsomest cemeteries are Bellefontaine (350 acres) and Calvary (262 acres), in the N. part of the city, about a mile from the river. On the opposite bank of the Mississippi is East St. Louis, a city of St. Clair co., 111., incorporated in 1865, and containing in 1875 upward of 10,000 inhabitants-. It has a river front of 2 m., numerous manufacto- ries, several railroad Bhops, an elevator, and the extensive na- tional stock yard. It is connected with St. Louis by ferry and by the great bridge, be- fore the completion of which it was the terminus of all the railroads extending east. The bridge is of steel, and rests on four piers. (See BRIDGE, vol. iii., p. 276.) It passes over a viaduct of five arch- es (27 ft. span each) into Washington ave- nue. The lower road- way runs into a tun- nel, 15 ft. wide, 17 ft. high, and 4,800 ft. long, which passes un- der a large portion of the city, termina- ting near llth street, where a great central railroad depot is in course of construction (1875). St. Louis com- municates by river and rail with a vast extent of fertile country. Sixteen lines of railroad centre here, viz.: the Ohio and Mississippi; Chicago, Alton, and St. Louis ; Indianapolis and St. Lonis; Atlantic and Pacific; Missouri Pacific ; St. Louis, Kansas City, and Northern ; St. Louis and Iron Mountain ; St. Louis, Van- dalia, Terre Haute, and Indianapolis ; Rock- ford, Rock Island, and St. Louis ; Belleville and Southern Illinois; Toledo, Wabash, and Western; St. Louis and Southeastern; Illinois and St. Louis ; Missouri, Kansas, and Texas ; Illinois Central ; and Cairo and St. Louis. The arrivals of barges and canal boats in 1874 num- bered 951 ; of steamers, 2,332, viz. : from the upper Mississippi, 1,063 ; lower Mississippi, 752; Illinois river, 269; Missouri river, 104; Ohio river, 113; elsewhere, 31. RECEIPTS OF FREIGHT FOR FOUIl YEARS. rwr YEAR. By nil. By river. ToUl. 1871... 1872. . 1878. . 1374. . 2.29a821 tons. 2.888.864 " 8.245,178 " 8,165,098 " 684.401 tons. 868.819 " 801.055 " 782,765 " 8,182,722 tons. 8,702.288 " 4,046.238 " 8,897,858 " SHIPMENTS OF FREIGHT FOR FOUR YEARS. 1871. . 1>72. . 1878. . 1874. . 959.S82 tons. 1.204,664 " 1.155,416 " 1,118,150 " 776.498 tons. 805.282 " 7^-8.256 " 707,825 " 1,730,880 tons. 2.000,046 " 1,988,672 " 1,825,480 "