Which is about nine miles in extent, over splendid macadamized roads,
through a section of country, in the suburbs, devoted to gardening, and
under a high state of cultivation. The entire island, about thirty miles
long by ten wide, is noted for its fertility, and is called the Garden
of Canada. The trip should also include a drive to the summit of the
mountain, which is reached by a carriage road of easy ascent, and which
is being converted into a magnificent park, from which an extensive view
of the city and surrounding country can be obtained. The Mount Royal
Cemetery, the Grey Nunnery, and the Hotel Dieu are also to be seen in
this drive, the latter being the largest building in the Dominion, used
for a convent, hospital, and asylum for poor children.
The Water Works, the reservoir of which is on the side of the mountain,
with the pumping station on the banks of the St. Lawrence, above the
city, are well worthy of a visit. The reservoir was excavated out of the
solid rock, and is 206 feet above the level of the river. The cost of
the works, with the machinery, was over $2,000,000. The immense pressure
obtained from such an elevated reservoir, enables the fire department to
dispense entirely with engines, using hose carriages, and a large
conflagration in the city is almost an impossibility.
The public buildings of the city are substantial and elegant, many of
them conspicuous for their superior architectural design, and the
completeness of their appointments. The Court House, Post Office,
Merchants’ Exchange, several bank buildings, the Custom House, McGill
College, Bonsecours Market, and a list that might be indefinitely
extended, comprise the notable structures that will attract attention as
you ride through the business thoroughfares of the city.
[Illustration: MONTREAL, FROM MOUNT ROYAL PARK.]
The churches are among the finest to be found in America. Notre Dame,
with its twin towers, conspicuous from every point of view, is the most
capacious of any of the finished structures, although the Cathedral, now
in process of erection, and modeled after St. Peter’s at Rome, is to
be second only to this famous edifice in point of size and elegance. The
towers are massive and lofty, being 220 feet in height. The right-hand
tower may be ascended, and the view to be had well rewards the effort of
climbing. It contains the big bell, weighing nearly 30,000 pounds. The
other tower contains a chime of bells. The Church of the Gesu is noted
for the beauty of its frescoes and paintings. The English Cathedral, and
several Protestant churches, are also fine edifices.
Lachine Canal, leading from above the rapids of that name, is a fine
specimen of engineering, and not only serves to facilitate navigation,
but furnishes almost unlimited water power for the extensive
manufacturing enterprises along its banks.
Victoria Bridge, which crosses the river from the Southern shore, is a
massive and costly structure. One of the best views of it is that to be
had in coming down the river, the boat passing under the central span.
It is tubular in shape, built of iron, and rests upon twenty-four piers
of solid masonry, the central span being 330 feet, and the remaining
ones 242 feet. It cost $6,300,000, is the property of the Grand Trunk
Railway Company, and is used exclusively for railway purposes.
The shipping interests of Montreal are among the most important sources
of the city’s prosperity. At the head of ocean navigation, it is the
American terminus of a number of trans-Atlantic steamship lines, and the
railway and river and lake connections from the West, combined with its
facilities for ocean commerce, render it very prominent as a port for
transhipment. Its wharves are not excelled in America, being constructed
of solid limestone; and its harbor is deep and capacious.
The Champ de Mars, a spacious parade ground, where three thousand troops
may be reviewed at once; Viger Square, near by, with gardens,
conservatories, fountains, etc.; Victoria Square, Jacques Cartier
Square, and several other smaller squares, constitute the parks of the
city, in addition to the Mount Royal Park. Improve his time as he may,
the visitor will not soon exhaust the attractions of this beautiful
city, and will find many more, which we have not space even to mention,
as we regretfully leave the pleasant spot, and resume our journey, to
the