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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1886)
180 THE WEST SHORE. ANTWERP. ANTWERP in an agreeable surprise to the stranger. It U no sleepy, mediieval cathedral town, living on the traditions of the past and the dollars of dighuv.r, bnt n lire, nineteenth century city. It has felt the electric touch of modern life, and has commenced to vibrate iu harmony with the march of progress. It is a busy city everybody hard at work in store or mart or street New streets, new wharves, new public buildings, are iu progress or recently completed, and the remains of the past are, as in London or Paris, almost buried and completely surrounded by the evi dences of a proejwrous present To understand the cause of this change all that is necessary is to glance awhile at the map of the Nether lands, or rather, what constituted the Netherlands dur ing the reign of William tho first, but is now divided into the two small oountries of Belgium and Holland. By this division, effected in 18110, by tho rebellion of Catholio Belgium, tho former country gained its inde pendence, but lost all seaxrU save Antwerp. The coast of Holland is extensive and bristles with ports at every part, while Belgium has but a few miles of Boa eoaat, unprovided with a singlo harbor. Antwerp, the ancient port of Flanders, is four hours' steaming up the Scheldt, or as tho French call it, tho Escaut, and is only accessible by passing for a considerable distance through the territory of Holland In spite of all this, Antwerp, m a port, has been made to to worth all the Dutch port put together. Tho right to free navigation of tho Es caut was secured, the river was improved, extensive quays were built and oovorod with warehouses, and at tho present time, ocean steamers of the largest size yet built can steam straight up tho river at high tido ami land their passengers and discharge their cargo as they lie alongside the wharves. When it is remembered that at LiverMMtl passengers havo to Ihj oonveyod on board by small steamers, and that it is only on favorablo occa sions that the largest vessels can enter the docks, the advantages of Antwerp are evident Tho quays wero oomtuenoed alxmt 1871 and are now OoinpleUvL They cover a length of two and a quarter niilea, and a width of alxnit three hundred and thirty feet, are in great rt roofed in by continuous rows of open iron sheds, and are supplied with lines of railway from end Ui eml There is no fear of want of water for any ship which has passed tho river's bar, for the river walls frame in a depth of forty-uina foot at low tide. Besides the long line of wharf there are six large basins (including the two old ones) and several smaller ones; also two large lasins not yet finished, tho whole cover ing an area of three hundred and sixty thousand square yard. Nor is this all, as additional basins for the stor age of petroleum, removed from the city, are in process of construction. The basins are, for the most part, at the northern end of the city, and between them is situ ated an extensive depot, containing a network of sixty. if kilometers of railway, provided with hydraulic cranes and lighted by electricity. Behind the wharves lies a large area of ground recovered from the river, and on this many new buildings have been erected, while much is yet a waste. As might be expected, the march of improvement has played havoc with the picturesque, but unhealthy, anciont portion of the city. Only two relics of former times can be found along the river front These are the Porte de l'Escaut and the Steere. The latter is a ruinous castellated structure with a grim history, for it was the seat of the horrible Spanish inquisition the scene of the worst enormities perpetrated under the bloody rule of the Duke of Alva and other Spanish gov ernors. The Porte do l'Escaut is the only one of the ancient gates now existing, and was built in 1624. There is not a square block, scarcely a right angle, in the whole city of Antwerp. If a dozen barrel hoops, broken into short lengths, were placed miscellaneously on the ground, along with a number of very rough pieces of fire-wood, they would make up a plan not un like that of the old part of Antwerp that included be tween the boulevards and the quays. The streets curve, branch out at all sorts of angles, widen into open places, contraot into narrow lanes, and generally conduct them selves in a most uustreet-like manner. Outside the boulovardH, in the far larger space comprehended be tween thorn and the existing ramparts, the streets do not curve and are of considerable width, but they still pre serve their angularity, radiating in all directions from the irregular semi-circle of the boulevards, and enclos ing triangles and trapeziums of varying dimensions. All the streets are well paved. Vainly may a Phila delphiau look for his beloved cobblestones, his cherished brick or sand, his familiar slops and gutters. The nar row roadways and sidowalks of the old part of the city are all paved with what are called in the United States " Belgian blocks," and the broader streets of the newer portions are for the most part similar, though flags are occasional on sidewalks. The streets are much cleaner than those of Philadelphia, for the municipality does its duty, and in no part is the dirt compelled to accumulate. The householders, or at least the women, sweep the dirt into heaps every morning, aud the wagons of the city are on hand at the same time to remove it Many of the streets of the older portion of tho city still preserve thoir ancient appearance. The character istic stepped-gable, topping a narrow and high house of five or more stories is common, though paint and stucco do not permit of the picturesqueness obtainable in brick. The now buildings are, for tho most part, Re naissance in their stylo, with occasionally a touch of Gothic. Let it be understood that when " Renaissance " is hora spoken of, " Queen Anne " is not meant Shin-glo-sided, bristly-roofed, Dolly Varden painted mon strosities in the American manner, which have in the United States of America gained the name of " Queen Anne," are absent The bettor class of modern houses, both here and at Brussels, are of brick with stone dress ing, of substantial appearanoe. There is seldom a