Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/476

 444 AMSTERDAM Each is about 2 miles long and 220 feet broad. As with other streets, through the centre of each of these runs a canal. The principal shops of Amsterdam are in the Kalver straat, the Nieuwedijk, and the Warmoes straat. The bulk of the Jews live in true Ghetto style in the poorer grachten, or water streets, which are lively, particularly in the evening, but over- crowded and dirty. The houses of Amsterdam are built of brick, four, five, and six stories high, standing with their gables to the street ; they are mostly entered by flights of steps in front, and are surmounted by forked chimney stacks. Many of the poorer people live in basements or cellars. Others live constantly upon the water, in apartments built upon the upper decks of their trading vessels. The most magnificent public edifice is the palace, formerly the city hall. It is built of stone, was begun in 1648, and completed in 1655 ; rests upon 13,659 piles, driven 70 ft. into the ground ; and is celebrated for its great hall or ball room, which is 111 ft. long, 52 ft. wide, and 90 ft. high, lined through- out with white Italian marble, and for its magnificent chime of bells, playing automati- cally every hour. The next most remarkable building is the Nieuwe Kerk (new church), lighted by 75 windows, many of which are beautifully painted. It contains the tomb of Admiral de Kuyter. The judiciary hall, opened in 1836, is among the finest struc- tures in the .city. Other buildings are the new town hall and the new exchange, founded in 1845 ; the arsenal, built on the island of Kattenburg ; and the Oude Kerk (old church), founded in the 14th century, which con- tains the tombs of many of the Dutch admi- rals, and an organ said to be second only The Palace of Amsterdam. to that of Haarlem. Among the more recent fine public buildings is the palace of industry, established in 1864. Churches are numerous. The Calvinists have 10, the Catholics 16, and the evangelical Lutherans 2, one of which with surroundings is represented in our engraving. Various other denominations have several churches. Amsterdam has a great number of excellent charitable institutions, there being upward of 40 under the charge of particular denominations, and others belonging to the city. There are also various excellent educa- tional institutions, some denominational in their character, others general. The Athenw- um niwtre has professorships of art, law, medicine, and theology, a school of anatomy, a botanic garden, and a free library. The city Latin school is a fine institution. There are besides medical and theological schools. The royal academy of fine arts was founded in 1820. There is a music school, a naval school, a royal Dutch institution for science, literature, and fine arts, and another private scientific and artistic association, called Felix Meritis, which is patronized with great liberality, has 400 members, and is in a very flourishing condi- tion. Finally, there is a museum of pictures, founded in 1798, containing a very large col- lection of the works of Dutch masters, and a remarkable collection of prints, contained in upward of 200 portfolios. The city is governed by a senate or council elected by the people, and a burgomaster appointed by the king. Amster- dam is more noted as a trading than as a manu- facturing town, though it has numerous manu- factories of tobacco, soap, oil, cordage, canvas, steam engines and machinery, &c. There are also refineries of sugar and salt, glass works, brew-