Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/118

* UABSEILLES. 98 MARSH. Marseilles has few aicliitcctural iiionuiuents, and uo interesting remains of ancient times. U; is an episcopal see and its most prominent buira- ing is the new cathedral, which faces the soulli- ern basin of the new harbor. It is built of Flor- ence green stone in the Byzantine style mixed with Romanesque and classic elements, and is surmounted by live domes. Another church wortli}- of notice is that of otre Dame de la Garde, built (lS5."i-G4) on the hill of that name south of the old harbor. Its belfry, surmounted by a colossal statue of the V'irgin, towers nearly GOO feet above the level of the sea, and alfords a splendid view of the city and the surrounding country. Among secular buildings should be mentioned the Palais de Longchamp. a magnili- eent Kenaissance building containing varioi3 museums, (lie Palais do .Justice, and the Kx- dumge. The educational institutions of the city include a school of medicine and a faculty of sciences, two lycocs {higli schools), one for boys and one for girls, two seminaries, a commercial high school, a school of fine arts, a conservatory of music, an astronomical observatory, botanical and zoological gardens, a biological laboratory, museums of art, archa-ldg^•, and natural history, and a municipal library of 100.000 volumes. Be- sides these there are a luimbcr of scientific and literary societies. The public works of the city are in excellent condition. The water supply is derived from the River Durance through the Canal de Marseille, which delivers water at the rate of 9000 liters per second, .sufficient both for the use of the city and for the irrigation of the surrounding country. An extensive system of drainage works was coni|)lctcd in 1898, by which the sewage is carried miles to sea, leaving the waters of the harbor incontaminated. The prin- cipal industry of Marsoiljes is the manufacture of soap, which gives employment to over 5000 persons in SO factories, whose products amount to 100,000,000 kg. annually, or half the quan- tity pro<luced by the whole of France. Next in impcutance arc sugar refineries, producing 100,- 000 tons annually, oil factories, flnur-mills. tan- neries, lead, tin. and copper plants, petroleum refineries, and the manufacture of candles, maca- roni, and tiles and brick. It also has iron ship- building and naval erpiipmcnt yards. The great development of Marsoilh's, however, is due chiclly to its commerce, which was greatly enhanced by the opening of the Suez Canal. The new harbor, hegtin in 1S44, consists of a series of basins stretching northward from the entrance of the old harbor. . auxiliary harbor has been constructed in the ehainiel between the two islets of Pomf'gue and Ratonneau lying off the promontory smith of the city. Here arc estab- lished the quarantine and the marine liospital. There are altogether 12 miles of quays, accom- modating 2.')00 vessels at one time. In 1902 the Chamber of Commerce voted 91.100.000 francs for building a ship canal between the harbor and the mouth of the Jllionc. and a canal is also projected between the Rhone and the Loire, thus bringing Marseilles into connection with Xorth- ern France. In 1901 the number of ships which entered nn<l cleared was lt'i,4"S with a tonnage of 13,040,S14. of which only ime-half were French. The quantity of merchandise loaded and dis- rharsed amounted in 1902 to .5.703. .5.'i,'? tons, the principal exports being cotton and woolen goods, ribbons, silks, sugar, grain, oil, soap, fruits, wine, candles, and bricks ; the chief imports were cattle, coli'cc, raw cotton and silk, liides, and grain. The trade is chietly with the Mediter- ranean countries. The United States is repre- sented by a consul. The population of ilarseilles in 1901 was 491,- IGl. An idea of the growth of the city may be gained from the following figures: 1789." 100,000; 1851, 195.18.5; 18GG. 300.000 ; 1891,403,749. The increase has been due, at least in late years, wholly to immigration, as the vital statistics show the death-rate to be higher than the birth- rate. There were in 1900 98,835 foreigners, of whom 91,536 were Italians. The districts around the wharves are frecjuentcd by people of all nationalities, and the busy, cosmojiolitan air of the city is in marked contrast with the rest of Provence. Marseilles is popularly supposed to have been founded by Greeks from Phoca'a, in Asia Minor, but archa'ological discoveries have established the fact that a Phoenician eolimy preceded the Greek settlement of about B.C. 600. The (ireek colony, called Massilia, soon supplanted the Phce- nician, and became a llourisliiiig commercial cen- tre, a free city, and the mother city of a number of other Greek colonies. It allied itself with Rome during the Punic wars, at which time it was at the zenith of its power. Its schools were preferred to those of Athens for the education of Roman youths. During the civil wars it took the side of Marius and later of Ponipey. C.Tsar attacked it in B.C. 49 and dejirived it of its pow- ers and privileges, and from that time its de- cadence began, though it still remained for a long time an intellectual centre. In the iliddle .grs it retained to a large degree its inde- pendence. It was finally subject to the counts of Provence, and with I'rovence it was united with the French Crown in 1481. In 16G0 Louis XIV. deprived the city of its privileges. Consult: Boudin, Histoire de Marseille (Paris, 1852) ; Kocirle de statistif/ue de ^[arseiUe (Marseilles, 1837 et seq.) ; 'Teissier, Ilistoire dii commerce de Marseille, ISHa-l.', (Marseilles, 1887). MARSH. Anxe C.i.DVEix (c.l79S-lS74). An English author, born at Lindley Wood. Stall'ord- shiie. She wrote many novels, of which Tuo Old Mrn'.i Tales ( 1S4G). "fimiVm ]yii,,dh<im (184G), and Xontiatt's ISridiie (1S47) are thought to be the best. Most of her works were written anony- mously, and it is not certain how many are rightly attributed to her. Her best work is of delicate conception, but lacks power. Several of the stories have been republished in the United States. MARSH, Georcie Perkins (1801-82). An .Xmi'iican diplomatist and philologist. He was born at Woodstock, 't.; graduated at Dartmouth College in 1820: studied law. and in 1835 was elei'ted to the Supreme Executive Council of the State. From 1843 to 1849 he was a member of Congress, and in the latter year resigned to become Minister Resident at Constantinople. In 1S52 he was charged with a special mission to Greece, and having traveled extensively in Europe returned to the United States in 1S.")4. Between 1857 and 1859 he <crved as railroad commissioner for Vermont, and from 1861 until his death was first United States Minister to the Kingdom of Italy. His publications include: The Camel. [lis Orrinni:ntinn. Unhils. and Uses. Considered jrith Reference to Uis Introduction into the United