The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-07-27
the population of London

Taking the last census in each country as the
standard of comparison, 1T appears that daring
the ten wears preceding 1861 London added to
itself a new city one half the size of New York,
more than twice the size of Baltimore, nearly
three times the size Of Boston, more than three
times the size of Cincinnati or st. Louis, and
more than four times the size of Chicago. IL the
eight cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Pitts
burg, Newark, Providence Portland, and Mil
waukee had been taken up bodily in 1861, put
on shipboard, conveyed across the Atlantic, and
deposited on the fringe of the skirts of London,
they, with their united populations, would not
have added TO London so much as London quiet
added to itself during the previous decennial
period Every twelve months a new city springs
into being along the globous verge Of London
equal to the city of Cleveland.
Several years ago themetropolis like some fab
ulous Cycops, sprawled out upon its couch of
$4,000 acres but the original city, the venerable
parent of this gigantean monster is still content
with that pigmy bed of 723 acres on which it
has reposed for thousand years. The city,
though so small is still the center of the trading,
financial, and journalistic life of London, and
has, it seems, a day population of 2S3,52O souls,
and night population of only 1887 souls.
Thus, every morning there come rushing into
the city from suburb and rural cottage and eoun.
try villa, to toll and get rich within the narrow
walls of the old city, 49, 1873 persons, while there
are 509611 customers and clients who enter the
city every day to deal with them. What ire
mendous energy, then, must be in the systole
and diastoe of this Cyclopsan heart, whose throb
can suck in and expel every day along its veins
and arteries living stream of 1885 human
beings!
Every morning nearly million of men make
a rush to get into space of seven hundred acres,
and every night they make q rush to get out of
it. No wonder that in addition to streets on the
level of the houses they are compelled to build
streets under the houses and streets over the
houses, and that in few years there must inc
vitality be three continuous cities of London
terrene London, subterrene London and super.
terrene London But the swollen and congested
state of the veins and arteries Of the mighty town
is not the only source of anxiety. What shall
London do for lungs? A meeting assembled
some time ago, under the call of the Lord Mayor,
to consider the peril arising from the disappear
ance of commons and open spaces in the neigh
borhood of the metropolis. The meeting was ad-
dressed by Thomas Hughes and other gentlemen
of note. Mr.. Benjamin Scott, the excellent and
versatile chamberlain of the city, said that in
dealing with the question before the meeting
they should not confne their calculations to g.
100000 inhabitants. He found that in 1851 there
were 3,322,7l7 persons living within an area of
sixteen miles, taking Charing Cross as the CEN
ter. An increase of population had been going
on within that area during the past halfcentury
at the rate of 10 6-lO per cent every ten years.
In fifty years. Mt this rate, the population Of the
area would be S,532,000 souls. What would be
their position fifty years hence if they were al
lowed only the radius at present supposed to be
sufficient? He found that in 1901 the people
were twenty yards from each other in 1851
about fourteen yards, and in 1866 something ov-
er nine yards. If this diminution of space went
ON for fifty years more, they would be more
closely packed than his audience were at that
momentum fact there would be no standing
room for them. r...
We may get some impression of the present
magnitude Of London by looking at few details
of its colossal state. Its houses number more
than $4,000, and its streets if placed in line,
would extend from Liverpool to New York, and
are lighted at night by $3.50, 900 gas lamps, con-
Stunning every twenty-four hours 100000
cubic feet of gas. Of the water supply 44,BS3-
1928 gallons are used per day The travelling
public sustain 5000 cabs, and l 500 omnibuses
besides all the other sorts Of vehicles which hu.
man need can require or human wit invent. Its
year 100000 quarters Of wheat, 100000 bull.
locks, 100000 sheep, $4,000 calves, 30 600 pigs
100000 head Of game, 100000 salmon and
innumerable fish Of other sorts, and consume
43,200,OO0 gallons of beer, 100000 gallons of
spirits, and $4,000 pipes of wine. AS a conse-
quence 2.4OO doctors find constant employment.
London, finally, supports S52 churches which
are presided over by $50 divines of greater or
less NOTES.-The Nation