Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-04-03
GROWTH OF GREAT CITIES
ADVANCE OF POPULATION DURING
THE CENTURY.
More Large cities Now than Ever he
tore in the Worlds sistOry-SOme
Specimens OF Increase.

Notwithstanding the circumstantial
accounts that have been handed down
from past ages in regard to the enormous
size and large population of the great
cities OF antiquity, there need not be
any hesitation in asserting that there
were never before so many large. cities in
the world as there are at present. If
Rome in the time of Emperor Claudius
had, as is alleged, nearly seven millions
OF inhabitants, it is remarkable that for
more than thousand years after the fall
of that great city there was no city in
Europe with so many as one million pco-
pie. Indeed, at the beginning OF the
present century there was no city in Eu-
rope with that number of inhabitants,
the most populous being London with
500, 900 persons. There are now five
European cities with upward of a million
inhabitants, the first two of which con-
tain in the aggregate 1000, 900 persons.
In America, at the beginning of the
century, there were no cities that would
now be regarded as more than fourth
class tows; the population of New York
was about $1,000. At the last census
there were twenty six cities in the United
London stands easily at the head of
all modern cities, yet it has added five
times as much to its population during
the present century as it did during the
previous thousand years. There is a
difficulty about stating the exact popu-
lation of London, because England's me-
tropolis is not a city in the ordinary
sense, but an aggregation of towns, an
ever spreading, overgrown aggregate of
houses and streets, which is constant
ly invading new territory and covering
it with buildings. Thus the old city of
London had at the last census but So
500 inhabitants. London, within the
registrar generals tables of mortality
had 8, 1914, 571 people; the London school
board district had 1882, All people,
while the London Of the metropolitan
and city police districts had 4,764, 312
fnhabitants, nearly as many as the whole
State of New York. The latter figure
may be taken as the proper population
bf London, regarded as a community
dts increase during the previous ten
years was $4,000, or at the rate of
twenty-three per cent.
Paris, once we'll abreast of London in
population, now takes second place, and
will have to go down to third before many
decades. Its population at the last cen
sus was 1899, 900, it having increased
about 1000 during the previous
twenty years. Its rate of increase is
therefore comparatively slow, and, as
the population of France is nearly sta
tionary, it must necessarily be slow in
the future.
New York is now the third of the
great cities of the world, leaving out of
consideration the cities of, China, of
whose population there is no reliable
enumeration. The position of New Y orll
as the mart of vast continent is un'
equaled, but the narrowness of Manhat-
tan Island and the inferior facilities for
rapid transit prior to the era of elevated
railways have been against it. It's popu-
lation of 1906, 900 at the last census
next census, and to 1000, 900 at the sue
ceeding one. If the population of New
York was reckoned on the same basis as
that of London it would take in Brook
lyn, Jersey City and number of small
adjacent towns, with united population
at the last census of 1880, 900. The ag.
gregated community thus indicated is
growing at the rate of thirty per cent
every ten years, so that the total popula.
ton gathered here at the next census
will be nearly 5000, 900, and at the fol
lowing census nearly 100000. The
population of Brooklyn is increasing
more rapidly than-that of New York, its
increase being at the rate of fifty pei
cent. between 1860 and 1870, and forty
three per cent between 1870 and 1880
against seventeen and twenty eight pei
cent. for the same decades for New
York.
Following New York the great cite
OF the world that have population O
more than one million are Berlin, 1, 1872,
900; Vienna, 1903, 600, and CONSTANT
nople, 1,075,000. The capital of Russi;
has only $4,000, and the other Euro
pean capitals, not already mentioned
will fall much below that figure. NJ
doubt St. Petersburg will, before thu
next census, have passed the one million
limit and become entitled to rank as one
of the great cities of the world.
Of cities which rank but second il
their respective countries the greatest i
Philadelphia, with its 947, 900 inhabi
tants at the last census, and which will
probably reach 100000 at the mex
enumeration. The United States vii
then be the only country in the worl(
with two cities of more than a million
inhabitants, and by the succeeding cen
sus Brooklyn will be added to the list tx
form third, and Chicago also probabl,
to form q fourth. BY that time, how
ever, Moscow will have passed the on
million limit and also Glasgow and posi-
bly, Liverpool.
At the last census there were in Grea
Britain and Ireland twenty-seven cite
and towns with upward of 100, 900 inhab
1tants, an increase of seven over tn
number at the previous census. In tn
United States there were at the last cen
sus eighteen cities and towns with up
ward of 100, 900 inhabitants an increas
of four over the previous census. N
other country in Europe mad s.
many cities of that size as W
can show; Germany had fourteen
France ten, Austria Hungary five, ant
Russia nine, British India has eightee
cities with 100, 900 inhabitants and up
ward. 1t is certainly remarkable tina
this young republic should be in ad
vance of such countries as France
Germany and Austria, with respect t.
large cities and so close upon the heel
of England, which, however, still re
tains good lead and some of who's
younger towns are extremely vigorou
in their growth. There are three @
four cities which may be expected t
reach 100, 900 by the next census, an
probably the same number in this cour