Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-12-20
NOTES OF TRAVEL. NO. 2.

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NOTES OF TRAVEL: NO. 2.
Through Mont Cents Tunnel-Geneva
and Some of Its Most striking Feat
ures and SurroundtnSs-A Bit OF Its |
Ancient History-Its Fortihcations,
Colleges, Quays, Bridges, Churches
and Schools-Its Watch Factories |
Its Lovely Appearance when
Viewed From the Lake.
GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 20, 1892
Myself, niece and friend left Genoa in the |
evening at O'Clock from the stszlone Oc- |
cidentale of the Paris, Lyon and Suisse
railroad for Geneva, passing through the
celebrated Mont Gents tunnel, u miles
long. It takes thirty minutes to pass
through. The southeastsrly eide, by which
we entered the tunnel, is 4,160 feet above
the sea level and 4,245 feet below the top
surface of the mountain. 1t took two en-
gines to draw the train to the entrance of
the tunnel. The frst-class cars only were
lighted by gas. They correspond to our
second class cars. The third class are very
poor and are used by natives of the poorer
class. The tunnel was constructed under
the supervision of three eminent engineers
-Sommeiller, Grandis and Gratoni-at
cost of SIS, 000, GOO, and taking 5000 men
nine years to construct the same.
At the French frontier our trunks were
examined for contraband goods and again
at the Swiss, arriving at Geneva at O'Clock
the next morning.
Geneva is the capital of the smallest of
the Swiss oantons, it being the twenty
second, and has population of "a, 900. the
total of the canton being 10000, but the
city is the largest and richest of any city
in Switzerland. It lies on the south end
of Lake Leman, at the confluence of the
rivers Rhone and Arve, the blue waters of
the one and the gray of the other flowing
side by side for some hundreds of yards
without mixing. The Rhone divides the
town into two parts. On the left bank lies
the old town, the seat of government; on
the right the quarter st. Gervais, formerly
q suburb.
The guide informed us that Geneva made
its first appearance in the first century
before Christ. According to manuscript
found in the old castle of Chillon 400 years
ago it was built by Lemenus, a son of
Paris, who settled there after the fall of
Troy; hence the name of Leman which the
lake now bears, and Geneva from genievre
or juniper bushes, which covered the hill
upon which the city now stands. julius
Caesar mentions 1t as a populous and we'll
fortified place in his commentaries written
in the century preceding the Christian era.
1t was here that the great Roman emperor
fought his first battle with the Helvetii.
From this time, BIC. 5S, for six centuries
Geneva WAS under Roman protection, and
introduced many of the civil, religious
and military institutions of the empire,
traces of which, it Is said, remain to the
present day. After the overthrow of the
Roman empire it fell into the hands of the
Bureundians and French alternately, till
the thirteenth century. It then fell into
the hands of the dukes of Savoy, who held
possession until about 1886. When the
reformation dawned, the spiritual and tenn
poral power of the lord bishop being abol-
ished, the doctrines of the reformed
Fsvel, who found zeslous champion in
the famous theologlan, Jean Caulvin or
Calvin, born at Noyan in Piokardy, 1909,
who came to Geneva in 1886 and died there
| in 1864. Calvin's rhetorical powers were
of high order. In 1869 he founded the
| Geneva academy, which soon became the
| leading Protestant school of theology.
| The old Notifications which used to sur
round the city were mostly removed in
| 1850, those still remaining being used some
| by fruit vendors, others as livery stables
Il
| roads and boulevards extend in all direc-
lions beyond these Notifications and are
built upon with fine buildings and hotels,
especially those where view of the lake
can be obtained.
There are several fine colleges in Geneva,
the University and Academy being among
the best. There are also ffty-six infant
schools in the canton, frequented by 5000
children between the ages of three and six,
| not to work or be taught in the ordinary
acceptation of the term, but to be amused
intellectually, thereby laying the founda-
ton of future education. Primary in
struction is given gratis, and is composed
of six degrees, obligatory upon all chill
dren between the ages of six and thirteen
years. To this are attached evening schools
for the purpose of keeping up the in.
struction already acquired. Secondary in.
| struction is also given gratis in several pub
lie establishments. There are also a large
number of day and private schools in the
city in which every branch of learning il
taught.
Geneva is celebrated for its fine watch
manufactures, there being q school OF
Matchmaking, called Eoole municipals
d'horlogerie, fine large building on the
street Rue Necker, where large number
of pupils are taught. The city has also 6
museum in the same building called
Museum des Arts, decoratifs, where arc
shown works of national industry, such al
watch, clock and enamsled work, for which
the city is noted. Musical and optical and
many other instruments are also exhibited
The silver plate presented by the United
States and England to Stampffti, the presid
emit of the arbitration commission in the
Alabama award, is also among the col
lection.
The city presents a lovely appearance
when reviewed from the lake. The gray
mass of the old town overlooked by the
towers of st. Peters, breaks the outline
between the hills and sky. The more
modern town has an animated appearance
with its quays lined with white marble
buildings, among which are fine large hotels
and beautiful stores, that vie with our large
stores, in their display of fine goods.
Upon the neighboring slopes many beauti
full mansions and villas riee In the midst
of verdure to crown the picture. On the
one side rises the sombre crests of the
Jura mountains, and On the other the Sa
voy Alps, with the snowy submits OF
Mont Blanc in the distance.
There are eight bridges connecting the
two sides of the town, the finest of which
Is situated on the river at its outlet from
the lake-the Pont du Mont Blanche
continuation of the street of the same
name terminating st the railroad station.
At little distance below is the Pont des
Bergues bridge. Between the two, oon-
neoted by q eauseway with the Pont DIES
Bergues bridge, on small island planted
with trees, stands statue in bronEs OF
Jean jacques Rousseau. All along the
banks Of the Rhone and lake are fine uays
lined with elegant buildings, while beyond
the town the qusys are boulevards lined
with trees, fashionable promenade.
There are many fine churches, among
which is the cathedral of st. Peters, Pro-
testant.
| According to tradition 1t ia built on the
site of the temple of Apollo, and is the
third church of the name that has stood
there since the sixth century. The present
edi6ce dates back to the tenth century and
was completed by the Emperor Conrad II,
in the Romanesqus style, altered In the
thirteenth century, also in the eighteenth,
by a Corinthian portico supporting dome
copied from the Pantheon at Rome. St.
Peters is built In the shape of cross and
has three naves and towers. The stalls
and sounding board of the pulpit are fine
specimens Of carving. One seat In the
| rrlr,ik ia 1ooipfa6 fut ha1opotno 70 HaJ