The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-13
IN NORW AY'SCAPITAL
A TRAVELLER TELLS OF THE
CHARMS OF. CHRISTfAyIA.
IL In Named After 4 Danish king
Two Hundred and Fifty Years
Axo-why Nerwesians Always
Retain Pleasant Recoiicctions of
the Chief City OF Their Native
LanA-The steady Thrift Of the
People.

The present capital Of Norway was
founded In ls2s by Christian ". Of Den
mark. and named for aim. TINS was nor,
however. the founding OF a new city. rut
rather q removal Of old Oslo, which had
been destroyed b. fire in August OF that
year. The Old city OF Oslo was located
on the EAST side o. that part Of the ha-oor
called B5crV ken. and vas founded about
llea by King Harsld Hardrade al the foot
% Mount Ekeberg
During the middle ages Olso was the seat
OF a bishop 1t rad cathedral, several
ether churches and three converts. In shs
latter part OF the middle ages IL became
the capital or The country. Trondhlem had
been The apital before IL had about 500
inhabitants and a considerable trade. Dur
ing the sixteenth and seventeenth centu-
ries the to@n suffered severity from fires.
and after the great fire IN I6s4 Charles "
moved the entire town over 10 the west
side o, Rjorviken. close TO fort Akershus-
The new city was named Christianta
and surrounded by walls and fortified tions.
As time passed the inhabitants increased.
the space within the rampArts became 100
cramped and after a great fire in ls&.
which destroyed the western part OF the
town. the ramparts ware RACED and room
made FOR the city 10 expand In the begin
ming OF the eighteenth century destruct
i've fire again laid waste part of the place.
In spite of the plaques AMI conAa grations
the city grew and prospered. and toward
the middle of the eighteenth century had
become the center OF a graf lumber trade.
considerable interest had been built up
along The Akers river, whose numerous
falls furnish splendid water power. The
city Is the center OF large railroad SIS
TEN. which has added greatly 10 its pros
per.ty. II has now a population Of f1a.oCo.
fe = Il p-sHt>-
the third city in Scandinavia As the cap
iial and seat OF government. and also as a
university town, II is the center OF the III
tellectual forces OF the country.
Surroundings of the City.
Christiania is superbly located a. the ex-
treme north end of the Christiania ford.
a handsome bay cutting into the country
seventy miles from the open sea. The city
lies in 4 beautiful valley, surrounded by
forest-clad mountains ttjeidel. The beauty
of the location is enhanced by the numer-
Gus villas and country seats on the h!I-
sides and on the shores and inlets OF the
ford, The western part of the city. where
the university and royal palaces are To-
Gated. IS the handsom est part.
As center from which to take our bear
ings IL exploring the city. Carl Johans
gade tstreeD is the most convenient and
best known II is the main thoroughfare
"a tie t3tyt SAASAu-
ing from the royal palace in the west 10
the railroad depot in the east. past the
university and storthng buildings. though
the principal business district and the
liveaest part of the city. The principal
hotels are located here, and the street is
attractive and busy.
The royal palace. located on COM
handing eminence in the western part of
the city. is surrounded by a handsome
park always open 10 the public. except
a small part of which is closed when the
king resides al the palace. From the roof
is a splendid view over the city and ford.
Admission may he had to the interior
every day between and .. m, when
the royal family Is absent
The university. located Just east of the
palace grounds, on the north side Of Carl
Johans gade. was founded In ISL. Up
to that time the University of Copenhagen
had been pafronized In common by both
Danes and Norweeiars. The three prin-
cipal buildings fronting on Carl Johans
gade were erected In ls4l-5l. In front OF
the central building stands Middelthuns
statue OF Schweigaard, unveiled in 1883.
The western building is entirely occu-
pied by the library a very respectable
collection OF ego books. The botanical.
chronological geological and miner3iogical
collections are sIngularly rich and COM
plete for so young university.
From the viking Age.
In the collection of old northern cn-
tiquities tina; part from the later iron age
which is contemporary With the viking
age is especially interesting and the rich
est and most complete In the North. The
celebrated viking ship. found in a burial
mound in Gokstad near Sandefjord in
1881. belongs 10 this period Together with
another and smaller ship OF the same
kind found in a mound at Tune. near
Sarpsborg, IL is 20 be seen in A building
erected back of the central university
building The discovery Of this GokStad
ship is the most important archa Biological
find that has been MAZE In Europe for
many a year, and the ship liz one % the
most interesting objects 10 be seen in the
city.
This remarkable ship. which dates from
about the year go g. n was the tomb
% some old viking whose name ard his
tory are unknown, but from the contents
OF his grave he is Judged 10 have been