Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-18

from the sea at a point where the river is
deep enough and wide enough to float the
shipping of all the world. The Elbe here
is, for five miles, a vast series OF docks,
anchorages and landing places, ana IN IL
are ships from every continent and every
sea From the Baltic. Russia and Scan
dinavia on the north. from South Amer
lea from Australia and from South Africa,
from the Mediterranean, China and the
Islands Of the Pacific the vessels come by
the hundreds to this great trading center
An American Gateway.
Hamburg has more commerce than any
other city on the European continent, and
It is tramping on the heels of London,
Liverpool and New York. 1t had last year
eleven thousand ships from European ports,
and from across the Atlantic came feet
of sixteen hundred and twelve with ton
mage of more than three and one-half mil
lions, mostly goods from the United states.
Hamburg In fact. is the chief northern
gateway of the American invasion, and
through 1t passes not only the enormous
amount of goods We send Germany, out
large part of those for Austria. SWitzer-
land and Russia. The goods are landed
here in the free port, and thence trans
shipped to all parts of northern Europe.
Most of our large exporters Including
those selling meat ard fruits, and especial
" American machinery. have houses here.
AT the same time large business is done IN
retailing American goods. stop In big
hotel on the Rinnen Alster, a beautiful lake,
in the busiest part of the city. There IS
new American shoe store next door, ana
our goods are sold all around me. l see
neckties in the clothing shops sold under
The name of Prince Heinrich neckties. They
have the American flag on them and are
loud enough to suit the gaudiest German.
American hats are the fashion here ana
they cost more than at home American
canned fruits. meats and vegetables are TO
be seen in all the groceries, and the Ameri-
ifer md
IN most of the Offices
Modern Hamburg.
TIE Hamburg of today is a new city. IT
grows faster than any port In Europe. II
was founded more than a thousand years
ago, but the greater part of 1t looks as
though II were put up yesterday. and 1T is
only in places that you can realize that 1t
was one of the great cities of the middle
ages. Still it was begun by Charlemagne
800 4. D., and il was for years one of the
chief towns of the Hanseauc League. II
has now about a million inhabitants and is
rich beyond computation. 1t is putting up
many new buildings. The new Rathaus is
q magnificent structure, the new stock eX-
change is one of the best of all Europe.
and some of the hotels the Alster are
better than any in Berlin.
Hamburg is a beautiful city Lying on
the wide and deep Elbe ii Is cut UP by
canals. and in its older parts ii is as pic
turesquc Venice. The canals are walled
with warehouses of five and six stories. and
caravans of boats are continually loading
and unloading within them. Each building
has iron cranes reaching out over the
water and the goods are raised and lowered
by pulleys. The canals are connected with
the greater canals outside. so that freight
thus transferred can he sent from here to
Berlin. or by the Elbe and other canals
down to the great system of the Rhine.
The Free Port.
The city claims that great part of its
prosperity comes from it's free port This
is a section which is covered with enormous
warehouses where goods can be stored
without paying duty and later on be
shipped in bond to any part of the
world If they go>to Germany they must
pay duty on leaving the free harbor, but
II elsewhere they are not taxed except ir
the country of their landing.
1 have spent several days in this tree
harbor section during my stay here. Il
lies right on the river. 1t comprises about
twenty-five hundred acres of land ant
water bounded by floating palisades in Tie
Elbe and by the customs canal on the sid,
of the city. The port contains almost eigh
teen hundred acres of land. and this spac'
Is covered with vast warehouses of rec
brick, which look more like our fats thar
anything else The land is cut up by canal.
80 that ships can come right TO the vale
houses There is customs canal separa
ing this harbor from the remainder o
Hamburg and this is crossed by man.
bridges at each of which customs
officer stands to examine what is brough
out. I was even questioned as to my cam
era. but was not made to pay duty, as
could prove that had taken it in shor
time before.
/ went through some of the warehouses
They are packed with all kinds of good
awaiting shipment. In one / found coffe
from Porto Rico and Brazil, being sorted b,