Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-12
BOMBAY'S BUILDINGS
The City Justly Proud Of Her
Public Structures.
FRONT ON THE BAY
LOOK OUT ON A BROAD, SHADED
BOULEVARD.
Notable Edifces Presented by Residents
Wilson College Memorial of
Great Scotch Missionary.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald
BOMBAY, January 13, 1904
Bombay is justly proud of her public
buildings Few cities have such splendid
array. None that have ever visited except
Vienna can show an assemblage so lmpos-
Ing. with such harmony and artistic uni
formity combined with convenience Of 10
cation, taste of arrangement and general
architectural effect There is nothing, OF
course, in Bombay that will compare with
our Capitol Library at Washington, ana
it's state and municipal buildings cannot
compete individually with the parliament
house in London. the Hotel de Vile de Paris
or the Palace of Justice in Brussels, or
many others 1 might name. But neither
Washington nor London, nor Paris, nor any
other European or American city possesses
such broad, shaded boulevard as Bombay.
with the Indian ocean upon one side ana
on the other, stretching for a mile or more,
a succession of stately edfices. Vienna
has the boulevard and the buildings, Dul
lacks the water effect. 1t Is as !! al inc
buildings of the Chicago University We're
scattered along the lake front IN Shhc"so
from the river to 18th street.
The Bombay buildings are mixture Oh
Hindu, Gothic and Saracenic architecture,
blended with great taste ana success anu
the center 10 cToWD tft Sioup A4'7e' 80
stately clock tower of beautiful proper IONS
All of these buildings have been erec ted
during the last thirty years, the most Vi
them with public money. many by private
munificence. The material Is chleny green
and gray stone. Each mas ample approaches
from all directions, which contribute TO the
general effect. and is surrounded by large
grounds, that it can tie seen 10 tuil az
vantage from any point OF view groves VI
full-grown trees furnish a noble back
ground and wide lawns stretch before ana
between. There is parking along the shore
of the bay, then a broad drive, with TWO
sidewalks. track for bicycles and so1t
path for equestrians, all overhung with faf-
stretching boughs of immense and ancient
trees, which furnish a grateful shade
against the sun and add to the beauty OF
the landscape.
do not know Of any such driveway else
where and it extends for several miles,
starting from an extensive common or pa
rade ground, which is given up TO games
and sports. Poor people are allowed TO
camp there in tents In hot weather. ior
there. if anywhere, they can keep cool be-
cause the peninsula upon which BOMBAY
stands is narrow at this point. and II
breeze is blowing from any direction they
get it.
At intervals the boulevard Is intersected
by small wel-kept parks with band STANDS,
and is broken by walks, drives, peds OF HOW
ers. foliage, plants and other landscape
decorations; and this i'll the midst OF
great city.
The Buildings on the Bay.
On the inside of the boulevard, and fol-
lowing the contour of the shore of the bay
is the line of buildings of which have toio
you-first, Eiphinstone College, then the
Secretariat, which is the headquarters OIL
the government, and contains several state
apartments of noble proportions ana cosly
decorations The building is 443 feet long
with a tower 10 feet high. Next 1t are the
buildings of the University OF bombay
library with a tower 80 feet nigh, con-
vocation hall of beautiful design ana pro-
portions and other buildings. Then comes
the Courts of Justice-an immense structure,
nearly 600 feet long, with tower 10 feet
high which resembles the Law Courts OF
London, and is as appropriate as 1t Is I'M
posing The department OF pubic WORKS
has the next building; then come the post
office department, the telegraph department
the state archives building and patent office
In order. The town hall contains several
fine rooms and important historic pictures
The mint is close to the town hall, and next
beyond it are the offices of the port trust
which would correspond to our narbor COM
missjonerS Then follow in order the Holy
Trinity Church, the high school, st. Xavier's
College the Money Institute, Wilson Col
lege, long rows of barracks. officers quar-
tiers and clubs, the Sailors Home, several
hospitals, a school of art and Elphinstone
High School, which is 452 by $40 feet in
size, and one of the most palatial educa-
tional institutions l have ever seen, the
splendid group eliminating In the Victoria
railway station which is the finest in the
world, and almost as large as we have In
the United States
1t is q vast building of italian Gothic
with oriental towers and pinnacles, elabo-
rately decorated with sculpture and cary
Ing and large central dome surmounted
by a huge bronze figure of Progress. The
architect was Mr.. Il. W. Stevens, Bombay
engineer il was finished in 1888, at a cost
nf nd ~ no
tiles, the ornamental iron and brass rail-
ngs the grills for the ticket offices, the res
taurant and refreshment rooms, the balus-
trades for the grand staircases, are all the
work of students of the Bombay School of
of Art, which gives 1t additional interest
/ suppose the new station Mr.. Durham Is
building in Washington. the proposed union
station in Chicago and the new big terminal
in New York will surpass it in size, but it
is scarcely possible to exceed 1t in beauty.
although critics have commended that the
architecture is too ornate for the purpose
for which 1t is used.
Wilson College. one of the most impos-
ing Of the long line of buildings, is me-
mortal TO a great Scotch missionary who
lived strenuous and useful life and i'm
pressed his principles and his character
upon the people of India in a remarkable
manner. He famous for his common
sense and accurate judgment, and till the
end of his days retained the respect and
confidence of every class of the commu-
nifty, from the viceroy and the council of
state to the coolies that sweep the streets.
All of them knew and loved DIR. Wilson,
and although he never ceased to preach the
gospel of Christ, his Master, with the
energy, zeal and plain-speaking that is
characteristic of Scotchmen, the Hindus,
Mohammedans Parsees jams, Jews and
every other sect admired and encouraged
him as much as those of his own faith.
Presented by Residents.
AS / have already suggested, one-fourth
of all the buildings were presented to the
city by rich and patriotic residents. most
Of them Parsees and Hindus. The Sailors
Home was the gift of the Maharajah of
Baroda; University Hall was founded by
Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Readymoney. who
also built Elphinstone College. He placed
the great fountain in front of the cathedral
and. although a Parsee, built the spire on
the Church of st. John the Evangelist.
Mr.. Dharmsala, another Parsee, built the
Ophthalmis Hospital and the European
Strangers Home. and put drinking foun-
tains about the town. David Sassoon, a
Persian, founded the Mechanics Institute
and his brother, Sir Albert Sassoon, built
the tower of the Elphinstone High School.
Mr. Premchand Raichand built the uni
versity library and clock tower In memory
of his mother. Sir Jamsetji Jijibhai gave
/