The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-01

~ T is but little over a year ago, at
the time when King Edward lay
in state in Westminster hall, that
thousands of Londoners made
their first acquaintance with the
riverside district which lies between
Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges. No
one who witnessed the wonderful spec
tacle presented by the vast crowds
that thronged Grosvenor road, Mill
bank street and Abingdon street in
their patient pilgrimage can ever for
get it. Joining the multitude at or
even beyond Vauxhall bridge, those
who walked, step by step, felt that
when at last they reached Lambeth
bridge the goal was almost in sight,
for just beyond the great Victoria
tower was the royal death chamber.
Few paused to notice the rather squal-
i'd appearance of the approach by Mill
bank street to the houses of parlia-
ment and old palace yard as compared
with the splendor of the opposite ap-
proach along the spacious ways of
Whitehall and the embankment, and
few knew much of the proposed
scheme destined to transform this
part of London and make 1t worthy
of the imperial center of the metrop-
oils.
In the old days the river banks here
on both sides were lonely marshlApd;
where Lambeth bridge now spans the
stream there was an ancient horse
ferry. (Horseferry road preserves it's
name), the revenues of which be-
longed to the archbishops of Canter-
bury, whose palace of Lambeth lies
opposite, on the Surrey side. Just out
side the southern wall of the abbey
precincts there arose in later times
little suburb much favored by the gen.
try OF the days of Anne and the
Georges. College street, Cowley street
and Barton street still show the
quaint, dignified facades of these
charming specimens of eighteenth CEN
tury domestic architecture. Here in
1716, in Smith square, was built the
singular church OF st. John, with its
four belfry towers, which was ad-
mired and abused more, perhaps, than
any church In London; some likened
1t to "a parlor-table upset with its legs
In the air, a chef d'oeuvre of the ab-
surdity OF its architect, Thomas Arch
err; others spoke of 1t as an orna-
ment to the city of Westminster, and
regretted that vista had not been
opened up from old palace yard to
show it's beauty. Nowadays, perhaps,
we are better able to appreciate it's
merits, the originality of its design
| tr4 tNstan nftA
Johns church is the central feature
of the Millbank improvement scheme
now being carried out at immense
cost by the London county council.
This great scheme, known as the
Thames Embankment Extension and
| Westminster Improvements at Mill
bank" was proposed thirteen years
ago in a resolution of the council that
a plan should be prepared for the en-
bankment of the Thames from the Vic
toria tower garden to Lambeth bridge
including the widening OF Millbank
street. In 1901 provision was made
for the scheme by capital vote OF
| S7,575,000. of which the sum of S.,
| $4,000 was the estimated cost OF &C
quiring the properties east and west
of MilSbank street and for widening
the west side of the street itself;
while $25O.OO0 was reserved for the
rehousing of the laboring classes dis
lodged by so extensive a sweeping
away of the unsightly dwellings oc
cupying the site.
The most important part OF the
scheme is the construction of the new
gardens between the existing Victoris
tower gardens and Lambeth bridge
the extension or the embankment be
tween the houses of parliament anC
the bridge. and the widening OF Mill
bank street. which will thus form I
broad and spacious approach from thu
south. The new gardens and embank
inent will take the place OF old rowi
of wbaryes and breweries. Few. how
sver, will regret that stateliness ant