The Irish standard., 1914-04-11

The following description of Bel
fast, its resources, manufactures, and
the nature of the inhabitants is from
the pen of Mr.. Matthew Comerford.
In an article written for the Interna-
tional Steam Engineer he describes
his visit in Belfast.
My first impression of Belfast was
somewhat disappointing, as l had
read SO much about the beauty of
the city as we'll as of its commercial
Importance. probably expected too
much. One of the first things to at
tract my attention was the apparent
desire Of the people to show their
loyalty to the aristocracy and their
present system of government, by
naming the streets, hotels. parks and
other public places after kings,
queens. princes. dukes. etc. The
people Of the greatest boom towns in
the United States have nothing on
the average Belfaster in his effort to
make you believe that his was the
greatest and most beautiful city in
the British empire.
The people have good ground for
their vanity, and while their claims
are exaggerated, few cities of its
size have so much to boast of. One
of the shipyards has produced more
than four hundred ocean steamers,
another built the first turbine that
ever floated on the ocean, and to-
gether they employ twenty-five thou
sand hands. The machine shops of
Belfast are also famous. They pro-
vide spinning and weaving machines
70 rail- the linen mills in the world,
and ship them to even the United
States. The engines. boilers and
other machinery turned out from the
shops Of Belfast are shipped to every
corner of the world, and the product
of the linen factories trade now
amounts to more than $6O,OOO,OOO a
year. The largest mill covers five
acres. with 10000 spindles. 1000
looms, and more than 1000 hands.
A single tobacco firm pays $4.OOO,OOO
in taxes every year and a distilery
has an annual output of $7,5OO.O0O.
Belfast has sixteen factories for
the production of ginger ale. lemon
ade, soda and other aerated waters.
which are famous the world over. 1t
manufactures agricultural imple-
ments and machinery for every kind
of industry, and much of the machin-
cry is the invention of it's own citi-
zens.
There are no railway trains or
street cars running Sunday morning,
and you cannot find a cab or a jaunt-
ing car on the street. No boats ar
rive or depart from the docks Sun
day, and when took walk along
the river front one Sunday 1 found
the men who were accustomed to
work there all sitting around eat
ing "willicks," or periwinkles-a
sort of water snail which are picked
up on the beach of the bay and ped
died about by old women and small
boys like chestnuts.
The City hall of Belfast is an i'm
posing building, which cost million
and half dollars. and is very ornate
for it's purpose. 1t stands in the
center of large square, admirably
located so that its fine proportions
may be admired from all sides. The
interior is very ornamental, the walls
and stairways being of Carrar mar
BILE elab orately carved. On either
SIDE are handsome monuments. The
fuilding is 800 feet long and 24O
Feet deep; the facade is of the same
design on each of the four sides and
:here is dome 175 feet high. There
is great hall for official ceremonies
and public assemblies that will seat
thousand people, and several other
state apartments handsomely decor
ated.
You hear great deal about the
weather of Ireland. People never go
out without an umbrella or a mackin-
tosh, because it is always safer to
carry them. 1t rains in the most un-
expected way. The clouds gather
very suddenly and the predictions Of
the weather bureau cannot be taken
seriously. But the natives don't
seem to mind it. They are so used
to getting soaked that it is a matter
Of no consequence, and over in the
shipyards and elsewhere we saw men
working on through a pouring rain
without taking the slightest notice
of 1t.
The official reports show that in
the year 1912 rain fell on
232 out Of the 365 days. and in 1909
.IE 45