The South American Tour

by Annie S. Peck

BOULEVARD BEIRA MAR FROM PENSÃO SUISSA

The slowness of Latin Americans (in fact of every one but themselves), so favorite a theme in the talk of their northern neighbors, does not appear in this instance. It would puzzle us, I think, to find in the United States any city, save San Francisco when necessity compelled, where by works of such magnitude a great city has so speedily been metamorphosed through the destruction, replanning, and rebuilding of some of the most compact and important business and residence sections. Nearly $60,000,000 was devoted to this great transformation.

The plan which was approved in September, 1903, included the construction of a great quay arranged for ships to come alongside, furnished with storage warehouses, railways, and electric lights, with a parallel avenue 125 feet wide and 2 miles long; the improving of a cross canal to the sea by making it a solidly walled stream, with on each side an avenue shaded with palms; the lifting of the railroad from street level to a viaduct 16 feet above; the construction of a broad avenue straight to the Quinta of Boa Vista, residence of the late Emperor; the increase of the water supply; the renovation of the sewerage system with all modern improvements; the removal of several hills; the filling in of large sections; the widening of a number of streets; and the formation in the heart of the city of a new avenue a mile and a quarter long and 120 feet wide.

The inauguration of the great work of the Avenida Central, as it was originally called, a broad thoroughfare crossing, from one side to the other, the shallow peninsula occupied by the commercial district, on the front of which is Caes Pharoux, occurred March 8, 1904, with the participation of the President and other officials and with much enthusiasm on the part of the people; as a broad outlet for the future traffic of the port was seen to be an absolute necessity. The foundations of the building numbered 2, 4 and 6 being then begun, the great task was swiftly advanced. Day and night was the work pushed; 600 buildings within three months were, by 3000 workmen, utterly demolished, opening a space 230 feet wide: 65 feet each side for the new buildings, 120 for the central paved roadway, and 20 for each sidewalk. Along the center of the avenue a row of 53 Pão Brazil trees was planted in beds 16 feet long, and 55 posts bear each 3 electric lights. On the sidewalks are more trees, and posts for illumination by gas. As the trees grow larger the beauty of the avenue will be increased. Most of the new buildings, which mark the introduction into Brazil of American steel frame construction, are of fine types of architecture in a variety of styles.

In other sections 1200 old buildings were sacrificed to open or widen a dozen other streets, these now from 55 to 100 feet wide, paved with asphalt or in a few cases with fine granite blocks. On all sides new buildings sprang up by magic.

Of still greater magnitude and requiring more time was the improvement of the port, now approaching completion. The stone quay more than two miles in length, with sufficient depth of water to allow ships of any draught to come alongside, is provided with the most modern machinery for hoisting, loading and unloading ships, and with two stations supplying electric power for these as well as for lighting already in service. Back of the wall, a space where formerly were bays and islands has been for the most part filled in, at some points for a width of 800 feet. Then along the quay a broad avenue was opened. A width of 80 feet for railroad tracks, of 110 feet for storage warehouses (called armazem) and for administration offices, is followed by the broad well paved avenue 125 feet wide, bordered with trees and with double tracks for electric cars. To fill in this great space sand was dredged from the bay, and earth was brought from Senado Hill, now completely leveled.

While these great matters were undertaken by the general Government, the new Mayor of Rio, Dr. Francisco Passos, attended to the broadening of other streets, repaving with asphalt or with granite blocks; to the embellishing of the city with gardens, etc., and to the construction of the beautiful boulevard four miles long and 110 feet wide along the water front towards the Pão do Assucar. Even the resurrection of San Francisco in one way seems less wonderful than Rio’s transformation, in that the former was compulsory, the latter voluntary. The greatest work in Rio was more in preparing anew the foundations than in the actual construction. It was, says the Brazilian writer from whom I have already quoted, “the work of an enterprise.” He modestly says that there is nothing especial to say about the buildings of Rio. As to those of a residential character he asserts that some are nice, “but the majority of them is an awful sight reminding antiquity.” To me they did not so appear, the many being pretty and tasteful, if unpretentious, while the dwellings of the poorer classes are less hideous than those inhabited by the poor in our own country.

While the most delightful of the hours spent in Rio may be those devoted to excursions to the suburbs, one should visit also the commercial section, the public buildings, the shops, the market; and traverse some of the streets, wide and narrow, where the life and business of the city go on. A day or two may profitably be spent in the busy marts of trade.

One may set out from Caes Pharoux, to which suitable attention will hardly be given when landing. Here is a great Square or Plaza, in Portuguese a Praça, that of November 15, Quinze de Novembro. At the right as you face the waterfront is the Ferry House for the boats running across to Nictheroy. From here also depart excursion boats on Sunday for a trip around the bay. The Praça has the usual pretty garden in the center, with a bronze equestrian statue of General Osorio, Marquez do Herval, one of the commanders in the Paraguayan War, and also leader of the State forces of Rio Grande do Sul in an insurrection against the first President of Brazil. On the right hand side of the square, as one faces the water, near the Ferry House, is a four-story building more than 150 years old, of typical colonial architecture, once the residence of an aristocratic family, now a lodging house. The large terra cotta building is devoted to the Ministry of Transportation. The two-story pink building, higher in the center, is of greater interest. Erected in 1747 and now occupied by the Department of Telegraphs, it was first the home of the Colonial Governors; on the arrival of Prince João it became his residence, and later served as the Imperial Palace. It was here that the Princess Regent, Isabella, signed the Emancipation Decree, May 13, 1888, as a tablet on the wall sets forth, and from here the Emperor Dom Pedro was taken, Nov. 17, 1889, to be placed upon a warship and banished to Europe, after the proclamation of the Republic, Nov. 15.