PASEO COLON, GRAIN ELEVATORS IN THE DISTANCE
DARSENA NORD AND MARINE SHOPS
The Hospital Mercedes for the Insane, established in 1863, is well located on the calle Brandsen, on high land with fine large buildings and grounds, the latter including well paved, shaded streets, parks, and gardens. It has separate apartments for persons needing continual surveillance, and for all grades and conditions, each section with refectory, salon, dormitory, etc.; also workshops for the manufacture of many articles, and opportunities for gardening, painting, music, etc., for those who are able to work. At one time there were more than 1000 poor patients and 132 paying. Baths, medicinal and plain, a gymnasium, library, music, and billiard rooms are provided. Opposite is a Building for Idiots, established 1855 by philanthropists, with accommodations for 500.
The Arsenal of War, also in this quarter of the city, may be reached by cars coming down Callao and Entre Rios, though located on Pozos between Garay and Brazil. Everything needful for the making or repairing of war material, for the furnishing of barracks and most of the military establishments, is here provided. The workshops will interest many, and the depot of war supplies. The buildings, lighted by electricity, are surrounded by large and well planted gardens. There is a gallery for artillery practice. If passing along the Ave. Callao, at 540 the school building Sarmiento should be noticed, admirable both without and within.
The splendid Docks of Buenos Aires deserve the attention of every visitor. Although now utterly inadequate for the requirements of the city’s commerce they are models as far as they go. When constructed it was supposed that they would provide ample accommodations for many years, as no one looked forward to the astonishingly rapid growth of both city and commerce. The port has two sections, the original and natural harbor at the Riachuelo south of the city, where the stream so called, entering the River, allows ships drawing 18 feet only to go some distance up. The docks on both sides of this stream form a very important auxiliary to the more modern section on the River, the tonnage some years ago reaching 1,200,000 annually.
The chief port constructed on the bank of the great River is composed of two large basins called the north and south darsenas, and between these, four docks. The Darsena Sud is more than half a mile long and 500 feet wide, the first and second docks are about 1800 by 500 feet, the other two a little smaller. The Darsena Nord has an area of a million square feet. In the basins the depth of water is 21 feet, in the docks 23.9 at the lowest. The entire water surface of this port is over 150 acres. The Riachuelo has but two sheds for merchandise; this, the Capital port, has 24 depots, 8 of iron and 16 of masonry. Their dock frontage is 8000 feet, their capacity over 2 million cubic feet. There is hydraulic motive power, four motors, 36 elevators, and all other necessities, including nearly 50 miles of railway.
Two large grain elevators at Docks 2 and 3 belong to private companies, one with a capacity for 85,000 tons of grain. Next to these is a mill for making flour, the Rio de la Plata, which cost $15,000,000. The port is lighted by electricity, 180 lamps of 280 watts, and 261 of 400 watts placed 100 feet apart, so that ships can come in by night as well as by day. It is said to be the best lighted harbor in the world, except that of London. New York is far behind. The cost of the harbor works was approximately $35,000,000. Plans are already made for vastly greater facilities extending for miles up the river.
The neatness and cleanliness of the docks and their approaches will probably excite the greatest astonishment, and the manner in which they are shut off from the rest of the city by the beautiful Parque de Julio and the Paseo Colon. Between these and the river is an immensely broad, well paved street with appropriate structures and ample room for all traffic. A call to see the Immigrants’ Hotel, where fine accommodations for the use of the immigrants are provided in several large buildings close to the Darsena Nord, is well worth while.
An excursion by no means to be omitted is that to El Tigre, the fashionable summer and boating resort, where regattas at times occur and where all kinds of water craft are in evidence. It is a short rail or boat ride, an hour or so, to the delightful spot where the river Tigre flows into La Plata. The former is overspread with a perfect network of islands covered with trees, gardens, meadows, and charming vine-clad cottages. On the main shore are pretty hotels and restaurants with music and other attractions, people in outing flannels and in evening dress, a delightful combination of wealth, fashion, and natural beauty, which every one may enjoy.