THE THOUSAND ISLANDS, CANADA. This, the largest group of river islands in the world, lies in an expansion of the River St. Lawrence at its emergence from Lake Ontario. New York State is on one side and the Province of Ontario, Canada, on the other. The name is not an exaggeration. On the contrary, the group consists of about fifteen hundred rocky islands, remarkable for their great and varied beauty. They are of all shapes and sizes, some just peeping above the surface of the waters, others extending several miles in length, some wild and bare and rocky, others covered with the most luxuriant foliage. Hence, a trip through the St. Lawrence River at this point is full of the most bewildering yet enchanting surprises.
VICTORIA BRIDGE, MONTREAL, CANADA. Montreal is situated on the south side of the island of the same name, at the confluence of the Ottawa and the St. Lawrence Rivers. To connect it with the mainland the Victoria Bridge was thrown across the St. Lawrence. Work was begun in 1854. In 1860 the bridge was formally opened by the Prince of Wales during his tour through Canada and the United States. This is one of the greatest triumphs of engineering and architectural skill. The total length is nearly two miles, or, to be exact, nine thousand one hundred and ninety-four feet. It rests upon twenty-four piers and two abutments of solid masonry. The central span is three hundred and thirty feet long.
THE CAPITOL, WASHINGTON, D. C. A stately and magnificent building devoted to both branches of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives—as well as to the United States Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. It stands upon an eminence commanding a beautiful view of the city, and itself forms the most impressive feature in the landscape. The centre building of freestone is flanked by two wings, mainly of marble, and crowned by an iron dome, painted white. From the ground to the top of the nineteen-foot Statue of Liberty, which surmounts the dome, is three hundred and seven and a half feet; the diameter of the dome is one hundred and thirty-five and a half feet. Thus only four domes in Europe can surpass it: St. Peter’s at Rome, St. Paul’s in London, St. Isaac’s in St. Petersburg, and the Invalides in Paris. The building covers an area of about three and a half acres. Its total cost has been over $13,000,000. The corner-stone was laid by Washington in 1792. The marble extensions were begun in 1851.
THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, D. C. As the official residence of the President of the United States, this mansion has a unique interest. It is not in itself, however, a pretentious or imposing structure. Yet it has some elegance in its very democratic simplicity. Built of freestone, like the original Capitol, and painted white like that, its color has given it its name. The model which the architect had in view was the Palace of the Duke of Leinster in London, and he has followed his prototype very closely. The corner-stone was laid in 1792; the building was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800; it was burned by the British in 1814, and restored and re-occupied in 1818. Since that time there have been staccato clamors for a more magnificent entourage for the chief executive officer of the United States, but nothing further has been accomplished.
INDEPENDENCE HALL, PHILADELPHIA. This plain, but substantial brick building, which stands on Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, is ever memorable as the birthplace of the American republic. Here the General Assembly of Pennsylvania gave way to the Continental Congress. Here George Washington was elected commander of the American forces (June, 1775). And here, on July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by Congress. Four days later it was read from before the building to an excited and exultant multitude. The halls have been restored as far as possible to their original condition; the east room, where the Declaration was signed, is ornamented with portraits of the signers and the west room is a museum of revolutionary and other relics. The famous Liberty Bell, which was rung as a signal to the people that the Declaration had been adopted, is now suspended under the tower in full view of the public. The building dates from 1729–34.
