Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/689

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LOUISVILLE 683 near London, where he spent the rest of his life. In 1872 his remains were brought from England to France, by permission of President Thiers, and interred at Dreux. The most im- portant publications on the political history of the reign of Louis Philippe are Louis Blanc's Histoire de dix ans, and Guizot's Memoires ' pour servir d VMstoire de mon temps, works in which the great events of the period are considered from opposite points of view. LOUISVILLE, the chief city of Kentucky, county seat of Jefferson co., situated at the falls of the Ohio, on the S. bank, about 400 m. above its mouth and 600 m. below its head at Pittsburgh, 150 m. below Cincinnati, and 45 m. W. of Frankfort, the state capital. Its situation is one of pecu- liar excellence. The hills which line the river re- cede just above the city, and do not approach it again for 20 m., leaving an almost level plain 6 m. wide, and elevated about 70 ft. above low-water mark, which affords am- ple room for the growth of the city. The obstruc- tion in the river, acting as a dam, causes it to stretch for 6 m. above into a broad smooth sheet of water, a mile in width, with very little current, and presenting a safe and convenient harbor for a great distance along the Kentucky shore. This obstruction, called "the falls," but for which "rapids" would be a more correct designation, is caused by a ridge of limestone rock running obliquely across its bed, with channels or chutes through it, modified or produced by the force of the water. There is no precipitous descent, but the fall in the course of 2 m. amounts to 27 ft., affording great water power, of which little use has yet been made. Steamboats ascend and descend the falls in high water, but at Other times pass through the Louisville and Portland canal, a work 2 m. long on the Kentucky side of the river, having three locks 480 ft. long and | 90 ft. wide, and capable of passing steam- boats of 3,000 tons. In 1874 control of this canal was taken by the United States govern- ment, and it was made free to commerce, excepting a small toll levied for repairs. A wing dam to throw the water into the canal and into the channel over the falls has been built by the United States government at the head of the rapids. The cost of constructing the canal was mainly borne by the people of Louisville, the United States being the only other contributor. Since 1810 the growth of Louisville has been steady and rapid. Its pop- ulation in 1810 was 1,357; in 1820, 4,012- in 1830, 10,352 ; in 1840, 21,210 ; in 1850, 43 - 194; in 1860, 68,033; in 1870, 100,753, of whom 14,956 were colored and 25,668 foreign- ers, including 14,380 natives of Germany and 7,626 of Ireland. There were 19,177 families and 14,670 dwellings. Though at first liable to bilious and* malarial fevers, Louisville has become very healthy, in consequence of its ex- cellent system of drainage and sewerage and of the manner in which it is laid out and built. The streets are wide, and the squares large and Louisville City HaU. bisected each way by paved alleys 20 ft. wide. In the portion of the city devoted to residences, the houses are set back from the street, leaving lawns in front which are planted with flowers and shrubbery, and the streets are lined with shade trees. The beauty of the dwellings is a notable feature. The business portion is com- pactly built, and contains many fine edifices. The principal public buildings are a court house, costing more than $1,000,000 ; the city hall, costing $500,000 ; the custom house, city hospital, eruptive hospital, city almshouse, house of refuge for boys, house of refuge for girls, state blind asylum, United States marine hospital, industrial exposition building, Lieder- kranz hall, Macaulay's theatre, 10 orphan asy- lums, 95 churches, the medical university and