Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/905

DANZIG. 785 DAPHNE. city in two liranche-i, divides tiie older sections of the Altstadt, lleelitstadt, and 'orstadt from the newer Xiederstadt and Langgarten. The Kadauue, which enters the town through an arti- ticial channel, separates the Altstadt from the llechtstadt. Between the two branches of the Mottlau is the Speicherinsel, an island on which enormous granaries have been erected for the acconiniodation of the vast stores of grain ex- ported from Danzig. The rivers and canals are crossed by about ftfty bridges. The LangeBriicke, a quay extending along the bank of the ilottlaii. opposite the island, is one of the picturesque sights of the town. The city is generally very mediiTval in aspect, successive old styles of its buildings having been well preserved, including in the residences the countless gable facades and a peculiar feature known asBeischliige — elevated, open-air landings, ilany of the streets of Danzig are narrow and crooked, but the principal streets. l>anggasse and Lange .Markt. intersecting it from east to west, abound in tine specimens of antique architecture, and have a most picturesque appearance. Among the most noteworthy build- ings are the Church of Saint JIary, a tine struc- ture, commenced in 1.343. but not finished until 1.503, and containing, besides a fine high altar by Michael and other interesting objects of art, a celebrated picture of the "Last Judgment," generally attributed to Wemling: the Church of Saint Catharine : Trinity Church ; the fine old Rathaus, dating from the fourteenth century; the Artushof — or .Junkerhof — the fonner mer- chants' guild, now used as an exchange; and the old Franciscan monastery containing the munici- pal museum. Danzig is the seat of the provincial govern- ment and of a provincial court. The city's af- fairs are administered by a municipal council of 60 and an executive board of 21 members. It has exhibited an enterprising spirit in the mat- ter of municipal undertakings. It has excel- lently organized fire and street-cleaning depart- ments. Two large aqueducts supply it with water, and a modern system of sewers connected with sewage farms on the Baltic gives the town a satisfactory drainage. It has, however, a rather high death rate, exceeding 24 per thousand. The municipality maintains gas-works, an elec- tric-light plant, slaughter-houses, and a market- hall. Danzig is well provided with educational institutions, which include two gymnasia, of which only one is maintained by the city, two high schools, a navigation school, military school, industrial trade and music schools, and a mu- nicipal library and theatre. Its charitable insti- ttitions include two municijial hospitals, as well as numerous other institutions. Danzig has advantageous connections by rail, river, and sea. It nuiintains a large trade in lumber and grain, serving as a clearing place for the agricultural products of eastern Prussia and the whole of the Vistula region, which em- braces a considerable part of Russian Poland. The value of the sea trade alone, which consti- tutes less than one-half of the total trade of the city, exceeds .S50.000.000 a year, the imports hav- ing almost doubled in value in the decade of 1888-98. They include coal, iron, petroleum, machinery, spices, and other agricultural prod- ucts of tropical countries: whereas the exports, as already stated, consist almost entirely of lumber, grain, and a few other agricultural prod- ucts. The growth of Danzig's sea trade has been interfered with by llie competition of Stet- tin and of the Hussiau ports on llie Baltic, and it is losing its relative importance as a port. The manufactures vf Danzig arc developing rapidly. There are large shipbuilding yards, brew- eries, distilleries, and factories for the produc- tion of firearms, machinery, and other iron- ware, paper, glass, soap and candles, fiour, etc. Danzig is the seat of a United States consular agency. Population, in ISilO, 120,000; in 1900, 141,000. The environs are very attractive. Danzig is mentioned in 997, when Christian- ity was first preached there. Its possession was contended for by the Danes. Swedes, Pomera- nians, and Teutonic kniglils. of whom the last became masters of the town in 1310. Under their rule Danzig prospered exceedingly: about 1358 it joined the Jdanseatic League. In 146ti the town declared itself a free city, under the protection of Poland. The wars of the seven- teenth century destroyed its prosperity, and though it was left a free city on the first parti- tion of Poland, in 1772. its trade ceased almost entirely. In 1793 it became Prussian. Taken I'y the French Jlarshal Lefeljvre (who received the title of Duke of Danzig I in 1807. it was retaken by the Allies in 1814, and restored to Prussia. Consult: Prutz. Daiizif/, das noidische Venedig (Leipzig. 18G8) : Wistulanus. Ge- f^chichte der tStadt Danzig (Danzig, 1891) ; Puttner. Daiiziij (ib., 1899). DANZIG, DricE of. See Lefeb-be, Francois .lOSFPII. DAPHNE, diif'ne (Lat., from Gk. Ad(p<^, laurel). The jjersonification of the laurel. Apollo's sacred plant. According to the legend. Daphne was a nymph, beloved and pursued by Apollo. On crying to her mother. Earth, for help, she was transformed into a laurel, which Apollo chose as his favorite plant. DAPHNE. A magnificent grove and sanc- tiuiry of Apollo, near Antioch. on the Orontes (q.v. ). Like the city, it was founded by Seleu- cus Nicalor, who localized here the story of the transformation of the nymph. The Temple of Apollo, containing a statue of the god by Bry- axis, was placed in the midst of a grove of cypress and bay trees, and surrounded by baths, porticos, and gardens. The place had the privi- lege of asylum, and was also the scene of the 'Olympian games' held at Antioch. The extreme beauty of the surroundings made it a favorite place of resort for the luxurious, and it has been described as a scene of continual vice. With the growth of Christianity the worship of Apollo gradually fell into neglect, and shortly after the attempt by the Emperor Julian (q.v.) to re- vive its splendors the temple was burned and the site gradually abandoned. The probable site of Da|)hiie is now called Bet el-Ma. and still shows luxuriant vegetation, though the ancient remains are scanty. DAPHNE. A genus of plants of the natural order Tliymeleace.T. containing 30 or 40 species of European or Asiatic shrubs or small trees, some of which have deciduous and some ever- green leaves: and all more or less acid in all their jiarts. which makes some of them even caustic. The berries are poisonous, but the flowers of' some are delieiously fragrant. To this genus belongs the Daphne niczereon. well known both