Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 2

DUNDEE
DUNDEE
trolled. The water supply formerly came from Moni-
kie, but in 1875 an additional source of supply from
the Loch of Lintrathen was made available, from
which about 4,000,000 gallons are daily brought into the
town's reservoirs. A gas company was first formed in
Dundee in 1825, a second in 1846 ; and in 1868 the
works and plant of both companies were acquired by a
mixed body, of whom the Corporation formed the majo-
rity, and who now, as the Dundee Gas Commission,
supply the commuuity with gas. The works are in East
Bock Street, and have been from time to time extended
to meet the increasing requirements of the town. In
Sept. 1881 a gasholder, the second largest in Scotland,
was brought into use, having cost upwards of £15,000.
In the parliamentary session of 1882 the Gas Commission
applied to parliament for a bill authorising them to
manufacture and supply the electric light. A commo-
dious and convenient cattle market, with slaughter-
houses and other adjuncts, was provided in 1876 by the
police commissioners at Carolina Port, adjoining the
East Dock Street railway station, at a cost of about
£35,000. The extent of ground is about 6| acres, and
the frontage to the Ferry Road on the N, and Dock
Street on the S, is between 500 and 600 feet. The
Greenmarket — the open street between the foot of
Crichton Street and Dock Street — is where a large por-
tion of the marketing of the working-classes is conducted.
The Fish Market is held in an enclosure to the E of the
Greenmarket. The Arcade occupies a large plot of
ground lying between King Street and Victoria Road,
having a frontage to King Street on the S, "Victoria
Road on the N, King's Road on the E, and Idvies and
Charles Streets on the W ; and was opened on Dec.
10, 1881. The Post Office, situated at the top of Reform
Street, contains all the departments of a head office,
with telegraph office attached, but is scarcely on a scale
or in a style commensurate with the town's importance.
Postal receiving-houses, with money order and savings'
bank departments, are in King Street, Hilltown, Perth
Road, Scouringburn, Princes Street, and Blackscroft.
Telephonic communication is provided by two separate
companies.
Dundee was the second town in Scotland to open a
Free Public Library, which it decided to do at a public
meeting held on Sept. 6, 1866, but the library itself was
not opened until July 1, 1869, and the reference depart-
ment three months afterwards. The success of the Free
Library was so great that ultimately arrangements were
made by which the Albert Institute directors conveyed
to the town the ground necessary for the erection of
additional buildings to be occupied as a picture gallery
and museum, and also, as has already been stated, vested
the whole of the Albert Institute in the Town Council,
as trustees for carrying out the purposes for which the
institute was founded. In 1873 a branch of the Lend-
ing Library was opened in Lochee ; but it was taken
advantage of to so small an extent, that it was discon-
tinued after a few months' trial. The museum occupies
the extreme E end of the Albert Institute buildings ;
was formally opened to the public on May 9, 1874 ;
contains a large number of geological, botanical, and
natural history specimens, besides a splendid collection
of articles from the Arctic regions. The Picture Gallery
is enriched with some choice works of art, although the
collection is not nearly so large as it ought to be. An
annual Fine Art Exhibition is now held in the Albert
Institute buildings. Dundee was first provided with
public baths by a joint-stock company in 1848 ; but in
1871 they were acquired by the Corporation, and have
since been greatly extended and improved. The baths
are situated on the West Protection Wall, closely ad-
joining the river, so that an abundant water supply can
at all times be had. They include a handsome Turkish
bath, splendid swimming ponds, and excellent plunge
baths. Dundee furnishes two contingents to the For-
farshire Rifle Volunteer Corps — the 1st Forfarshire, con-
sisting of 8 companies, with about 800 men of all ranks ;
and the 2d Forfarshire (Dundee Highland), of 6 com-
panies, with about 600 men of all ranks. It also fur-
422
nishes a corps (the 4th) to the Forfarshire Artillery
Brigade. In the end of 1881 an attempt was made to
raise a brigade of Naval Artillery Volunteers ; but in
Jan. 1882, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
declined to sanction the undertaking, as a sufficient
number of volunteers had not come forward. Dundee,
however, furnishes a larger contingent towards the Royal
Naval Reserve than any port in Scotland, and more than
any port in the kingdom in proportion to its seafaring
population. For their training the Unicorn, formerly
a double-decked frigate, has been specially fitted up,
and now lies moored in Earl Grey's Dock. The Savings'
Bank is situated in Euclid Street, nearly opposite Ward
Chapel; was originally established in 1815, but removed
to its present handsome quarters in 1867. The progress
of the bank is shown by the following statement of the
sum due to depositors during a series of years, ending
at Nov. 20 in each year: — 1860, £108,779; 1865,
£150,897; 1870, £256,400; 1875, £409,558; 1876,
£441,080 ; 1877, £471,660 ; 1878, £485,865 ; 1879,
£519,617 ; 1880, £566,608 ; 1881, £600,244. A work-
ing men's club, with suitable premises in South Tay
Street, was established in 1873 by the munificence of
Mr George Armitstead, one of the parliamentary re-
presentatives of the burgh, but after maintaining a
languishing existence was closed in Dec. 1881. The
theatre stands in Castle Street, was once elegant, but
became dingy and desolate, and although improved from
time to time, and excellently managed, is structurally
inadequate to the requirements of modern times. The
Dundee Music Hall, formerly the Exchange Room,
stands at the foot of Castle Street, the entertainment
offered being of the usual music hall description. A
circus, erected by the Brothers Cooke behind the
Queen's Hotel, Nethergate, was opened in Feb. 1878,
and is visited at occasional intervals by these well-
known equestrians. A circus was erected in East Dock
Street by Mr James Newsome in 1875, but was given up
in 1881. Dundee possesses a number of yachting and
rowing clubs ; has a fine skating pond at Stobsmuir ; an
open-air bathing pond at Buckingham Point, and an
open-air bathing association ; a chess club, founded in
1826 ; and several angling clubs, besides numerous
cricket and bowling clubs, and a snuff and twopenny
whist club. Amongst its miscellaneous institutions are
a time gun, in the grounds attached to the barracks,
connected by an electric wire with the Observatoiy at
Greenwich, and fired daily at one o'clock ; and two Rus-
sian guns, captured from the Russians during the Russian
war, and placed in front of the Volunteer Drill Hall.
Dundee has three railway stations — one at the E end
of Dock Street, another at the W end, and a third the
Tay Bridge station — immediately adjoining the Esplan-
ade. Attempts have frequently been made to secure a
commodious central station, but have always failed, and
the lamentable accident to the Tay Bridge seems to have
rendered the accomplishment of this object more remote
than ever. This bridge was one of the longest in the
world, its length, including the extension on the
northern shore, being 10,612 feet. This great length
was taken in 85 spans of varyiug width, the widest, of
which there were 11, being 245 feet. The level at the
shores was between 70 and 80 feet above the sea ; in the
middle it was 130 feet above high water, giving a clear
water-way of 88 feet at high-water mark. The platform
on the top of the bridge, which carried the single line
of rails, was only 15 feet wide, and, as seen from the
heights above Newport, was so narrow as to appear a
mere cable swung from shore to shore ; and seeing a
train puffing along for the first time is said to have
excited the same kind of nervousness felt by those who
watched Blondin crossing the Niagara. The bridge,
which was designed by Thomas Bouch (afterwards
knighted), cost £350,000, and was opened for traffic on
May 31, 1878. On the evening of Sunday, Dec. 28,
1879, during a severe storm, the whole of the high
central girders of the bridge were blown down while
a passenger train was crossing from the S to the
N, and every individual in the ill-fated train perished.