Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland .. - National Library of Scotland

;PERTHcarved pilasters and surmounted by a leaden cupola, isa cast-iron tank. A filtering bed, 300 feet long, is constructedon the N end of MoncreifFe island, whence apowerful suction pipe, laid under the bed of the river,conducts the purified water to a tank under the reservoir.Two steam-engines then throw the water up 55 feet intothis reservoir, which, with the assistance of a smallerreservoir in the W of the town, long supplied Perth withan ample quantity of water. An extension of the waterworkswas, however, completed on 23 June 1880 at acost of £30,000. These new works are merely an extensionof the former system, and consist of two additionalreservoirs—one at Burghmuir and the other at Viewlands.The former, which is 300 feet above the river,and uncovered, supplies the upper parts of Bridgendand grounds over 180 feet level. The latter at 200 feetabove the river is covered in, and supplies the W sideof the town lying below 150 feet level and the lowerpart of Bridgend. The former reservoir at Wellshill isretained to supply the district lying between SouthStreet and Marshall Place. Two engines, each of 40horse power, have been erected to pump the water outthe new reservoirs ; and two separate sets of pumps arealso provided. About 17 miles of piping from 3 to 15Inches in diameter have been laid ; and hydrants forfire and cleansing purposes have been placed on thedistributing pipes at distances of from 80 to 100yards. The gasworks of the Perth Gaslight Companystand near Canal Street, and were erected in1824 at a cost of £19,000 from plans also by DrAnderson, and from the first made use of a simplebut ingenious and effective system of gas-purificationinvented by the same gentleman. The City Hall, inWest St John Street, was built in 1844, measures 98feet by 66, and can accommodate 2000 people. It containssome interesting paintings, among which are TheBattle, of the Amazons (16 feet by 8), by the ChevalierTarilla and Lucas Giordano ; Prometheus, by MichaelAngelo Cassavaggio ; The Magdalene, by Andria VaccariEsau Selling his Birthright, by Lucas Giordano ; TheForum Eomanum, by Vanvitelli ; St Andrew, by Eibra(Lo Spagnoletto) ; and a group of Early Reformers froman unknown hand. The Guild Hall stands on the Sside of High Street, W of the site of the ancient cross ;and the Freemasons' Hall or Eoyal Arch Mason Lodgestands in Parliament Close, off the N side of HighStreet, and occupies the site of the old parliament houseremoved in 1818. The Exchange Hall stands in GeorgeStreet. The New Public Hall, opened in 1881, andbuilt at a cost of £8000 in the Scottish Baronial style,to hold from 1200 to 1400, forms the S corner of CanalStreet and Tay Street ; and, with the Natural HistoryMuseum, and the Working Boys' and Girls' Hall, builtin the same style at a cost of £3200 to hold between 600and 700, form one block of buildings. The City andCounty Infirmary and Dispensary, between York PlaceandKinnouU Causeway, was erected in 1837, after designsby W. M. Mackenzie, at a cost of about £6000 ; butlarge wings were added on the E and W in 1869 at acost of upwards of £5000. It is an elegant and spaciousbuilding, and the extensions are built on the pavilionsystem, connected with the main body by enclosedcorridors, and serve respectively as fever and convalescentwards. The management is in the hands of a largebody of directors from the county and city, holdingoSice, some ex officiis and some by election. A dispensarywas commenced in 1819 ; and in 1834, when itadopted the self-supporting system, a second was startedon the former lines. King James VI. 's Hospital,between Hospital Street and King Street, is a large,stately, and well-arranged three-storied structure, builtin the shape of the letter H. Originally founded in 1569byJamesVI., or rather by the Regent Moray, 'to provideby all honest ways and means an hospital for the poormaimed distressed persons, orphans, and fatherlessbairns within our burgh of Perth,' it was endowed withthe confiscated property of three suppressed monasteriesand has now a revenue of £600 per annum. The firsterected hospital was destroyed in 1652 by Cromwell to182PERTHprovide materials for his fort (see below) ; and thepresent building was erected in 1750 at a cost of £1614,partly defrayed by public subscription. Till about 1812it served as an almshouse for the residence of therecipients of the charity ; but in that year the managersdetermined to administer a system of outdoor reliefonly, which is stiU enjoyed by a number of poor, whomust reside within the limits of the burgh. 'The buildingis let for various purposes. It stands on the site ofthe old Carthusian Monastery. In the NW of the cityare the barracks with spacious yards. Originally builtin 1793 to accommodate 200 cavalry, they were afterwardstransformed into infantry barracks, and latterlyhave been adapted for both branches of the service.The open square in front is large enough for the paradeand inspection of 1000 men under arms. The militiabarracks are in Victoria Street, and the militia store inCanal Street. At the junction of Mill and MethvenStreets a small bridge spans the Town's ' lade ' oraqueduct from the river Almond ; to the W are seenthe Perth mills, which until transferred to the city bya charter of Robert III. were called the King's Mills ;and to the E Perth public baths, built in 1846 by publicsubscription at cost of about £1300. Adjoining thebaths is a public wash-house. Immediately to the N ofthe Municipal Buildings is a club-house ; and immediatelyto the N of the County Buildings is a handsometenement, built in 1872, and known as VictoriaBuildings. Both of these are in Tay Street, as are alsothe customs house and the o£5ce of inland revenue, andthe Moncreiffe Memorial Museum, built in the ScottishBaronial style. The last was erected by subscriptionunder the auspices of the Perthshire Society of NaturalScience, in which the late Sir Thomas Moncreiffe tookmuch interest. The Museum of the Literary and AntiquarianSociety of Perthshire is deposited in the elegantbuilding erected by subscription in 1822-24 to commemoratethe public services of Provost Marshall. ThisMarshall's Monument is built somewhat after the styleof the Pantheon at Rome ; it is circular in form, and issurmounted by a dome ; but it has an Ionic portico.The lower part is occupied by the public library andreading-room ; the upper story by the museum. Othermonuments are statues of Scott and Prince Albert.The first consists of a statue and pedestal in the SouthInch, at the foot of King Street, and is the work of alocal artist. It was erected, of course, with specialreference to Scott's Fair Maid of Perth. The statue ofPrince Albert stands on a pedestal at the S end ofthe North Inch, and is by Brodie. It was unveiledby Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, on 30 Aug.1864. The quondam Theatre Royal, built in 1820for £2625, stands at the junction of AthoU andKinnoull Streets ; but for many years has beenoccupied as a manufactory. In Stormont Street,which runs N from Atholl Street, there is anunnery ; and in MelviUe Street, which runs NW, aRoman Catholic convent. Melville Street is continuedby Balhousie Street, which leads to the Castle of Balhousie.Perth Poorhouse, in the SW of the city, cost£12,000. Several of the bank offices are handsomebuildings. The Bank of Scotland occupies a threestoriededifice with balcony and ornamented front, builtin 1847, and formerly the head ofiice of the CentralBank. The Union Bank has an ornate building inGeorge Street ; and the Commercial in South Street.The Savings' Bank adjoins the post ofiice, and frontsthe Tay in Tay Street. There are still some importantbuildings on the outskirts or outer margin of the city,which deserve notice. In the W and near the railwayline is the large and convenient Perth Auction Mart,opened in 1875, and said to be one of the largest cattlemarkets in this country. It includes covered and openpens capable of accommodating 15,000 sheep and 1500cattle ; besides a spacious hotel, lodgings for servants,stabling for 40 horses, and shelter for shepherd's dogs.South of the market, and in the SW of the town, about290 yards W of NW corner of the South Inch, is theGeneral Railway terminus, which claims to be the finest