Boston has many small parks. and an extensive series of connecting parks has been designed and is in process of formation, but at present the Common and the Public garden, in the heart of the city, are its chief pleasure grounds. The two comprise 70 acres, laid out with care, adorned with lofty elms and Sheets of water, and with inonit ments. The city has, in public places, statues of Charles Stunner, Josiah Quincy, gov. Winthrop, Benjamin Franklin, Edward Everett, Horace Nairn, Alexander Ilainilton, Daniel Webster, Columbus, Washington, gov. Andrew, and Samuel Adams. Besides these, there is in Park square a group representing the emancipation of slaves, and on the Common another to the memory of the national soldiers who died in the war of the rebellion.
The harbor of Boston is a handsome sheet of water covering 75 sq.miles. It includes many islands, and is well fortified by forts Independence (until 1798 castle William) and Winthrop, opposite each other at the entrance of the main channel, and fort Warren. on George's island, lower down the harbor, opposite the end of Nantasket or 111111. Three light-houses mark the entrance to the harbor. I3oston light is situated nearly two m. c. of fort Warren, and shows a revolving light 92 ft. above the level of the sea. The Spit, or Bug light, exhibits a fixed red light, about 35 ft. above the level of the sea. It stands upon iron pillars fixed in the rock, and can be seen at a distance of about seven miles. Long Island light, named from the island on which it stands. is a tower 22 ft. above the ground, but 80 ft. above the sea. A strong battery is now in process of erection on Long Island.
The executive power of Boston is vested in the and 12 aldermen; and the leg islative functions are perfortned by the mayor, aldermen, and 72 councilmen, all of whom are elected annually on the Tuesday after the second Monday in Dec. A. fire corn• mission, composed of three members, controls the fire department, which is admirably managed. Three commissioners also control the police department. The system of telegraphic fire-alarms was first introduced into Boston in 1851. The streets are kept clean, and the house offal is removed under the care of the superintendent of health. The house of reformation, the house of industry,.and the alms-houses are situated on Dec!. and Rainsford islands, in the harbor, and are managed by the directors for public institutions. The house of correction and the lunatic asylum, under the control of the same body, are at South Boston. The city was supplied with water as early as 17115 from Jamaica pond, but the elevation was not sufficient to bring the supply to the higher portions of the city. In 1848, the Cochituate water-works were completed. and
in 1872 the legislature passed an act permitting the city to take water also from Sralbury river. The latter works are now completed. Charlestown district is supplied from the Mystic water-works, which take water from Mystic lake in Medford.
Boston has many public buildings worthy of notice. Among those that are remark able for architectural beauty or grandeur are the United States postoffice, on square, Trinity church, the museum of fine arts, the hotel Vendome, the c•lla:dr:11 of the Holy Cross, the state house, the English high and Latin school on Worrell avenue, and the new "Old South church." The English high and Latin school was begun in 1877, and the portion to be used for school purposes is just completed, at a cost of mere than $400,000. The remainder, which is to be used by the officers of the school-borml. is to be added at a future time. The entire edifice will he one of the largest for educa tional purposes in America, or in the world.
Among the buildings remarkable rather for their historical interest than for archi tectural beauty is Christ church, on Salem street, the oldest church in the city, and the one from the steeple of which, in the revolutionary war, Paul Revere's signal was hung out brcapt. John Pulling, merchant, of Boston. The Rev. "Mather l3yles, jr., was rector of this church thi1•1V, the' reVolutiorn and left town on account• with the cause. The old South church, built in 1730, is one of the most toted in the conn try. It was abandoned as a church in 1876. and sin•e that time efforts have been mode to purchase it as a monument commemorating the times that tried men's souls. lu this 'ruilding Joseph Warren delivered his memorable oration on the anniversary of the " Boston massacre," .Mar. 5th, 1776. Ilere the patriots met to discuss the tax on tea.. yin 177o, the building was " desecrated" by British soldiers, who tore out its galleries, filled it with earth and used it as it place for cavalry drill, From 1712 to 1S72, the annual "election sermon" was delivered in the old South church. It is now used as a histor ical museum. The most famous of the relics of the olden time is Faneuil hall, well known as the "cradle of liberty," from the fact that (luring the period preceding the revolution, it was used for public g,ritherings at which the patriotic spirit of the C010/1iritS Was stirred by the eloquence of the popular favorites.