There are six institutions for the higher edu cation of colored youth, with a total attendance of 3,000. They include literary and scientific schools, theology, industrial training and a training school for nurses. Charities are nu merous and include such educational features as free kindergartens, night schools and three or phan asylums. Grady Hospital is supported by the city; Saint Joseph's Infirmary by the Roman Catholics, and the Presbyterian Hospital by the Presbyterians. Private hospitals or sanatoriums are numerous and well equipped. There are two theatres with 2,500 and 2,000 seating capacity, and two lyceum or lecture associa tions. Carnegie Library is a white marble building in classic style, and contains over 40,000 volumes. The book circulation is over 150,000, one-fourth among juveniles. There are 264 churches, including missions, and the at tendance is made up of a fair proportion of all of the population. The total membership ex ceeds a third of the population. Atlanta was as important strategic point in the Civil War.
In 1861 it became a depot of Confederate mili tary supplies, and this made it an objective paint in General Sherman's march to the sea. After a siege of several weeks he occupied the City (see JONESBORO, BATTLE OF, AND FALL OF ATLANTA), and by his order it was burned 17 Nov. 1864. In later years General Sherman de scribed the strategic position of Atlanta by com paring it to the wrist of a hand whose fingers reached the five principal ports of the gulf and south Atlantic coast. Twice the test of war has approved the site, and twice a city has been built on the same spot. In 1865 the military government of Georgia was established there. During the Spanish War the city was, and still is, headquarters for the Department of the Gulf. From 39,000 in 1880 the population grew to 89,872 in 1900. The census of 1910 showed the population to be 154,485, an increase of 72.3 per cent as against a 37.1 per cent increase from 1880 to 1890. The present population (1917) is conservatively estimated at 205,000.