UTRECHT. A city of the Netherlands, the capital of the province of the same name. It is situated 22 miles southeast of Amsterdam (Map: Netherlands, D 2). The Rhine separates here into the Old Rhine and the canalized Vecht, and there are also canals traversing the city. Utrecht is a strong outpost of defense for Amster dam. The site of the former fortifications sur rounding the city are (since 1830) lined by water courses and agreeable promenades. Quaint houses and artistic street scenes are to be seen at every hand, the Gothic being freely in evidence. The famous Gothic cathedral (thirteenth cen tury), rising in the centre of the town, is the most prominent edifice, and marks the spot where the church of Dagobert and of Saint Wille brord stood. It ranked high for architectural beauty until the nave, which has never been re stored, fell in in 1674 as the result of a storm, thus separating the tower from the rest of the church. The tower, 338 feet high, was begun in 1321. It has a chime of 42 bells. The grace ful Gothic cloisters which merit notice connect the cathedral with the famous university (q.v-)• The `Pope's house,' built by Pope Adrian VI., a native of Utrecht, now contains municipal of fices. The splendid archiepiscopal museum is noteworthy for its rare vestments, embroideries, carvings, etc., all representative of Christian art. The Museum Kunstliefde is in the building of the Society of Arts and Sciences, and contains a few notable pictures by Scorel. The art-indus
trial Museum van Kunstnyverheid, the Fleshers' Hall. and the mint possess some interest. On the east extends the Malieban—a triple boule vard shaded by six rows of large old lime trees. It lead*. to Hoogeland Park, and to the Anti quarian Museum, which is housed in an edifice of Greek pattern. The museum contains many varieties of antiquities belonging to Roman, Ger manic, and mediaeval times. The interesting royal Chnteau of Soestdyk, where the reigning family often sojourns, is a few miles to the north, Besides the university with its numerous col lateral institutions, including laboratories and a museum, Utrecht has the only veterinary school in the Netherlands, and an important meteorolo gical observatory. The Historical Society and the Society of Arts and Sciences hold a leading rank. The large university library is in the palace erected for King Louis Napoleon. The military hospital was founded by Napoleon T. Utrecht has manufactures of cloth, woolens, silk, velvet, carpets, carriages, organs. cigars, chemicals, etc. The population in 1901 was 106,800. About one third of the inhabitants are Catholics. In ad dition to the Roman Catholic archbishop, Utrecht is the seat of an old Catholic (Jensenist) arch bishop.