There are six public squares, called, Zabala, Constitucion, Independencia, Libertad, Treinta y Tres, General Flores, and the smaller ones called Solis and Muelle Viejo.
In all these squares there are trees and banks; they are lit with electric light and the paths that surround them are made of the finest granite.
Most of them are one manzana large, that is to say 7,378 square metres. The square called Independencia is a parallelogram 221 metres long by 232 metres broad with an area of 29,260 metres. In it is situated the government palace. The boulevard called 18 de Julio is the continuation of the Independencia Square, from W. to E., being 26 metres broad.
The common sewer has an extension of 93,000 metres and more than 7,500 are directly its conduits.
The drinkable water comes from Santa Lucia (61 kilometres from Montevideo); the various conduits have an extension of over 180 kilometres.
All the streets and even the suburbs have the electric light; some others have still the gas light.
Three gasometres, two of them 100,000 cubic feet and one 70,000, are employed for the preparation of the gas. The gas pipes represent an extension of 128 kilometres. The power of each light is equivalent to that of 18 candles.
There are two important establishments for the preparation of the electric light, which is now used by a great many trade houses and shops.
The town is composed of over 19,000 houses--20 per cent. of them being houses with two stories; a good many of them have three and four stories. The architecture of the houses is most elegant, especially of those which were built during the last fifteen years.
Among the public buildings remarkable for their importance are: the Cathedral, the Charity Hospital, the Insane Asylum, the Central Cemetery, Solis Theater, Normal School, Government Palace, Parliament House, Custom House, Professional School, National Bank, San Felipe and Cibils Theatres, London Bank, South America British Bank, Uruguay Club, Gas Works, Prison, San Francisco, Capuchin Friars, Concepcion and Carmen Churches, Orphan Asylum, Seminary, English Church, Music Academy, Oriental Hotel, Gounouilhou Baths, etc.
The suburbs and environs are most picturesque, with a great quantity of the most elegant country houses, built all along the avenues called Agraciada, Paso del Molino, Duranas, Miguelete, Sierra, Goes, Suarez, Larranaga and many others.