Schiedam

Schiedam, a town and river port of Holland, in the province of South Holland, on the Schie, near its confluence with the Maas, and a junction station 3 m. by rail and steam tramway W. of Rotterdam. Pop. (1905) 29,227. The public buildings of interest are the Groote or Janskerk, the old Roman Catholic church, the synagogue, the town-hall, the exchange, the concerthall and a ruined castle. Schiedam is famous as the seat of a great gin manufacture, which, carried on in more than three hundred distilleries, gives employment besides to malt-factories, cooperages and cork-cutting establishments, and supplies grain refuse enough to feed about 30,000 pigs, as well as sufficient yeast to form an important article of export. Other industries include shipbuilding, glass-blowing and the manufacture of stearine candles.