Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/398

 384: NEW YOEK (CITY) cattle yards have been opened by this line, extending from 60th to 63d street, and from llth avenue to the Hudson river. Other trains on the lines named arrive at the Grand Central depot, whence the freight cars of all except the Hudson Eiver line are drawn by horses to the freight depot in Centre street, passing through the tunnel under 4th avenue from 40th to 33d street. Above the Grand Central depot the work of sinking the tracks is now (1875) in progress, so that the cars for the most part to Harlem river will pass through a tunnel under 4th avenue. Half the cost of this work is borne by the city, and half by the New York and Harlem railroad company. By ferry to Jersey City and Hoboken New York communicates with the Pennsylvania, Central of New Jersey, New Jersey Midland, Northern New Jersey, Erie, and Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western railroads for the south and west. The Morris canal terminates at Jersey City. The ferries to Hunter's Point and Brooklyn connect with the various rail- roads of Long island. The harbor of New York is one of the finest in the world. The bar is at Sandy Hook, 18m. from the city, and has two ship channels, from 21 to 32 ft. at low, and 27 to 39 ft. at high tide, admitting ves- sels of the heaviest draught, the Great East- ern having passed without danger or difficulty. The lower bay is a safe anchorage, of triangu- lar form, from 9 to 12 m. on each side, the N. U. angle opening into the upper or New York bay, through the Narrows, a deep channel be- tween Long and Staten islands, about 1 m - long by 1 m. wide. The upper bay is an irregu- lar oval, about 8 by 5 m., opening northward into the Hudson river, eastward through the East river into Long Island sound, and west- ward into Newark bay. The rivers immediate- ly around the city are deep, so that the heavi- est ships can approach any of the wharves, while the bottom affords good anchorage, and the tidal currents keep the channels usually free from ice. The average rise and fall of the tide is 4-3 ft. The lower bay contains 88 sq. m. available for anchorage ; the upper bay, 14 sq. m. ; and the Hudson and East rivers, 13 sq. m. Vessels and steamers of light draught now pass to and from Long Island sound through the East river, but the obstructions at Hell Gate render navigation by large vessels dangerous. The operations in progress for the removal of these obstructions, under the auspices of the United States government, are expected to ren- der the city accessible from the sound by sea- going vessels of the largest size. (See BLAST- ING.) The Harlem river, it is believed, may be improved at a reasonable cost, so as to admit small vessels. The fortifications consist of an unfinished fort at Sandy Hook and several works at the Narrows, in the bay, and at the entrance of East river into the sound. Fort Tompkins on the hill and Fort Wadsworth at the water's edge, with several batteries, are on .the W. or Staten island side of the Narrows, while on the E. or Long island side are Fort Hamilton and an exterior battery. Fort La- fayette, on a reef near the E. shore, noted as a place of detention for political prisoners du- ring the civil war, is now useless. In the bay there are Fort Columbus, Castle Williams, and barbette batteries on Governor's island, Fort Wood on Bedloe's island, and Fort Gibson on Ellis island. Fort Schuyler is on Throgg's neck, on the N. side of the entrance to the sound; and on.Willet's point, on the S. side, there is another fortification. The headquar- ters of the military division of the Atlantic are in W. Houston street on the corner of Greene. There is a navy yard at Brooklyn. The harbor is well provided with lights and beacons. A light ship is stationed off Sandy Hook, and on that point itself are several light- houses. A prominent light is that on the Nevisink Highlands, S. of Sandy Hook. There are also lights on the E. shore of Staten island and on either side of the Narrows. At the entrance of the sound there is a lighthouse on Throgg's neck and two in the East river, one on North Brother island and the other on the N. point of Blackwell's island. The shape and situation of Manhattan island are peculiarly favorable to the accommodation of shipping. It has 24f m. of available water front, viz. : 13 m. on Hudson river, 9J m. on East river, and 2 m. on Harlem river. Commerce is now mostly carried on below Grand street on East river and llth street on Hudson river. There are about 70 piers on the former river, and about 80 on the latter. A plan for the im- provement of the water front, below 61st street on Hudson river and below Grand street on the East river, has been adopted. A wall of be"ton and masonry or masonry alone is to be built so far outside of the present bulkhead as to afford room for a river street 250 ft. wide along the Hudson, and for the most part 200 ft. wide along East river below 31st street, above which the contemplated width is 175 ft. From this wall piers 500 or 600 ft. long are td be pro- jected into the rivers. This plan will give on Hudson river, between the Battery and 61st street, a river- wall line of 25,743 ft. and a pier length of 37,529 ft., with a pier area of 3,325,600 sq. ft. ; and on East river, between the Battery and 51st street, a river- wall line of 27,995 ft. and a pier length of 28,000 ft., with a pier area of 1,780,000 sq. ft. The total wharf line (piers and river walls) between' W. 61st and E. 51st street would therefore be about 37 m., and between W. llth street and Grand street on East river, 21 '43 m. The piers are to be built mostly of preserved wood. The plan is being carried out as rapidly as practicable. The control of the water front is vested in three commissioners of docks. On the East river front facilities are afforded by dry docks and otherwise for repairing ves- sels of the largest class. New York has communication with the principal coastwise and transatlantic ports by numerous lines of