The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-06-24

surrender those rights or that honor, or sacrifice
their Interests. 70 long as there be tho Least
chance Of defending them Eternal infAuy
allowed bimselt to ne bulied into yielding the
mooicipal rights of which he was the chosen
champion The prospect then would be, for the
r,ma'nder OF the year, nm incessant conflict be-
tween two sets of policemen, each claiming 70
be the only tue and legitimate force; an era of
saturnald, sort of carnival for the thieves row
dies, blackeuards snort boys and murderers; r4-
crinipaicn Of the moot bitter AID aggravating
kind between the rival forces, each treating the
other a. rio ers. lswbreskers and feions; geoe-
raj CONFUSION Of society by the constant imp n
cepcy Of riots; an incalcuable injury 10 the
fair fame and commercial interests of the
city.
We hope the Judges Of the Court of Appeals
will have this prospect before them If they have
any DOUBT in their own minds rs to the prudence
of deciding the main question involved in the
appeal Possibly, though we don't see how or
why, 1t may require some nerve for Judge of
such court TO decide an important point OF this
IT
Judge VINO. from private motives, declines to
terminate the present municipal crisis, and pro-
longs cur existing Anarchy and confusion. will
find that prudence was very rash policy in
deed
shc Great Ea-ser-New York Her Proper
Port Of Destination.
The approaching completion of the mammoth
oce an steamship, the Great Eastern has led to y
warm discussion Of the capacities of tue different
hsrbors Oh our coast which are best fitted to re-
ceive her. Greater interest is impaired to tois
rivalry by the probabilit, that the port to which
che makes her first visit will become her perma-
nent destination Strangely enough. until within
the last few weeks the controversy has been car
ried on without reference to the claims of our
own port to the honor of first welcoming to our
shores this levisth,n of the com nerci.l marine.
1t has been assum.d--we know not why-that
ehe cannot find depsh enough in our waters
Nothing can be more foolish or erroneous than
this Impression. Before, however, we proceed to
disprove it by the evidence at present lying
before Us, let US just briefly examine the preten-
SONS of the other two hsrbors-Potland aud
| NOrfolk-wnich are indicated as the points be-
| tween which the choice will iie
As to the capacity of the first of these harbors
in respect of depth and sea room, we have not an
adverse word to say. The Great Essterp woald
unquestionab'y lie as easily aud safely within its
extensive anchorage limits as within those of
| any other harbor in the world, But in com
mercial point of view, we confess we cannot see
the wisdom of this choice To support a vessel
of such enormous tonnage and cspacious p.s,en
ger accommodations as the Great Eastern, some
thing more than the traffic, present and pro,pec-
tive, of place like Portland, will be required.
1t is true that it commands the Canada railways;
but this fact alone will lot secure for it the trade
necessary to keep a gigantic line dixie that of
which the Great Eastern is only the first expert
ment. in profitable operation. The same may be
said OF Norfolk. That port commands only a
few lines of railway. passing through virgioia
into Tennessee, and in point Of passenger traffic
it can never prove IemoneIative to steamers OF
this huge size. The Soutnerners, Ia their eager
ness to advance their own Interests, have exSg-
gerated the advantages of Norfolk; but the pro.
prietors of the Great Eastern will not, we
expect. be disposed to victinize them
selves merely to confer temporary benefit
on Southern trade. Besides, we DO not see any
local superiority in point Of harbor accommoda-
ton which Norfolk possesses to induce them to
overlook the sectional character OF its preten-
sioos. The draft Of the Great Eastern, after
consuming the major portion Of her Goals on
the outward trip, will not be less than twenty-six
feet, and by reference to Blun!s Sailing Drec-
tons it will be seen that shortly after sue enters
Hampton Roads che will run into shoal of four
fathoms. In this respect Portland has greatly
the advantage over Norfolk, the average depth
of Its anchorage not being less than thirty six
feet
II we can show that The port Of New York Can
supply all the conditions Of depth aud sea room
which vessel OF this immense size requires, we
apprebend that its superiority in all other res
pects as the ultimate destination of the line, will
not be contested. With this view we have pre-
pared an engraved chart of Long Island Sound
and the East river. which will be found on our
first page, and which will fully bear out the
opinion to which we have given expression. or
the two entrances TO our harbor, this is the only
one practicable for vessels like the Grea,
Eastern That by way Of Sandy Hook presents
the obstacle of the Bar, which is irsurmountable,
its depth at low water being twentysix feet just
the dIaught of the Great Eastern, when relieved
of her Goals. Entering the Sound, however at
Montauk Point. she can with the most perfect
ease reach the foot of l06th street, at the mouth
of the Harlem river, where the depth is SO feet.
The lowest depth of the channel is where Il ap-
proaches the Astoria shore, near Randsll's Point.
There II is only thirty-two fee.-deep enough,
howcvG, for the maximum drsught Of the
Great Eastern. which is said to be only thirty
feet. With regard to any supposed difficulty in