The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-09
Harlem River and Harlem Lake.
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

Among the improvements In and around the city, l
hve noticed the attempt to improve tee navigation OF The
Rarlen river. have for years been OF opinion that
Ne greatest Improvement that could be made n Harlem
river would be'to Oh up and make dry ground of 1t,
Aaa should like 70 this question idea discussed
~ practical men, and 10 influence or effects upon the
growth and prosperity Of the city OF New York.
mat Harlem river be easily srd successfully filed
% and made solid ground from the Third to the Tenth
avenues, there be doubt 10 only question Of
sst and expediency, utility. There Is abundant mato
xAl on both aides Of river end within vener,
distance, accomplish this great work, and thereby
sn1ex, permanently aud forever the Island Of Aanhst
IN 70 the main land Of westcheater county
Then all the Leading avenues such the Third Fonrtb
Yu,h sixth, seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth,
could be continued carried out inc the country with
cut sGy difficulty obstruction. Taer all the city r,
vsaAs could pa without obstAee~ithoot the delay
snd danger Of those pitfalls msn.raps called draw
bridges.
A ,o the prscticabity OF such work there can
ssubt, for works OF equal greater magnitude have
been achieved within the past twenty years in this and
ssher countries. There are sofnc sections o. the New
York and Erie Railroad which have cost almost ss muah
the Harlem rver.o fay nothing Of the and labor Of
TIE Croton Wafer Works, or Of the stup .ndous WORK
srNnssc Of Harlem lase ia Holland Harlem river
BE easily led up "a the Old Collect and its outlets
Along through Centre and Canal streets
In 1890 the sixty feet deep near where The
Dcpbs Haie Of Justice, so~ stand In Centre street
There more natural obstacles or difncufies In
the way OF lrg mp Harlem river than there were 10 Ine
AIus MP Of the Coec. and w Outlet than there Is TO
NE nldns In Of tbs low around, marshes and water
courses along The Scooad Avenle, near Hurha'e ana
Harlem Creek. where the Old Harlem cansI Was pro
iccted. There is natural difficulty oostsee In the
way Of nldng up all these places a, they arc all mere
snclt courses, dTains snto waich tide nows,
SMALL estuares, net streams or rivers properly, that
lrsI Ia aud country, aud subject TO ~ fdeu
siwa hsSkq HAYlg war "A IN
whenever the tide 10 preveniet from BoHtng through II,
by dan lev ret snove high vaier mark, that s tie
end oil ~ water oourse Tor the water will not cumu.
late or gather ard buTst over the dam or mound CT
eAtn bus win recode each way froG Is. There
are DO cone cerSole strains that h,~ from the
until near KipgI bridge, and these could be
turned the Hudson, through spuytsn Duyvei Now,
should hke TO know whs. obstacles, or objections,
any there to this great work The law ., TO navs>
bls wNer may stand 10 toe way The benefits resulting
from such work would be very groat. II would ~
once eprge the borders tho area Of the city OF New
York TO such extont, and Ia q manner entirely aud
wholly unobsIuc,ed. ~ be done In no other way,
and eli beautiful and rolling lands tho north side
u Harlem river would be brought Immediately into the
city xrd parks, and grousds could be msie equal 10 ex
good from The bpg OF ali these inland waters,
wosd be much more healthy region II would be free
the dss.e that now Irevan there In the form OF
innrmttent ana obstinate biioGs cyers.
The gscai and Aupendous work Of draining the Harlem
lake, in Holland. was accomplished nj cost OF some
three rlion avo hundred thousand dollars depth OF
&C. eco scre, sbd asc,oscd aud brought rto use this
srcai land u tary &C. 900 from the bottom
o. the sea- or sresi lake; Which no~ converted INTO
q water removed By direct force, By three mons
xons steam epgines, which worked steadily for moro
thar nineteen months in raising or lifting the water out
tke bed of the lake. Row woui the 1ling up OF the
Haslem river compare with this work Ell p.
BAookils, Jan. 9, 1857.