The New York herald., 1867-03-21
Renedellins New York CITY.


The HERALD has published the memorial
which was presented the other day to tAe
Legislature by James E Serrell, proposing
to remodel the city Of New York. We
nesd not say that we should be tho
last to discourage any feasible plan which
claims, like the plan Of Mr.. Serrell, to be 9 the
result Of many years Of practical work, study
and research" and that ats adoption ana
completion necessarily would have tendency
to make New York the greatest city in the
world" We are also aware that engineers ars
unwilling, like Napoleon, to admit in their
vocabulary the word simpossible." Give
them enough time, money and science, and
they profess to be able 70 do anything what.
ever in their line. "My proposition i,n
says Mr.. Ssrrell, "to change the shape Of
the boundary on the easterly side Of tAs
city Of New York and the westerly aida
Of Long Island opposite thereto, by cutting
new East river, Of the dimensions a. hersin-
after described, through Long Island nom
Hunters Point to Long Island Sound, to bs
completed by sections and not opened until
finished, after which the old channel NAV be
closed and nlled up, thereby avoiding and
doing away with He'll Gates, both large and
small, and adding 70 the city Of New York ths
width Of the channels on each side Of Black
wells Island, the island itself and the land %
Long Island, and also Wards aud RandaIlb
islands. The proposed new East river or chan
mel could be completed before Ae present
channels are in the least changed or interfersd
with, and would be I'VE and quarter miles
long, three thousand three hundred feet Wide
and forty feet deep."
The more statement Of such propositicn
sufaces to show its simpracticability. Obviously
1t involves . violation Of the laws Of nature
which have given Manhattan Island il present
shape, and Of those laws, almost equally fixed,
which regulate the growth Of all great cities
and which have made New York gradually
reach Its present expansion, determining -
very directions in which it should stretch
ITSELF Mr.. Serrsll has the same motto q San
Patch, that what man has done man can d.,
and he points 10 the building Of st. Petersburg
- an encouraging precedent Buf ws muse
remind hin that Peter the Great had an immense
advantage over him In having gained posses
hon Of The river Neva, - well - in not having
10 demolish great cities On each side Of 10
before at its mouth, among the marshes, he
laid the foundations Of St. Petersburg In 1703.
The Gear began at the beginning. Mr.. SerrsIl
has not yet won possession Of the East river,
md "the sastsrly side Of New York" and sths
westerly side Of Long Island opposite thereto"
ire pretty well built up already.
We are the less inclined to waste time in
seriously discussing Mr.. Serrell's grand but
scheme, inasmuch as IL IL, IL We
are not misinformed, but single one Of many
similar schemes which have swarmed forth
rom the same busy, but, we fear, overheated
brain. The protector Of this plan for remodel
ling New York was, Il we remember aright
hhlly tardy with his plans and specifications
II Port Royal. But he was prompt enough,
we have been told, with proposition to erect
! mole from Hilton Head to Havana as
,ab and sure outlet for the black element I'm
Ihe problem which perplexed the national mind
Turing our late war. All Tho negroes in the
sOpsh vers 70 struggle over ths mole. dry shoA