The New York herald., 1874-12-04
HABI.Ex RIVER, NEAR EAST RIVER, NBw york.
UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

x, ~ l
GENEnAI-I have the honor TO submit the iok
lowing report on the Harlem River survey, made
In conformity with the act approved March 8,
ASIA for examinations and Anrveys specifying
Harlem River. near East River, New York. the
Harlem River forms an important passage
New York harbor. It's upper part has been
much neglected, and, In consequence has peen
o0structed BY artificial obstacles while the natural
Island, separating It from the main. me water
from the Hudson River 70 Long Island sound and
Spuyten Duyvtl Greek ts small stream emptying
River to KingsbEidge the stream is known az
Spuvten Duyvn Creek, and as Harlem river from
Ktpgsortdge TO Long Island Sound. The western
eastern entrance is IN the Hell Gate passage, % Be.
OF East leth street, New York city. Besides tnis
last named entrance are two others-Little He'll
Gate and Harlem Kills. The nrst Y ! 100 yaras in
minimum depth Of 8 reek The bottom is irregular
and rocky and the current very rapid The other
minimum oept6 OF I feet the main eastern en-
trance into Hell Gate is seven and quarter miles
is eight and quarter niles and W the cha Harlem Kills
entrance nine mites. The distance from the Hud-
son , River 70 Hen Gate oy snis passage Is eight
Sound and moderately easy access from New
YORK narpor together with It's quiet interior posi-
tion, would seem to make it desirable thorough
the Hudson RIVER and In certain cases. even 1or
aose passing & NV New 79rK % na1o1r on sns
the 1ourishlng towns on It's banks NOW annexed
to New York city should deserve some consldera-
tton as enhancing the importance OF the passage.
The distance from Peck slip, on the East River, to
the mouth OF Spuyten Duyvn Creek, on the Hud-
by way oil the Battery and Hudson River, so that
for all places east Of this the HARLEM River
Route Is the shorter. the above Is compiled
from the Harbor Commissioners report Of the
year 1857. pages 2oe 2o7. There are at present
plying between Harlem and the lower part OF New
ey ne Harlem a"a New YORK
Company ana the Morrisania Steamboat Company.
The Harlem and New York Navigation Company
runs four steamboats,; total value, $20O, 900. For
the year 1873 this line carried passengers,
an increase OF $4,000 over 1872 and made on an
six Tx passages per day T Tne net net y proceeds t
from freight were Ss.ooo The Morrisania
nns Company qwns swS valued
carried ,000 coo passengers and averaged per day
ten round trips or twenty passages. Their net
above information is from the onlcers OF these
companies. With increase OF travel these lines In
n osy Sas
rocky distractions As regards the number and
tonnage OF vessels plying on the Harlem RIVER
tnat large number frequent this river.
RESULTS or FIELD WORK.
Establishments VII visit New York nafbor, meeting
and Overlapping between the upper part OF the
Eass hveI ana the western limits OF the sound.
a. AZ uoveInors M island owing 90 the expansion OF
Hook tide reaches its minimum range, having
cmnisned rom . mean rise and iall OF tides OF
as iees 20 one ot A3 feet OF Governors Island.
Thence toward the Sound the tidal elevation in.
creases steadily reaching at the west side OF Hal
letts Point range of 81 feet and continuing
and fali OF 7.3 feet-the Sound tide. in tins
course the establishments also gradually
approach, those OF the sound being at
Hell Gate ferry III. 4sr., at Throggs Neck an. GIN.
later than at Governors Island. The tidal cur.
rents are called into existence by the variations
In the dinerent heights OF the Sound their epochs
having no direct relations with the local tide and
their vciocities being aected by the sae circuYr-
stances The rise and fall OF tides IL about 6 . feet
a. the loot OF East ll2tn and 12lth streets, New
YORK city. IL increases little toward Mott
Haven, where II Is 6.3 feet ON IT'S way up
from East Hath street to Motifs docr