The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-06-28

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BROOKLYN, June 26, 1876.
Editors of the Register:
One would naturally suppose that OF
all the American cities, Phiiadeipsia, u
the present time, would be the hVellesti
but let not this opinion have too strong
hold in YOUR mind, least it prove q
fraud and a snare. New York certainly
excels IN everything. Seethe rush there
with all kinds of vehicles; zee the mag
niacent stores; see the people going IN
and out; see how the city Is surrounded
by sailing vessels and steamers from all
the ports of the world; and, above all,
take an elevated position and look over
that wonderful street. Broadway. The
people; the people! Where did they all
come from? Where are they going and
what is their business? One Is impressed
with the idea that the whole business OF
the CITY is to walk up and down Broad
way. Can it be possible that these writh-
ing. swsying, twisting masses have any
thing Useful to dos Yes, they must, be-
cause one can't long live in such disin-
terested crowd without qu'd pro
quo. These people then whom
you casually Judge to be walk
ing the street aimless, have their
brains boiling and bubbllng with schemes
of great pith and moment" There
goes q man who thinks he will make
millions ON the next turn of Erie. Here
goes another who like Col. Sellers,
thinks he has millions in his hogs, aad
yet third who is only awaiting the AZ
rival of his good ship Mary Jane, safely
into port, to be assured Of his everlast-
ing independence. Some have made,
and some have lost, some are happy and
some are miserable, and like the world
throughout they toll, and struggle and
work, until they sleep and LIES poor
play is over" 1t has often been ques-
ton: What makes New York such q
great city? Other cities had an equal
start with her, and why didn't they
keep up with her.. I think the whole
solution of the question lies in her har-
Dor. New York has one OF the best
hsrbors in the world. 1t is deep enough
to admit of the largest vessels com
ing right along SIDE of the piers, suttic-
iently protected BY bluffs, to prevent any
great damage BY storm, and it is only
eighteen miles from the city out to the
broad ocean.
Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore, Phila-
adelphla and Bosom may all get to be
great cities, but they never will catch
up with New York On last Wednes-
day I went up to He'll Gate to see the
excavations. Hired light and an UNI.
brella and went on an exploring expedl-
ton. Went down into the shaft forty
seven feet and then went out under the
sound rs far as l could until stopped by
the water. These excavations are made
out OF the almost solid rock, occasion
ally there is q seam, and wherever that
is. the water streams through from the
sound. 1t is this water they are trying
to pump out preparatory to blowing the
whole thing up. The engineer told me
they were gaming on the water and
expected to be able to give the finishing
touches sometime this fall. The eIcava-
tons run in chambers. the largest of
which is q little over two hundred and
ninety-six feet. l felt kind o queer
when | was under the wster TO think
that vessels could sail and steam and
carry large cargoes right over my head
head. What if they should mash the rock?
Let US go out-Tm great stickler for
fresh air. If this work should prove
success 1t will be OF an immense interest
to shippers, as those large vessels which
are now compelled to sail away round
Long Island, can come right down
through the sound where they nearly al
ways have good sailing, and are COM
paratively Tree from storms.
The New Workers have another i'm
provemeut in process Of completion,
which they look forward to a. big
thing-the suspension bridge, connect
ing New York with Brooklyn. l be-
lieve the piers are already finished or
nearly so. and the Crome Steel Works
of Brooklyn have the contract for max
ing the wire cables. These cables are to
be of steel wire of the best material.
But these things do not interest the gen
eral visitor He is taken with the noise
and confusion, and hubbub, the crowds,
on the streets and at the ferries, the thea
tres. the concerts, and other places OF
smusements GO where you will there
will be crowds OF well
dressed and apparently well to do people
exhibiting no signs of hard times or lack
of money. The best place TO get birds
eye view OF the whole city and its sur
roundIngs is from the top of Trinity
Church steeple. Here for the simple fee
OF ten cents one can take in the whole
business" The day was there, twenty,
or about twenty, ladies and gentlemen
paid their ten cents to ascend the steeple
in the space OF less than an hour, so YOU
perceive IN what estimation it is held.
From here you can see away down the
bay, all over Jersey City and Hoboken,
ali over Brooklyn, and away up the
North River, and from here you get the
best idea of Broadway that can be had
from snyvhere-that long line of living.