The New York herald., 1876-10-01
Water Fronts and Wharves of New
York and Brooklyn.
THE HUDSON AND EAST RIVERS.
Harlem RiVer-Its Entrances
and Surroundings.
TIDES AND CURRENTS.
What Must Be Done After Hell
Gate Is Cleared.
GENERAL NEWTON'S ESTIMATES.

GENERAL NEWTON'S ESTIMATES.
The success that has attended the first attempt 10
remove the distractions navigation the He'll Gate
channel by the destruction OF Haetts Point Reof has
directed attention TO a part OF New YORK for which
there 10 unqucstonably great future For many
years back has been observed that the Of
this city 10 restricted to that much Of the
trade s leaving the bank Of the Hudson and
sentrating with wonderful rapidly the Now Jersey
shora Even there IL is also cramped for room and
unless speedy arrangements made to increase the
facilities for the shipment and unloading OF freight
both sides OF the river Il is only natural is novt-
able. that other ports will reap large benefits from
our shorts,ghtcdness and lack of commercial enter
PRISE New York mas hitherto bcen solely dependent
on tho Wharfage Of the North River and part Of the
East River for space to handle freight Down town
the pressure greatest because s the section OF the
city almost exclusively devoted to mercantile affairs
The great and bonded warehouses OF the city
closely grouped together, that traffic In the streets
OF the lower wards continually impeded by the
Of freight that collected there for ship
to foreign countries inland transportation by
steamer and railroad The cost Of handling freight
thus Immensely increased because, owing to the limited
space at the disposal OF merchants continuous
ment in progress each succeeding cargo necessitat
ing the rehandng OF the preceding one, well the
manipulation OF hundreds OF thousands Of tons Of mer
chandse already moved many times The only solu-
tion TO the difficulty tho extension Of tho wharfage
for tho reception OF freight along lines which will be
accessible by ships OF large tonnage and that VIII be
convenient for the storage and handling OF meichan
disc aud to the forwarding points represented by the
termni Of the great trunk railroad lines
BROOKLYN DOCKS
These possess all the advantages that could de-
sired as far approachablity and spaciousness
concerned but they fun tho other requirements
TO make them permanently available for commerce.
Bhip laden with freight destined for the West unloads
Brooklyn wharf aud has her cargo stored. In order
TO send the merchandise to Cincinnati 1t is necessary
to load again barges and and tow it
the Bay to the Jersey City side. where It is unoaded
on wharf and again reloaded with extraordinary
labor on railroad cars II il were possible, indeed
It must be- TO connect tho Brooklyn dock system di-
rectly With the railroads. then, indeed, immense
saving would be effected the handling OF freight and
the Brooklyn docks would need nothing 10 make
thom the best and most conveniently located the
Atlantic coast
These facts presented not with Wow to dispar
ago tho Brooklyn DOCKS but to show how necessary
Is to look elsewhere for better accommodation for the
growing commerce OF New York.
THE xKw YORK WATER FRONT.
Owing TO causes, the nature of which " is unneocs
sary discuss here the available water front OF Now
York on the Hudson River Is extremely limited and
very inderenty provided with piers and jctties for
the accommodation OF shippna BY process OF
lection which reflects no credit on the authorities
charged with the regulation Of such matters the
fusion of classes OF steamers and sailing vessels Of
small tonnage that the piers is almost chaotic.
Onac ondp N ,do
BY side. while Albany passenger boat bumps
against New Orleans packet in the game slip. There
some good pers built OF substantial material,
but others are rotten with age and crumbIing under
their own weight on thor worm-eaten piles.
Some long and others short Some are COW
ercd with inhammatc wooden sheds, while others
have nreproof storehouses set upon them Yet every
one of these piers constantly loaded with freight
from every part OF the world and sometimes the
Or merchandise Is great to cause prolonged sus
pension Of traffic in the adjoining streets, tor the carts
that arrive loaded cannot get away empty. The Same
picture presents itself only in, II anything, worse
form the East River 'front.' tor there the line
Is broken by settings back OF the water front and by
numerous indentations caused by incomplete I'M
provemen,s, oy iron foundries, gas works and other
establishments requiring an i'm ncnse area In proper
tion to their actual need OF water frontage. Pract
caly the water front for mercantile purposes the
East River at the Houston street ierry leaving
all tho limo northward from point unavailable Tor
commerce This condition OF things to several
causes, among which may be mentioned the follow
Ing
On account OF the dangers attending the navigation
OF the Upper East River, especially in the Biackweis
Island channels ana nj Hell Gate the East River Us
regarded by a cut de sac which
prudent hence the cr0wGIng at the
southery END OF the line near tho entrance from New
York Bay. The absence oi store aud warehouse
commodaton well us wharfage for freight along this
line, IS also chief drawback The atter want may
be considered to depend On the former and both ndi
rccty the character OF the shore front se, which
Is dicul Tor the building OF any kind OF stores
and especially Tor tho heavy structures needed by
commerce. The topography also rendering
this upper line OF the East River commercially barren
for us progress is made northward tho land becomes
rocky and abrupt until IT finally develops into
the blum front nj Fiity-scventh street, which con-
tinues along the river AS Tar as He'll Gale But, Of all
these difficulties the chic one Is he nrst mcn.ioned
and its removal Will necessarily reduce the importance
aud the influence OF all the Others
WATER FRONT or TnE urrER EAST RIVER.
Taking into consideration the present oustructcd
condition of ihc channci at Hell Gate the line oil
let's Point IS very limited But this Limitation is
wholly due TO the conditions which arise from the in
nuenec OF the obstructlons referred 10. Take Wards
and RandaPs Islands, Tor instance and IL VIII DO
iOund tat SO Tar as area ana depth OF water In the
adacen: channels are concerned, tnerc nothing TO
be uesircd which these islands do not possess With
the New York and Wcstchestcr shores ano with each
other these sanis the Of of the best
located Tor entire continent
Assuming that the operations at Hell Cato will
be continued until every vcstige Of the
sructiug is removed and the channel decpened
Tor the accommodation oi vessels drawng twenty SIX
feet oi water, Two outlets viii then be available from
this group oi islands toward the Atlantic Ocean In
either OF outlets there will be dangerous
llncmt bonds and turns that could conipIlcate
navigation beyond the control of skliu seamen Tho
tidal ebb How through He'll Gate viii be reduced 10
Uniform currents, the action and iDnuencc Of which
VIII be AS easily recognized and provided lur as any
that rt the broad aud unobstructcd Hudson
River Deep will TIC found every side, that
The 81 Valuable ships ride saey IN the mari owes
part o. the Docks and piers will have solid
foundations. sustain without INJURY 10 vessel
or cargo, The loads Witt all these advantages
Will be the rule freight directly from the ship
10 the railroad the cana; boat or
EFFECT ISLAND SHORE