The New York herald., 1878-09-15
pror,e.s or New York city.

because what we intend is rapid sketch
of the advancement of this metropolis III
things which conduce to the comfort ana
convenience of life and to what is expressed
by the comprehensive word civilization.
We are not unmindful of the expansion
which consists in mere bulk. The contrast
between the city when Canal street
was the northern limit OF compact
population and its present extension
to the Harlem River and beyond
is truly wonderful, considering the rapidity
of the steps, and the growth is still more
wonderful of the population which has
swarmed across the North and the East
rivers and built up the great city OF Brook
lyn on the one side. and the not unlmpor-
tant cities OF Jersey City, Hoboken and
Newark on the other side This sort OF
growth is mere enlargement Of bulk, and
simple bulk should excite no more admira-
ton here than in Jeddo or Pekln. The
great increase of commerce and wealth
ranks higher, but we will not dwell on this.
We prefer to call attention to the nstonlsh-
ing progress of the city i'll the arts and ap-
plances of civilization.
We are impelled to the present retrospect
by the conveniences afforded by the Metro
politan Elevated Railroad, which, while it
is the latest is also one of the most signal
additions to the pleasure and satisfaction
of residing in this metropolis. TO be sure,
it has rs yet been completed only to the
Central Park but we have no doubt Of its
early extension 10 the upper extremity OF
the island and 1t is SO splendid an addition
to our facilities Of intercourse as to Justify
us in noting 1t as the beginning of new
era. What it has already accomplished this
side of the Central Park is promise of its
capabilities when it shall come to be cock
tensive with the city boundaries
1t is natural in comparisons between the
present and the past, to go back one genera
ton, which is usually reckoned to be
period Of about thirty years. There are
about three successive generations In the
course of "a century, and going back
something over one-third of q century
carries us to 1886, the year when the
HERALD was established. The progress Of
the city in the means and appliances OF
civilization has kept such even pace with
the growth and influence Of the HERALD
that we may be pardoned for selecting the
year 1886 as the date of comparison. 1t
is period just far enough distant to
comprise one generation in the scope
of view The year 1886 was an epoch in the
history of the city in many respects. 1t was,
tor example, the year in which, by II vote of
the citizens, it was decided to construct the
Croton water works, by which the city has
since been supplied with one OF the hrst
necessities of life, comfort and safety. At
that time the water supply came from the
reservoir of the Manhattan water works in
Chambers street, located between Broadway
and Church street. The water was pumped
up into that reservoir from neighboring
wells, and the progress was immense from
that detective arrangement to the Croton
aqueduct and the reservoir on Murray
Hill The city is outgrowing that
means of supply, and the reservoir
Mt Forty-second street is soon 10
disappear like the Manhattan reservoir
in Chambers street, which supplied the
city in 1885. Another event which makes
that wear landmark is the great fire Of
1885, the most extensive and destructive
that has ever occurred within our limits.
Great indeed is the contrast between the
imperfect means of extinguishing fires
which then existed and our admirable and
efficient steam engines which so promptly
subdue every conflagration in its early
stages.
Only one generation has passed since the
memorable year when the HERALD was estab-
lIshed, when the Croton water works were
voted, when the great fire demonstrated
the inofficiency of the old fire companies
and what surprising changes have taken
place within the brief interval AS the
prompt diffusion of intelligence is one of
the chief agencies Of civilization we note
the contrast in this respect between 1885
and 1878. When the HtRALD WAS estab-
lished there was no electric telegraph. 1t
was thought a great feat Of enterprise to
employ pony expresses to get news little
in advance of the slow mail coaches and to
board incoming vessels little outside of
the harbor. How poor and paltry would
such arrangements seem at present We
have news from every part of the United
States before the mails can be made up at
their starting points and the fullest
transatlantic news long before the
vessels get outside their harbors. We
have similar facilities for conveying
intelligence between different parts of the
city. But even our district telegraph sys-
TEN, by which the whole city is permcated
with wires and messengers, is likely to be
superseded by the new rapid transit facili-
ties. A merchant can despatch an office
boy from Wall or Broad street with letter
to the upper part of the city by the rapid
transit road and get back an answer more
quickly than he could have done three
4ola1xrax.L