The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-14
SOME NEW o
New York rrny Yss,s Aso.

History Company wo confined ourselves
TO chapters which depleted the condition
Of the CITY in the closing years OF the last
century. But the remarkable thing about New
York 10 that II has grown and charged incom-
parably more during the last forty or nifty
years than It did during the preceding two
and O half centuries. We recur. therefore,. to the
Memorial History" for tho purpose OF show
ing what New York was about the year 1910.
and OF proving that ut that time It moro close
IL ressmbled in some particulars the colonial
borough OF q hundred years before. than the
Empire City OF to-day.
Tho materials needed for our purpose are
provided in the chapters OF tho volume before
us. which are contributed by Mr.. John Austin
Stevens and by Sir. ]. Hampden Doueherty. 1t
IL Mr.. Stevens who trnces the foundations OF
Saw York's commercial greatness. which were
laid during the years between 1895 and 1887.
Up to that time. in tho opinion OF the majority
Of Americans. Philadelphia had been the rrin-
cipal city In tho United States. It was. OF
course. the opening OF tho Erie Canal which
assured to New York commercial and financial
ascendancy. The Erie Canal gave her the con-
troll OF the trade with the great lakes and OF
the vast and fruitful regions bordering upon
them. and the Chamrlain Canal. finished =
little earlier. was an outlet for the produce OF
q large section Of country adjoining the lake
Of the Same name. These two waterways con-
Meeting with the Hudson constituted a navi-
gable channel Of 7OS miles. besides which the
gront chain OF lakes with which communica-
ton was now opened represented a navigable
area 1.625 miles In length. OF which over LOO
miles were Within the limits OF the State
whose sole means OF access to the ocean was
tho harbor OF the city OF New York. Under
tho circumstance It was inevitable that New
York city should become the entrop0t OF OK
ports and importe for the vast territory COM
manded by the canals. and incidentally the
centre OF financial business for domestic as
we'll as foreign commerce. 1t was not until
the completion OF the Erie Canal that Now
York recovered from the depression OF the
embargo period and the war OF 1872. The cx-
ports OF 1903 werc not again eIualled In
amount until 1925. In the last named year
the total foreign trade Of the port OF Now
York was valued ut over $4,000. 900. OF
which 1t is interesting to recall that the
carriage Of over S61.00O 900 was cred-
tied to American vessels. During tho period
OF 1S25-2S the number OF merchant vessels In
port varied from 1--WE to seven hundred in busy
seasons. beside nifty steamboats,. For vessels
OF that day there was an ample deDth OF water
at every wharf. The line Of shipping ran from
the Battery to Corlear's Hook on the East
River. and to the North Battery foot of HUI
DSTt btIt0tl vi u huusOH. u btEttth vi u
two water fronts Of three miles. The princi-
pal slips were Coentles. Old Coffee House foot
OF Wall street.. Beckman. and Peck slips.
South street was the site OF the wharves for
the large ships. The provision boats from
Long Island lay of Fulton. and those from
New Jersey or Washington Market
Some striking changes in the outward
aspect OF that part OF New York city which lies
below City Hall Park. date from the second
quarter OF the century. Julian {. Nerplanck.
returning from q long absence In 1929. noted
certain alterations which had taken place in
his time. Pine street." he writes. lis now
full Of blocks Of tail. massive buildings which
overshadow tho narrow passage between and
make 1t one Of the gloomiest streets in ,,ew
York. 1t was not thus thirty or forty years
ago. Shops were on each side OF the way.
low! cheerful-looking two-story buildings OF
light colored brick or wood painted white or
yellow. and which scarcely seemed a him
dranco to the air and sunshine" Besides the
Merchants Exchange. the foundations OF
which were laid in Wall street in 1925. a new
building was erected for the savings bank In
Chamber street. and a Presbyterian church
was built In Bleecker street: the latter fact
bears Witness to the northward trend OF the
pODuldtlOU. III lIlo same year tnc CITY WAS ul-
vided into twelve wards. and the free school
Bystem was altered to that OF public schools
which took pay from scholars at the rate OF
twenty-five cents to ono dollar each quarter.
In the year 1880 the Mercantile Library build
ing was erected on Aston place. In 1892 when
the city was visited for the first time by the
Asiatio cholera. tho New York Hospital oc-
eupied beautiful grounds on Broadway. be-
tween Reade and Duane streets. In 8 3 the
Mayor was. for the first time. elected by
popular vote. and SO frequent and serious
were the disturbances OF the peace that this
received the name OF tho Year OF Riots. There
being no registration booths the rolling places |
were ut the mercy OF mobs. Tho election of |
Mayor occupied three days. during tho last OF |
which tho city was declared In n state of in
surrection. md the militia had to be called
out. Tho candidate OF the Tammany or Jack
son Democrats wns returned by u small ma
jority. but the Wings elected q majority of the |
Common Council We aro told that as tho news
passed along the crowded thoroughbred n
shout went UP that shook Wall street from
Broadway to the East River. What was known
IS the Five Points riot broke out Ia the summer
OF 1885 This was an outcome OF tho fierce
antagonism berween the Irish and native
Americans. It was in this year that the people
voted to construct an a1ueduct from the
Croton River. an undertaking Of great magni-
tude for the time. inasmuch as the water had
to no transported forty miles. Until this ac-
auoduct was opened New York never had nm
adequate water supply. The ten-water works.
which were constructed In 1885 at the Collect
Pond. had supplied the city by casks until
1700. when the Manhattan company was char
tered to tap the Bronx River. A pump was
built near the Collect. and wooden pipes were
laid through the streets. but the Manhattan