The Forrest City times., 1895-06-21
JOINING THE WATERS.

sands, With an Accompaniment of Naval
saiutes and Screeching sirens-A Big
Aquatic Parade and Fine Land
Pageant.
NEW YORK, June 1s-Amid the
booming of cannon from two of Uncle
Sans warships, the screeching of
whistles from river craft and the
cheers of thousands of spectators, a
iotilla of nearly 200 vessels entered
the Harlem ship canal and new wa
terway was thrown open to commerce
at noon. 1t was great day for upper
New York. The joining of the waters
of the Hudson and East rivers was cell
ebrated as no similar event has been
celebrated since the Erie canal was
opened in 1926
Mayor Strong issued a proclamation
making the day a municipal holiday,
and elaborate preparations were made
by the enthusiastic Harlemites to
whoop things up all the way from his
toric Spuyten Duyvil. past Kings
bridge, the heights of Fordham, Nor
ris dock. High bridge, Motthaven and
Port Morris to Oak Point on Long
Island sound, where a final burst of
was ltIJ OIL dU mig nG.
The programme was carried out in
great shape.
The Harlem ship canal was pro-
Jected twenty years ago, but no &C.
tive work was done until within
the last five years. Since then the
government has blasted a wide
cut through a hill of rock, and dredged
M N nj lac Of nd IN 10 nh,y
creek . feet in depth and the Har-
lem river into a waterway suitable for
light draft vessels from the Hudson
river to Long Island sound. The total
length of the canal is 6 miles. The
mean depth of the channel is feet
and the width so feet. The cost of the
canal is $500, 600, and it is proposed
eventually to widen it to $50 feet and
deepen it to 1s feet. It's opening
will be a great relief to the building
trades of the upper part of the city, as
it will be mainly used for building ma
terial for some time to come. Some Of
the grain canal boat traffic, which now
passes around the Battery to reach the
East river, may also be diverted to it.
The canal also forms connecting link
between the great lakes and Long
Island sound, shortening the distance
from the Hudson river to Long Island
sound by about IL miles,
At II a. M, the hour set for the
starting of the marine parade the Hud-
son river at Spuyten Duyvil presented
lively appearance. The trim, white
cruiser Cincinnati, anchored in the
stream, was gay with bunting and
ready to attend to it's part of the
ceremony. A dozen passenger steam
ers, two score of tugs and steam
yachts and naphtha launches
without number lowered about the
western entrance to the canal. All the
craft were decorated with bunting
and their decks were filled with peo-
pie who proposed to see the show by
being part of it. When all were ready
the signal was given and puff Of
smoke rose above the rail of the Gin
cinnati. The boom of the cannon
echoed and re-echoed between the
Palisades and the wooded heights
of Spuyten Duyvil. Then another
gun spoke, and all the big and little
steam whistles in the vicinity Joined
in deafening chorus which pro-
claimed the new waterway open. At
that moment two casks of fresh water
-one from Lake Champlain and one
from Lake Superior-were emptied
into the salt water of the canal and
the waters were joined. The process
sion then moved through the draw
bridge from the Hudson into the canal
and proceeded eastward.
The procession was divided into six
divisions, and included three engineer
steamers, United States naval patrol
fleet and 100 patrol, picket. steam and
naphtha launches, 100 towboats and
steam canal boats and an immense
number of barges, canal boats, steam
yachts, launches, excursion boats, etc
The procession moved slowly until
the East river was reached, and then it
was clear sailing around Wards is
land, through He'll Gate and past Port
Morris to Oak Point, where a salute
was fred by the Atlanta and the guests
were landed and given banquet
While the boats were having q big
time of it on the water there was an
other parade on the land. 1t was
formed at One Hundred and Thirtieth
street and the North river, and started
when the salute of the Cincinnati was
heard. There were fifty floats illus
strating different industries and de-
tachments Of fremen, policemen and
school children. The United States
army was represented by soldiers
from Port Hamilton and Governors
island and the G. A. r. posts were in
line. The parade passed through One
Hundred and Twentv-fifth street