The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-25
NEW FORKS MUNICIPAL FLEET.
It 10 Large in Numbers, of Great variet,
and Worth 81 900 900.

II 10 Large in Numbers, of Great Variety
and Worth 81 200. 900.
1t is a fact not generally known that the city
Of New York, though IA pacific municipality with
no record of prowess on the high seas. has a
considerable fleet. At the head OF this fleet as
the most important are the boats OF the harbor
police and the naphtha launches which have
been substituted for rowboats for police use.
Then follow the firebuats OF the Fire Depart
mcnt, Of which there are three in New York
and two in Brooklyn. the New York frcboats
being the William L. Havcmeyer. Zophar Mills
and the New Yorker. which cost. respectively.
$4,000. $4,000 and $9S.0 600. The first OF these
was built in 1875: the last was built in 1891.
The Street Cleaning Department has in each
OF the boroughs a complement of boats and
scows. in part owned by the city and in part
rented for its use. The Department Of Public
Charities has steamboats, to transfer patients
to and from the East River islands. and the
Department Of Correction has need OF like SER
vice for prisoners. But all these boats. ships.
n~reboats and scows are, unimportant In num-
Der as compared with tho tieet Of New York's
y R9 maa R Pc St61 66d the res sf hnnt hN yn,re Of which
sixteen piiedrivers. fifteen deck scows. fvc:
eight yawl boats. two, skifrs. six sounding
RRGf as5 t tWGh G a" and 9ne roTTbf3st, Gn9m-
CChnnrities.' and Correction depar meats the ffi eet;
OF the Dock Board makes a very considerable
number Of vessels of the gross value. IL was
timated on Oct. |, of moro than 81 900, 600.
This is certainly not a bad showing. and 10 will
proba bly, be thought surprising by many per-
sons That the requirements OF public business
should necessitate the uSs of so many boats
aud involve, as they do. a considerable annual
outlay, but the fact Is that the geographical sit
uation OF the city of New York. on account OF
the rivers which divide its several boroughs
from each other Kings and Queens are the
only Two on contiguous territory. makes
necessary the constant use OF bOats.
in the East. River unless by boats. and il would
BE- impractiCahle to put control Of these into
the hands Of private indiylduals. The enor-
nous shipping business Of New York necessi-
tatcs the temporary storage Of millions of dol
lars worth Of material on or near the water
front in Manhattan. Kings and Richmond. For
the protection, OF this material against
criminals, and for its. preservation when
threatened by fire. tho boats are in
dispensable, aud constant repairs on the
piers OF the city are necessary in order
TO maintain New York In the commanding posi-
ton az chief commercial port Of America.
The clty's feet, which represents an invest
ment OF 81 OOO.uOu requires an. annual cNpen-
PROVISIONS, the, pay OF employees. repairs. new
machinery, plotting, naval stores aud other
items 81 disbursement. This sum. though
large when considered independently. il not
"Ncessiv" when II is considered that the value
OF. the property protected amounts 10 many
million dollars. aud that without the use OF
such boats and scows the health OF the commu-
nity would suffer to an extent almost incalcu-
liable In figures,