The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01
As TO CROWDS IN NEW YORK.
Nothing Short of a Quarter OF Million
Rush Makes Much of n Showing Here.

q n
Rush Makes Much of Showing Here.
New York is the only American city in which
an ordinary crowd Of strangers and sightsecrs
does not make much showing. Thus 200
persons arriving simultaneously in any other
city OF the country make difference forthwith,
but in New York. or more properly the Manhattan
Island part Of il. 100000 strangers add little to
the outward appearance of the town, and even
200 900 can be accommodated without any change
specially manifest on the streets. This is not
due 10 the fact that New York is one Of the largest
cities territorially in the country, for ii is not
Philadelphia New Orleans, ST. Louis and Chi
cago are each of them better able relatively to
provide space for strangers than is New York
but in none OF them so large a crowd be accom-
modated as here. This is due to the geographical
formation Of New York. which is different from
TINT Of any other American city.
Strangers arriving in New York soon separate
Some are 10 he seen on Broadway: some on the
Bowcry: some in the lower part Of town; perhaps
as many in Harlem or on the river side as else
where. They soon absorbed In the throng,
and the addition of even very large number Of
newcomers passes without much notice Another
reason for This condition of affairs is 10 be found
in the fact that New York is of the few cities
American or European, which has practically,
no Union station for incoming tourists; A mo-
iOrty of the strangers who come 10 New York enter
the city on railroads having ferry connections.
There are a dozen such lines and each Of them
oucnCe the incoming stream of visitors is separated
almost into fractions. Few arrivals in New York
accommodate themselves at hotels or in lodgings
with reference 10 their point of arrival, thus what
is sometimes called the tourist class is dsSipatcd
throughout town in such detail as to avoid great
crowd anywhere Still another reason for the
almost phenomenal ability of New York 10 handle
great crowds is 10 be found in the fact that
CAsOns Of public observance entertainment holi-
days celebrations pATadcs less public functions
the ordinary business Of the city is temporarily
suspended in what are generally its busiest dis
tncts, Sixth avenue. Fourteenth street and Twenty
third street in the drygoOds district Wall street
and its vicinity downtown. and some Of the most
thOroughtares become almost deserted when there
is holiday and the persons employed in them
are 10 be found on such days in near their homes
still another reason for the absorption Of the
crowds in New York is 10 be found in the fact
that unlike most cities there are no outlying ter
rituTicS on Manhattan Island exclusively devoted
to residences from which, in times Of public inter
est residents come TO add To the throng Of sight
secrS, New York is, in fact the city Of thorough
fares, and not the least important Of these are
long the water front This water front Is more
crowded when there is no holiday in progress
than when there is one, and II is often occasion
the first time that when there should be nothing
to attract sghtsesrs no many OF the streets are
crowded. while with perhaps 10000 strangers
in town for some observance the same streets should
be comparatively deserted. II takes 25O, 900
extra people 10 make much Of showing in the
way Of a crowd in New York, and even then there
is room for all. New York has moro regular
commuters in a day than any other American
city has ever had visitors in day.