New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-12
THE MONEY SPENT on IT JUSTIFIED BY RE-
CENT INSTRUMENTATION
GROWTH LIKEI

Until the ship canal was cut through, MAX
ing for the first time In history a navigable
channel through the Harlem River and Spuyten
Duyvil Creek. vessel on the Hudson at River
dale bound for dock on the Harlem had to
cruise around the Battery distance OF twenty
three miles; vessel up the Harlem wishing TO
go to Yonkers. but three four miles away as
the crow flies. had to traverse much more than
twenty miles OF rivers and bay AS such yes
sells chiefly scows. canalboats and tugs
with heavy tows, this roundabout course wasted
many hours 1t did not matter greatly
while NewYork City all on Manhattan
Island, but when New-York spread far into The
Bronx and the Harlem became a centre Of COM
merce for COAL brick building materials, gen.
eral merchandise and ice. such a state OF affairs
proved mighty impedment TO trade
RECENT GROWTH IN TRADE
So the projectors Of the ship canal argued It.
Though much has been said for twenty years
in a general way, and considerable since the
canal really opened for business In the
closing months Of 1894 1t is only that the
first convincing figures come to hand. These
show that while the improvement Of that tortu-
Gus. shallow commercially forbidding stream Is
only half complete. the traffic through It and
because Of it has increased overwhelmingly.
Nltnln the last year III mas certainly lrlpleu,
has proved adjunct to the local commerce
that only those on the ground can realize.
Unfortunately complete statistics have never
been kept OF this traffic. the War Department
finding the collection Of such commercial details
rather out OF It's province, the local authorities.
too disregarding them. In default of these. the
precise rate OF increase OF the traffic due to the
ship canal cannot be told. But sufficient fig
ures are at hand to indicate this approximately.
WHAT THE CANAL is.
It must first however be told just what the
term ship canal" comprises. Literally the
canal consists OF only 400 feet or so Of cut
through Marble HILL connecting the Harlem
River just below the Farmers Bridge at Kings
bridge with spuyten Duyvi Creek. Actually,
though, the ship canal is all that part Of the
Harlem above the Central or the old Macombs
Dam Bridge including much Of the old mud
flats. The Government plans cover the improve
ment OF the entire river. from He'll Gate to the
Hudson. providing for a channel OF from 315 TO
400 feet in width and Is feet In depth at mean
low water. The Government engineer in charge
of the work defines precisely what has been
accomplished up to to-day in his report just
issued in these words:
There is now a continuous channel from the Hud-
9on River to the East River OF various . widths
BILE depth of u feet mean low water
The Importance Of this may be seen from the
fact that In the old days the head Of navigation
in the Harlem River practically at High
Bridge and this only for vessels Of seven feet
draught From the Hudson vessels OF eight feet
draught could go up Spuyten Duyvil Creek
distance OF only one and three-quarter miles.
Since 1895 figures showing either the ton
mage values OF the cargoes passing through
have been cOllated In 1897 (before the ship canal
was constructed) 2.OO0O tons were moved in
the Harlem, valued at Soo'ooooD. In 1898 the
canal not yet In Operation) this tonnage had
Increased to only 100000 tons. In 1899 II had
jumped to a valuation OF S203. 100000 G,JOO,OOO
tons) the canal only just started.
The figures that tell the story OF the Harlem
Rivers commerce. the improvements now
being we'll along, especially the story OF the de-
velopment Of that Of the upper Harlem. are
exceeding convincing. They best to be found
in the report of the bridge tender of the ship
Canal Bridge lover Broadway, kingsbridge).
This bridge is over the cut. and here It Is that
the most noticeable increase In commerce along
these waters Is TO be seen.
During 1898 the average number OF openings
per day of this drawbridge was four and one
tenth. This summer the number OF times mas
increas ed beyond all expectation. Four Is now
the minimum number. the Sunday average only.
Now the general average has become twelve a
dav The openings sometimes foot up twenty.
twenty one and twenty-five in the twenty-four
hours. where a year ago they never exceeded
ten only the other day. between the hours OF
10 in the morning and ! In the afternoon there
were eleven openings. Four and five between
II and l O'Clock midday is nothing unusual.
UNRECORDED GAINS
Nor does this signify all the increase. The
rules made by the Secretary OF War demand
that "habitual" tugs using the canal shall have
their smokestacks arranged as TO be lowered
and their pilot houses cut down. This is ordered
that those constantly passing through may not
add TO the number OF bridge openings. The bridge
tender Mr. Raffe. Is authority for the state
ment that the number Of such boats passing
under is increasing at surprising rate. No
record Is kept OF these. Mr.. Raffe says, but he
reports the procession OF them to be practically
unendng.
amped activity Of commerce. Brckboats Ice
boats stone barges, cement barges. canalboats'
cargoes OF hay. OF general merchandise, llght-
ers constantly pass Two OF the largest Har-
lem tug companies now keep boats anchored In
the Hudson just off Spuyten Duyvil for barges.
etc to tie up to at nights. just after coming out
OF the canal, or just before going in.
There are several great pieces Of work going
on in upper New-York that add greatly to this
commerce and for the progress OF which this
canal is an immense convenience. one OF these
IS the construction OF the new power house for
the Third Avenue Railroad Company Just above
Fort George. Sixty thousand piles, II Is said.
Will be driven for the foundation or this. Ihese
are now beginning to come forward through the
canal In future years the canal will be the
waterway for the enormous quantities OF coal
that will be used here.
Stone for the new streets and avenues OF The
Bronx is being carried this strip Of water.
together with the materials for the building OF
the botanical garden In Bronx Park. and for a
half score other large projects. These concern
only the upper end Of the Harlem. The through
traf1c Is besides considerable, and complete
system OF docks along the river, as yet on paper
I'm the main is still TO be developed
The engineer In charge OF the HUDSON RIVER
po,Iroad bridge at Spuyten Duyvil reports from
thirty-fve 10 forty openings day he wouiu
have he says. to open more frequently pu. ne
generally arranges to keep some Doats ms', e,,s
until others come up. thus letting throush nNe
or s,Y AT a time. Otherwise he wouid open
ohout nfty-fve times a day. One day ne opeheo
seventy-eight times ,, 81, orasen,
10