The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

and the projecting shelf thus formed is
utilized as a promenade for the accom-
mOdation Of friends Of departing OF ar
irving passengers. The piers present on
the street end a front Of handsome and
artistic concrete.
The design Of the sheds was begun
under Mr.. J. A. Bensel. as Commits
sioDer Of Docks. and is being completed
under Mr.. A. n. Spooner. the present
Commissioner The work Is under the
direction Of Mr.. c. ". Stamford. Chief
Engineer. In encouraging in every way
the great improvements. Mayor McClel-
Ian is but following in the footsteps Of
his father, General George B. McClel-
Ian, Who built the present Battery sea
wall and other permanent works Of great
value 70 the city.
In the Fan Of 1909 Henry Hudson,
an English navigator sailing under
Dutch auspices. explored the beautiful
river that bears his name in the uny
seventy-fve-foot Half Moon. or, IS she
was called in Dutch, De Halve MseHe.
Il would not be a severe strain on
the imagination, during the coming eele-
bration, 10 picture the spirit Of the
hardy navigatOrf reviSiung these waters
after 500 years, and holding 4 converse
ron with the present Mayor Of New
York upon the deck Of one Of the superb
municipal ferries launched under the
preseni administration. The hltle Half
Moon might be towed astern, OF, for
the safely Of the baby craft, placed gen
tly on the deck OF the peoples ferry
boat
Hudson Very great changes, Mr..
Mayor, IL the 800 years since / was
here. but I imagine the most marvellous
have taken place within tie last 100
years"
Mayor: "You are right, captain. Take.
for instance. the grand river which bears
your name. The little ClermOnt Of
1907. which could carry 100 persons
70 Albany il thirty hours az 81 a head.
nas developed into the modern floating
palace which can carry 5000 il nine
and one-half hours, AZ the rate OF SlI5
each.
The PauIus Hook ferryboat Of 1912.
which could cross the NORTH beg
pardon, Hudson - River in twenty
minutes, has grown into the superb twin
screw municipal ferryboaC. on which we
stand costing S376. 600 10 build. which
can 20 from South Ferry 70 Staten
Island. a distance Of FIVE miles, in the
same time. Ii costs S192.90S a year on
the average 20 run one Of the modern
Staten Island ferrybOats against Full
tons estimate Of 81 100.
The salaries and wages OF crews and
terminal hands amounted ID 1900 10
S93 .231 per boat. against S1.SO0 s year,
estimated by Fulton, and the fuel cost
S45, ,156 per boat, against Fulton's est
mate of s., ,240. Two hremen (whO also
acted as engineers) and TWO bOatmen
(whO also acted as plots comprised
Fulton's running force Each Staten
Island boat has three crews Of twenty
one members each. who serve eight
hours each. A municipal ferrybOat can
cary 900 passengers, against tGlton's
400
Although the ferry system across the
Hudson and East rivers IS now falling
into disuse in consequence Of the build
ing Of bridges and tunnels, il has been
Of enormous influence IN the development
Of the city. An idea Of the extent Of
the ferry traffic Of the city ar the end
of the first century. after Fulton's
achievement Of 1907, may be gathered
from the fact that In 1907 all the fer
ries Of New York City carried PIG, 6,932.
549 passengers. Of whom 126. .294- -239
crossed the Hudson River, 12,716, 800
were carried by the municipal ferries
in the hRrbor, and the balance were
carried by all other ferries"
Hudson: verify. were I privileged 70
live in this generation 1 think I would
settle in New York.
The Mayor might easily have extend
ed his little homily so as TO further in
struct the spirit Of Heary Hudson. He
might have said that in the matter Of
docks what New York has done Is but
enterprise in embryo 10 what is yet 70
come. The White Star Company is at
present building a steamship-the Olym-
pia-in Europe which viii be nearly
1000 feet long There IS no dock az
present competent 10 accommodate her,