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http://www.archive.org/details/kingshandbookofOOking
Presented to the library of the
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
by
REVo F. J. BAINE
KING'S
NEW VORK
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THE MATTHEWS-NORTHRUP CO., COMPUTE ART-PRINTING WORKS, BUFFALO, N. Y.
Copyright, 1SQ2, by Moses King (^ Q J^" ' J^ ^ ^ . Copyright, 1892, by Moses King.
PAGES.
Index.— An extensive detailed list of pictures and complete index to subjects, names,
etc., is at the close of the volume 909-928
Historical.— New York of the Past, from the Earliest Times to tne Present, . . . 5-44 New York of the Present.— A Comprehensive Outline Description of the Whole
City — Area, Population, Wealth, Statistics, etc , 45-66
The Water Ways.— The Harbor and Rivers — Piers and Shipping — Fortifications
and Quarantine — Exports and Imports — Oceanic and Coastwise Lines, etc., . . 67-96
Transportation and Transit. — Railroads, Steam, Elevated, Cable, Horse and
Electric — Stages, etc., 97-126
Thoroughfares and Adornments. — Streets, Avenues, Boulevards, Alleys, Ways,
Parks, Squares, Drives, Monuments, Statues, Fountains, etc., 127-168
Overhead and Underfoot. — Bridges, Tunnels, Sewers, Water, Aqueducts, Reser- voirs, Lighting by Gas and Electricity, Telegraph, Telephone, etc., 169-196
Life in the Metropolis. — Hotels, Inns, Cafes, Restaurants, Apartment-Houses,
Flats, Homes, Tenements, etc., 197-220
The Rule of the City. — The City, County, State and National Governments — Offi- cers and Buildings, Courts, etc., 221-240
The General Culture. — Educational Institutions— Universities, Colleges, Academies,
and Seminaries ; and Public, Private and Parochial Schools and Kindergartens, . 241-272
The Higher Culture. — Art Museums and Galleries, Scientific, Literary, Musical and
Kindred Institutions, Societies and Organizations, 273-292
The Literary Culture. — Libraries, Public, Club, Society and Private, 293-302
Shrines of Worship. — Cathedrals, Churches, Synagogues, and other Places of
Religious Worship and Work, 303-382
Charity and Benevolence. — Institutions and Associations for the Poor and Unfor- tunate— Homes and Asylums, and Temporary Relief , 383-418
The Sanitary Organizations. — Board of Health and Health Statistics — Hospitals,
Dispensaries, Morgue, Curative Institutions, Insane and other Asylums, .... 419-452
Reformatories and Corrections. — The Police Courts, Prisons, House of Refuge,
Penitentiaries, Work-House, House of Correction, etc., 453-464
Final Resting-Places. — Cemeteries, Burial-Places, Crematories, Church Yards and
Vaults, Tombs, etc., 465-482
Defense and Protection. — Police Department, Military and Militia, Army and Pen- sion Offices, Fire Department, Fire Patrol, Detectives, etc , 483-502
Sociability and Friendship. — Clubs and Social Associations, Secret and Friendship
Organizations, 5°3_532
Amusement Places. — Play-Houses, Opera-Houses, Theatres, Public Halls, Muse- ums, Outdoor Sports, etc., 533-564
Journalism and Publishing. — Newspapers and Periodicals, Book, Music and other
Publishing 565-592
Fire and Marine Insurance. — Offices and Companies for assuming losses by fires
and transit and Fire and Marine Underwriters' Associations, 593-614
Life-Insurance. — Companies for protection of widows, orphans and others, and for
providing incomes in advanced age, etc., and Life-Insurance Associations, . . . 615-634
Miscellaneous Insurance. — Companies for providing against accidents, explosions.
broken plate-glass, dishonest employees, loss of salaries, and for furnishing bonds, 635-642 Financial Institutions. — United-States Treasury and Assay Office, Clearing House,
National and State Banks, Bankers, Brokers, etc., 643-702
Fiduciary Institutions.— Trust and Investment Companies, Savings-Banks, Safe- Deposit Companies, etc., 703-730
Financial and Commercial Associations. — The Custom House, Chamber of Com- merce, the Stock, Produce, Cotton and other Exchanges, Board of Trade, Mercan- tile and other Agencies, Warehouses and Markets, 731-762
Architectural Features. — Development in Architecture — Notable Office-Buildings
and Business Blocks. 763-786
Notable Retail Establishments. — Interesting and prominent Retail Concerns, nearly
all being unquestioned leading houses in their respective lines, 787-810
Notable Wholesale Establishments. — Some gigantic Firms and Corporations,
whose yearly transactions involve millions of dollars and extend over the earth, . 811-848
Notable Manufacturers. — An outline history of some preeminent industries car- ried on or represented in New York, 849-908
ELECTRONIC VERSIOi AVAILABLE
PREFACE. U1Z
NEVER before has any one put forth an illustrated history and description of New-York City in a single volume at all compar- able with " King's Handbook." This volume contains exactly 928 pages, more than 850 illustrations, thirty chapters, and an index of twenty pages with 60 columns, containing over 4,600 items and about 20,000 references. The text furnishes an elaborate but condensed his- tory and description of the city itself, and also of every notable public institution and especially interesting feature. The illustrations give many reminders of the past, and furnish an extensive series of pictures of the present city, to an extent many times beyond that of any volume yet published. Every plate has been made expressly for this book, and so were nearly all of the original photographs. The whole has been care- fully printed on an exceptionally fine quality of paper. Altogether, it is the handsomest, the most thorough, the largest, the most costly, and the most profusely illustrated book of its class ever issued for any city in the world. Moreover, at its retail price of One Dollar, it is the cheapest book of any class ever offered to the public.
The text has been prepared with the utmost care, and is the result of the painstaking work of many individuals, chiefly of Moses Foster Sweetser, four chapters ; Henri Pene du Bois, six chapters ; William Henry Burbank, four chapters ; Lyman Horace Weeks, seven chapters ; Henry Edward Wallace, two chapters ; John Collins Welch, two chap- ters ; and one chapter each from Louis Berg and Charles Putnam Tower. The manuscript has undergone a thorough revision at the hands of several thousand people, each of whom is an authority on the particular portion submitted to him, and the book thus becomes an authentic volume. The text has been amplified, rectified, and verified by Mr. Sweetser, the foremost American in this special field of litera- ture. Valuable general assistance has also been given by Mr. Tower.
4 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
Historical works, newspapers, special reports and hundreds of other sources of information, entirely too numerous to permit of specific acknowledgment, have been utilized.
The illustrations are almost wholly from specially-made photographs, upwards of fifteen hundred negatives having been made by Arthur Chiar, who has shown most remarkable skill in photographing exceed- ingly difficult subjects. Some photographs were also made by Frank E. Parshley, John S. Johnston, C. C. Langill and others. The designs for the cover lining papers and the series of bird's-eye views were made by the New-York Photogravure Company, the President of which is Ernest Edwards. The outside cover design is by Ludwig S. Ipsen, of Boston.
The entire mechanical work from cover to cover with slight excep- tions, was done by The Matthews-Northrup Company, the famous Art- Printers of Buffalo, whose establishment is one of the most complete of the kind in the world, and whose President, George E. Matthews, and Art-manager, Charles E. Sickels, are entitled to much of the credit for the artistic effect of this volume.
If it were usual to dedicate a volume of this character, this one would be dedicated to Charles F. Clark, the President of The Brad- street Company, to whom I am indebted for substantial aid, valuable suggestions, and hearty encouragement.
And now, after more than a year's solid labor, and an expenditure of nearly Twenty-five Thousand Dollars, this first edition of " King's Hand- book of New-York City" is submitted to the public, with the hope that it will be found to be :
"Good enough for any body, Cheap enough for everybody,"
and that the appreciation of the public will necessitate many editions.
MOSES KING, Editor and Publisher. Boston, Sept. i, 1892.
USF3 Corrections and suggestions for future editions are invited.
pi
New York of the Past, from the Earliest Times to the Present.
^V^^^^^Wi^ T^HE HISTORY of the city of New York, in its
^%\ f^^^'S^^^ ^ Dutch, British, and American periods, abounds in
^v/ £^sf^ "^0^ episodes of deep interest, illustrating the development
$ \ ^f^^^^\^ °f a petty fur-trading post into the great cosmopolitan
metropolis of the Western Hemisphere. Many ponder- ous volumes have been devoted to this worthy theme, with a wealth of illustration and much grace of literary style ; and yet but a part of the wonderful story has been told. In this brief chapter an attempt is made to exhibit a few vignettes from the nearly three centuries of annals pertaining to the Empire City, and to give a few intimations of her lines of advance and of successful endeavor. Manhattan was the original place-name. Munnok was an Indian word for "island"; in Abenaqui, Menatan; in Delaware, Menatey; in Chippewa, Minis. Thus Grand Menan, in the Bay of Fundy ; and Manati, the ancient Indian name of Long Island ; and Manisees, the old name of Block Island. Menatan was any small island ; Menates or Manisees, the small island. The island on which New York stands was sometimes spoken of as tlthe island," Manate, or Manhatte ; sometimes as "a small island," Manathan, Menatan, or Manhatan y and some- times as "t/ie small island," Man/iaates, Manattes, and Manados. The same root appears in Manhanset, Montauk (Manati-auke), and other Indian place-names. Campanius speaks of " Manataannng, or Manaates, a place settled by the Ditch, .who built there a clever little town, which went on increasing every day."
The first recorded visitor to this jocund region was Verrazano, a Florentine navigator and traveller, who was serving at that time as a French corsair. He sailed from Brittany in the Danphine, in 1524, and cruised up the American coast
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK,
DUTCH MAP OF NEW YORK, 1656.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK. 7
from Cape Fear to New-York Bay, where his ship lay at anchor for a few days, sending boats up the river and meeting a kindly reception from the natives. There is a tradition that ships of the Dutch Greenland Company entered the North River in 1598, and wintered there, the crews dwelling in a fort which they had con- structed on the. shore.
But the first practical and undoubted discovery of our harbor and river was due to Henry Hudson, an English mariner, at that time in the employ of a Holland trading corporation. In 1609 the Dutch East India Company sent Hudson out on a voyage of discovery ; and after making landfalls at Newfoundland, Penobscot Bay, Cape Cod and Delaware Bay, he entered the harbor of New York. In his little ship, the Halve-Maen ("Half-Moon "), with the orange, white and blue flag of Holland floating from the mast, the bold explorer ascended the Hudson River, through the mountains, nearly to the site of Albany, trading with the native tribes
DUTCH COTTAGE AT NEW YORK, 1679.
on the way. He had hoped and fancied that the grand stream might be the long- sought northwest passage to the East Indies ; and when the shoaling water above Albany indicated that it was but an ordinary river, he turned about and dropped down the stream and spread his sails for Europe. He carried back the report that the new-found country contained many fur-bearing animals ; and the dwellers under the cold northern skies of Holland needed and prized furs for winter clothing. The very next year some Dutch merchants sent out a ship to trade here, and in its crew were several of the sailors of the Half-Moon. In 1611 Adriaen Block visited Man- hattan, and carried thence to Europe two sons of an Indian chief, the first New- Yorkers to visit the Old World. The next year Block and Christiaensen were sent across in the Tiger and the Fortune, by several enterprising Amsterdam merchants, to open trade at Manhattan. Christiaensen built Fort Nassau, near the site of Albany, and started a flourishing trade with the Mohawks ; and erected a group of log huts near the southern point of Manhattan (45 Broadway) ; and Block built here a vessel, the Onrust (or "Restless"), in which he explored the coast eastward
8
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
to Block Island. This brave little vessel was the pioneer of the vast commerce of New York, which has since that day borne its flags over all seas, and to the remotest ports of both hemispheres.
In 1614 the States-General chartered the United New-Netherland Company, of Amsterdam merchants, to traffic here for three years ; and under the orders of this corporation traders penetrated far inland, and the treaty of Tawasentha was con- cluded with the Indians. In 1 62 1 the Dutch Government chartered the West India
"THE DUKE'S PLAN," MADE FOR JAMES, DUKE OF YORK, ABOUT 1664.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK. 9
Company, with the powers of making treaties, maintaining courts, and employing soldiers ; and three years later their ship New Netherland entered the North River, bearing a colony of 1 10 Walloons, or people of French origin from southern Holland! Some of these stayed at Manhattan, and others scattered throughout the country.
Nearly all who had come to Manhattan hitherto were transient fur-traders and servants of the company. The Walloon immigration marks the first real and per- manent colonization of the new land, as a place of homes. The new-comers
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
brought their families, and also horses and cattle, sheep and swine, and farming implements and seed.
In 1625 came the first specimen of the New-York girl, now the delight of two hemispheres, in the diminutive person of Sarah Rapaelje, "the first-born Christian daughter " in the colony. The first white male child born on Manhattan Island was Jean Vigne, who appeared in 1614. His mother owned a farm at the corner of Wall and Pearl streets, and on the hill back of it stood a great windmill. Vigne was a farmer and brewer, and three times schepen of the town. He left no children.
The first director sent out by the West India Company to govern its North-River trading-post was Captain Mey ; who was succeeded, in 1625, by William Verhulst. A year later four ships arrived, bringing fresh relays of colonists and 103 head of cattle.
In 1626 the Sea-Mew arrived in the harbor, bringing Peter Minuit, the new Director-General, and the first of the four notable rulers of the colony. His earliest official act was the purchase of Manhattan Island from the savages, the payment
being in beads, "?1
buttons and other trinkets to the value of 60 guild- ers (or $24). This policy of purchas- ing land from the Indians was fol- lowed by all the Dutch rulers and colonists.
Manhattan was then a forest- bordered island, swampy along the shores, and rising
inland to low hills crowned with oaks and hickories. On the line of Canal Street tidal marshes and ponds stretched from river to river, and were covered with sea-water at high tide. Wolves and panthers prowled among the rugged ledges and dense thickets beyond, whence an occasional bear sallied forth to dine at ease on the Netherland sheep ; and hungry deer ran swiftly southward to trample down the settlers' crops, and enjoy the taste of their corn and wheat. Near the Battery stood a group of the mean precursors of the vast cosmopolitan civilization which was destined to rise on this site ; and farther up the island, a few groups of wigwams and communal houses stood in the open valleys, near the corn and tobacco fields of the aborigines. The houses of the Dutch trading-post were of one story, includ- ing two rooms, with chimneys of wood, roofs of straw, furniture hewn out of rough planks, and wooden platters and spoons. In 1626 the village had 200 inhabitants, which were augmented to 270 by 1628. About this time it assumed the name of Fort Amsterdam, in memory of the metropolis of the Dutch Republic.
The United Netherlands which thus bore Manhattan as a favored child was then conspicuous in Europe in commerce and the mechanic arts. Her dauntless bat- talions had just shattered forever the power of Spain, and her fleets defied the marin- ers of England by cruising up and down the English Channel with brooms at their mast-heads. Her cultivation in literature was exemplified in Grotius and DeWitt,
RHINELANDER'S SUGAR-HOUSE
WILLIAM AND ROSE STREETS.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
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NEW YORK IN 1728, LYNE'S MAP.
THE IRREGULAR PORTION OF THE CITY, AS ORIGINALLY LAID OUT.
12
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
Barneveld and William the Silent, and by the great University of Leyden, famous throughout Christendom. In art, her Rembrandt and Rubens, Van Dyck and Teniers, were painting those pictures which are still the admiration of Europe. The most adventurous spirits of this wonderful nation sought new fields beyond the sea, and made a deep and enduring impress on the nascent city and common- wealth.
Most of Minuit's colonists were merely servants of the West India Company, without the rights of owning land, manufacturing, or trading with the Indians.
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NEW YORK IN 1776. MAJOR HOLLAND'S MAP.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
13
They came to Manhattan only to work for the company, and of this they had enough, building cabins, stone warehouses and mills. Near the Bowling Green (on the site of No. 4 Bowling Green) they also erected Fort Amsterdam, a bastioned earth- work with three sides, and walls crested with red cedar palisades. Minuit sent his secretary, De Rasieres, in the barque Nassau to Manomet, in Massachusetts, whence
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NEW YORK IN 1789. ENGRAVED BY P. R. MAVERICK.
14
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK
he journeyed to Plymouth, and opened friendly communications and trade relations with the Pilgrim colony. Boston had not yet been founded. About the same time Huyck and Krol came hither as "consolers of the sick;" and began Christian observances in the colony by reading the Scriptures and Creeds in the upper room of the horse-mill. Manhattan in 1629 and 1630 sent to Amsterdam 130,000 guilders' worth of goods, being a large balance in favor of the colony. In 163 1 the Manhattan ship-yard built the great ship New Netherlands of 800 tons and 30 guns, one of the largest vessels then afloat.
In 1633 Director-General Wouter Van T wilier reached Manhattan in the frigate Zoutberg, bringing in a prize Spanish caravel, and having in his company the first accredited clergyman on these shores, Dominie Everardus Bogardus, and the first professional schoolmaster, Adam Roelandsen. While New England depended on her fisheries, and Virginia on the tobacco trade, New Netherland shipped grain to Boston and over-seas, and rich peltries to Holland.
Van Twiller brought with him 104 Dutch troops, the first soldiers to enter Man- hattan ; and for their proper accommodation he erected barracks, and enlarged and strengthened Fort Amsterdam. His colonists were never so happy as when draining their
huge pewter tank- ards ; and to pro- vide means for these joyous revels, he erected a profitable brewery. The most conspicuous objects on the island were the tall windmills which he built, and whose slowly re- volving arms re- called to the burgh- ers the similar works towering over
"YE EXECUTION OF GOFF, YE NEGER OF MR. MOTHIUS, ON YE COMMONS." .1 fai"-a\VaV Uiead-
ows of Holland. But Van Twiller, fat and moon-faced, low of stature and dull of wit, was a shrewd trader and self-provider, and secured as his own private property Nutten (Governor's) Island and Blackwell's Island and other valuable properties. He also granted to Roelof Jans 62 acres of land along the North River, between Fulton and Christopher Streets, and reaching Broadway near Fulton Street. In 167 1 the heirs sold this domain to Governor Lovelace, and it became incorporated with the King's Farm. This united estate was presented by Queen Anne to Trinity Church in 1703. Van Twiller's successor, William Kieft, little, fussy, fiery and avaricious, ruled from 1638 to 1647 ; and built a stone tavern near Coenties Slip, the stone church of St. Nicholas, in the fort, and a distillery. In his time hundreds of New-Englanders, flying from religious intolerance, settled in the province, and the Indian tribes of the lower Hudson swept the Dutch settlements with torch and tomahawk, and even shot guards on the walls of Fort Amsterdam. Angered at Kieft's imposition of taxes, and at his unwise Indian policy, the burghers united against him, and inaugurated popular government here. Scores of unarmed and friendly Indians were massacred in their camp at the foot of Grand Street by Dutch soldiers, who also slaughtered 80 more at Pavonia, without resistance, and even
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
15
larger numbers at Canarsie and Greenwich. At the end of the Indian war in 1645 there were but 100 persons left at Manhattan, and 1,500 in the province. The poor little colony, the plaything of a foreign commercial corporation, drooped rapidly, especially after the West India Company began to lose money here, and so its officers planned to absorb the best lands in the new domain and to assume feudal
NEW YORK IN 1778. THOMAS KITCHIN, SENIOR'S, MAP. FROM THE LONDON MAGAZINE.
i6
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK,
prerogatives, under the title of tailed the company's privileges
" Patroons. " The States-General, therefore, cur- greatly, and colonists began to pour in from all
parts, so that in 1643 eighteen different na- tionalities were repre- sented in New Ams- terdam alone.
The cosmopolitan growth of the future city was prophesied early in the 17th cen- tury by the Amster- dam Chamber, which declared that when its population and navi- gation "should be- come permanently es- tablished, when the ships of New Nether- land ride on every part of the ocean, then numbers, now looking to that coast with eager eyes, will be al- lured to embark for your island." The accuracy of this pre- diction has been veri- fied to an extent quite more than desirable, especially during the last half century.
The irregular lines of the lower New- York streets are due to the fact that the colony grew for thirty years before streets were laid out, and the settlers built their cabins wherever they liked. There were but two public roads, the Boston (or Old Post) road, from the Battery along Broadway and the Bowery; and the ferry road, from the fort along the lines of Stone Street and
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK,
17
Hanover Square to the Brooklyn ferry at Peck Slip. De Perel Straat (Pearl Street) was on the water side ; Water, Front and South Streets all having been reclaimed from the river. Pearl Street is the oldest in New York, and was built upon in 1633, being followed closely by Bridge Street. The most ancient conveyance of property now on record in New York shows that Van Steenwyck sold to Van Fees a lot of 3,300 square feet on Bridge Street for $9.60. The first lot of land granted on Broadway (then called De Heere Straat) was in 1643, to Martin Krigier, who erected here the celebrated Krigier's Tavern, on whore site rose the King's Arms Tavern, afterwards the Atlantic Gardens (9 Broadway).
The next (and last) Director-General was Petrus Stuyvesant, a veteran of the West- Indian wars, wearing a wooden leg banded with silver. He was an autocratic, decided and vigorous ruler ; and sturdily fought the colonists, patroons, and Home Government in the interests of the West India Company. Lutherans, Baptists, Quakers and other dissenters from the Reformed religion were persecuted, and
■■"■■■■ ^>v-*<$rv
NEW YORK IN 1775. FORT GEORGE, FROM THE HARBOR.
Stuyvesant forbade the mustering of the burgher guard, and ousted the municipal council of the Nine from their honorary pew in the church. Fearful of attack from England and New England, the gallant old soldier fortified the town in 1653 with a breastwork, ditch and sharpened palisades, running from the East River nearly to the North River, and garnished with block-houses. This defensive wall was 2,340 feet long. From Lombard Street it followed the crest of the bluff along the North River as far as the fort. Fort Amsterdam, on the site of the brick block southeast of Bowling Green, was built of small Holland brick, and contained the governor's house, the church, and quarters for 300 soldiers. It stood from 1635 until 1790-91. The quaint little Dutch seaport was governed from its picturesque stone Stadt Huys, in front of which stood a high gallows. Here often gathered the entire body of the people, from the black-gowned schepens and the richly-clad patroons and merchants down to the common populace, whose men were clad in jackets and wide baggy breeches, and their women in bodices and short skirts. The site of the Stadt Huys is now occupied by No. 73 Pearl Street. Pearl Street was then known
iS
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
as "the Road to the Ferry" (to Brooklyn) ; and passed through the wall at the Water Gate, which was strengthened by a block-house and a two-gun battery. Before the end of the century these defenses were augmented by the Slip Battery of ten guns, near Coenties Slip ; the Stadt-Huys Battery of five guns ; the Whitehall Battery of fifteen guns ; a wall with bastions and postern gates along the North River ; and stone bastions near Broadway and Nassau Street. An arched gate- way spanned Broadway where that avenue crossed the walls ; and other gates and posterns occurred at convenient points. During the second Dutch dominion it was the duty of the Schout (or Mayor) to walk around the city every morning with a guard, and unlock the gates, after which he gave the keys to the com- mander of the fort. At evening he locked the gates and posted sentries and pickets at exposed points.
Outside the town wall a footpath led to the ponds near by, and because this way had been made by the Dutch lasses going to the ponds to wash clothes, it was called T^Maagde Paatje, or the Maidens' Path, and later Maiden Lane. Inside the wall, Broad Street stretched its lines of little gabled brick and stone houses, and a narrow canal ran down its center. Farther down came Whitehall, the fashionable quarter,
VIEW OF NEW YORK IN 1746--MIDDLE DUTCH AND FRENCH CHURCHES.
with prim, bright gardens of dahlias and tulips, and orchards surrounding its quaint step-gabled houses of small black and yellow brick, and Stuyvesant's town house of Whitehall. Bowling Green was at an early day set apart for a parade-ground and ■village-green, and for public festivities and solemnities, May-poles and the games of the children ; and here also great Indian councils were held. It was for many decades known as "The Plain "; and here, in 1658, was established the first market- house in the city. Every morning the village herdsman passed through the streets, blowing his horn, at which the settlers turned their cattle out from their yards, and they were formed into a common herd, and driven along Pearl Street to the present City-Hall Park, which was then known as De Viae kte ("The Flat"). At night the herdsman drove back the cattle, leaving at each citizen's door his own good
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
19
milch cow. Sometimes, perchance, he lingered in the great cherry orchard, near Franklin Square, from which the modern Cherry Street derives its name ; or loitered along the edge of Beekman's Swamp, now given over to leather-dealers ; or rested under the shadow of the barn-like church, near Whitehall ; or watched the whirling arms of the windmill on State Street. Stuyvesant also founded (in 1658) the village of Niew Harlaem, on the northern part of Manhattan, and began a good highway thitherward. It was during Stuyvesant's time, in 1653, that the West India Company incorporated Niew Amsterdam as a city, with a government mod- elled on that of Amsterdam, and composed of a schout, two burgomasters and five schepens. The city thus created had 1,000 inhabitants and 120 houses. Moreover, in 1650, Dirck Van Schelluyne, the first lawyer here, had opened his practice.
Between 1656 and 1660 most of the seventeen streets were paved with cobble- stones, and provided with gutters in the middle. The first to be paved were De Hoogh Straat (Stone Street) and De Brugh Street (Bridge Street). In 1658 the
NEW YORK IN 1746--LOWER MARKET AND LANDING.
first fire-company came into existence, under the name of "The Rattle Watch. " It numbered eight men, who were to stay on watch and duty from nine in the even- ing until morning drum-beat. At the same time the equipment of the fire-depart- ment was prepared, in the importation from Holland of a supply of hooks and ladders and 250 fire-buckets. The gabled ends of the houses faced the streets, and were (even in the cases of wooden edifices) decorated with a checker- work of small black and yellow bricks, all of which were imported from Holland until Stuyvesant's time. Iron figures showing the dates of their erection were fastened in the gables between their zig-zag sides. The main doors of the houses had heavy and well-polished brass knockers ; and over each cresting gable a quaint weather-cock whirled with the breeze. Sitting on the stoops or under the low eaves, or leaning over their half-doors, the burghers discussed the problems of their day amid clouds of tobacco smoke. Every house had its garden, with places for horse and cow, pigs and chickens, and a patch of cabbage and a bed of tulips. The parlor, carpeted only with fine white sand, contained the great camlet-valanced bed, with homespun linen and grotesque patch -work quilts, the iron-bound oaken chest of linen, the corner cupboard, with the small but precious store of plate and porcelain ; the tea-table,
20 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
stiff Russia-leather chairs, flowered chintz curtains, quaint old pictures, and the fire- place, surrounded with storied Dutch tiles. The kitchen was the home-room, with the large square dining-table, the vrouw's spinning-wheel, the burgher's capacious chair and pipe, and the immense fire-place, with its hooks and iron pots, and chimney- corner seats sacred to children and stories. A fair city lot could still be obtained for $50, and the rent of a very good house did not exceed $20 a year. For there were many troubles still surrounding the good burghers, betwixt the aggressive Yankees on the east, the Swedes on the-south, and the aboriginal citizens of the neighboring hills and valleys. As late as the year 1655 the Indians attacked the town with 1,900 warriors, in 64 canoes, and within three days killed 100 Dutch settlers and captured 150 more, mainly in the suburbs.
Under the lead of Peter Minuit, formerly Director-General of New Netherland, and with the aid of Queen Christina, Swedish colonies had been established on the Delaware River, in 1638, and subsequently enlarged and increased by many expedi- tions from Sweden. The Dutch West India Company claimed all this region by right of prior settlement ; and finally, in 1655, Stuyvesant assembled 600 soldiers and seven vessels in the harbor of Niew Amsterdam, and sailed around to the Scandina- vian forts, which he captured in succession. Thus fell New Sweden. But the heavy cost of these hostilities and of the Indian wars drained the treasury of the West India Company, and paved the way for the approaching fall of New Nether- land.
Great Britain had always claimed that the Hudson-River country belonged to her, by virtue of Cabot's discoveries in 1497, and had made several formal protests against the Dutch occupation. The claim was perhaps not well grounded ; but Britain feared the fast-increasing naval and commercial power of Holland, and deter- mined to reduce it wherever possible. Gov. Bradford of Plymouth had asserted Great Britain's ownership of Manhattan, in a letter to Minuit ; and Captain Argal had planned to drive away the colonists, with a naval force from Virginia, as early as the year 16 13. The West India Company also applied to King Charles I. for permission to trade to the ports of England and her colonies — a proceeding which did not tend to clear the Dutch title. Calvert, Lord Baltimore's secretary, informed the Dutch envoy that Maryland extended to the frontiers of New England. "And the New-Englanders claim that their domain doth reach to Maryland," answered the envoy; "where then remains New Netherland?" To which Calvert coldly replied: "Truly, I do not know." The Connecticut Legislature in 1663 informed Stuyvesant's commissioners that it "knew of no New Netherland province." The New-England towns on Long Island, in 1663, petitioned Connecticut to annex and protect them, and after several appeals from them, and from Stuyvesant to the Eng- lish and Dutch governments, the Duke of York, Lord High Admiral of Great Bri- tain, sent out a fleet, which in 1664 appeared before the town, and seized it, subject to negotiations between the home governments. Stuyvesant cried out, that in pref- erence to surrender, "I would much rather be carried out dead;" but his clergy and people refused to permit a battle, and the Dutch garrison was allowed "to march out with their arms, drums beating and colors flying." Since the governments of Great Britain and Holland were in profound peace at this time, the successful naval expedition was in reality a cold-blooded and treacherous buccaneering attack ; but the Duke of York was the brother of the British King, who had granted to him all the territory between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers. Moreover, he had more men and heavier guns at the point of dispute. Captain-General Stuyvesant retired to his Bowerie farm, where for eighteen years, until his death, he dwelt in
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
21
22
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
quiet dignity, enjoying a placid rural life. On this lovely and tranquil estate, and on the present site of St. Mark's Church, he erected a chapel wherein he was in due time buried.
Thus closed the Dutch regime in New York. Its ruling impulse, the aggran- dizement of a commercial company, differed widely from the movements of religious enthusiasm or national pride which inspired the foundations of the English and French colonies in America. From the start, it was a business community, and all its development has been near the original lines of effort. In the present era of mercantile and industrial supremacy, when the sagacity developed by business, and the wealth created thereby, establish religious missions, equip armies, create nations and fill the homes of the people with comfort, New York, London and Paris are the three capitals of the world. The Dutch founders, practical, sagacious and earnest,
were influenced by the refined and vivacious French Huguenots, who settled among them, and by their sturdy and enter- prising fellow-col- onists from New England; while the varied traits of the German Pala- tines, the Swedish emigrants and many other nation- alities tended still further to build up here a cosmopoli- tan and tolerant
community, broad in views, fearless in thought, energetic in action, and free from the limiting provincialisms of Puritan or Cavalier, or of New France or New Spain.
As soon as the town with its 1,500 inhabitants had passed under British rule, it was officially named New York, in honor of the Duke of York, its new lord. Thus the name of the quiet old provincial town on the English River Ouse, the Eburacum of the Romans, where Constantine the Great was proclaimed emperor, became attached to the future metropolis of the Western World. According to the monk- ish tradition the name was derived from that of King Ebraucus, who ruled in York- shire at about the same period that David reigned in Israel. This ancient sovereign was said to have had twenty wives, twenty sons and thirty daughters ; and yet, in spite of these circumstances, he ruled over his people for three-score years. Through the same change of name, "by a strange caprice in history, the greatest State in the Union bears the name of the last and the most tyrannical of the Stuarts."
Holland entered the following year into a two-years' war with Great Britain, whose fleets she well-nigh swept from the seas. By the treaty of Breda, however, she yielded New York to the British, receiving in exchange Surinam and other val- uable possessions, which still remain under her flag.
The first British governor was Colonel Richard Nicolls, a wise, tactful and hand- some officer, who knew the Dutch and French languages as well as he did his own.
JUMEL mansion,
HEIGHTS, ONCE WASHIf
HEADQUARTERS.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
23
This honest gentleman ruled from 1664 until 1668, and happily conciliated the varied elements in his little principality. Colonel Francis Lovelace, the despotic governor between 1668 and 1672, ordered May races at Hempstead, bought Staten Island from the Indians, and established the first mail between New York and Bos- ton, to be of monthly operation. He also founded the first merchants' exchange on Manhattan. It started its barteringsin 1670, when the easy-going Dutch and English shopkeepers began the cus- tom of meeting every Friday noon at the bridge over the Broad-Street canal. The hour of meeting was marked by the ringing of the Stadt- Huys bell ; and the mayor was required to be at the assembly to prevent disturb- ance. . In 1673 a Dutch fleet of twenty-three vessels and 1,600 men entered the har- bor and exchanged broad- sides with the fort, by which serious losses were occa- sioned. Then 600 stout Dutch troops were landed, at the foot of Vesey Street, and joined by 400 burghers. The army marched down Broadway to attack the fort, but this stronghold prudent- ly surrendered, and the ban- ner of the Dutch Republic once more floated in suprem- acy over the city and harbor, and up the Hudson, and over New Jersey and Long Island. The name New York was repudiated, and in its place the Lowland com- modores ordained that New Orange should be the title of the city. The new government lasted but little more than a year, and then the province was restored by the States-General to Great Bri- tain ; and Edmund Andros, a major in Prince Rupert's cavalry, came over as gov- ernor of the territories of the Duke of York in America. In Andros's time, the canal on Broad Street was filled ; the tanners were driven out of the city and re- established their tan-pits in the remote district now between Broadway, Ann Street and Maiden Lane ; the slaughter-houses were also driven into the country and set- tled at Smit's Vley, now the intersection of Pearl Street and Maiden Lane ; all Indian slaves were set free ; and the burghers secured the exclusive right of bolting and exporting flour from the province. The latter monopoly, during its sixteen years of operation, trebled the wealth of the city and ten-folded the value of its real estate, 600 houses having been built and the local fleet augmented to 60 ships.
FRAUNCES' TAVERN, CORNER OF BROAD AND PEARL STREETS.
24
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
In 1678, the aggregate value of all the estates in the province was $750,000; and a planter with $1,500, or a merchant worth $3,000, was accounted a rich man. A considerable export trade in furs and provisions, lumber and tar was carried on with European ports. The slaves on Manhattan were rated in value at about $150 each, and had been brought from Guinea and the West Indies. In 1712, when there were about 4,000 negroes in the city, a hot outbreak of race hatred occurred, and nine whites were slain by negro conspirators in Maiden Lane. The wildest excite- ment followed, and fears of a general insurrection ; but the garrison and militia quelled the outbreak with unsparing hands. Six Africans committed suicide, and 21 were executed, most of them by hanging or by burning at the stake. One was broken on the wheel, and one hung in chains until he starved. A similar panic
FEDERAL HALL AND PART OF BROAD STREET, 1796.
broke out in 1741, when conflagrations at Fort George, on the Battery, and else- where, were attributed to the slaves acting in collusion with the hostile power of Spain. In this wild popular frenzy 14 negroes were burned at the stake, 18 hanged, and 71 transported.
In 1683 the governorship was devolved upon Thomas Dongan, an Irish Catholic soldier, then recently lieutenant-governor of Tangier, in Africa, and subsequently Earl of Limerick. This able and prudent statesman convened in the old fort on the Battery a council and elective assembly which enacted "The Charter of Liberties, " providing for religious freedom and liberty of choice in elections, and forbidding taxa- tion without the consent of the people. The city was now divided into six wards, although its entire assessed value of property lay under ^80,000. After five years of happy rule, Governor Dongan was removed, and New York, New Jersey and the Eastern Colonies were united in the Dominion of New England, with Sir Edmund Andros as Governor-in-Chief, and Francis Nicholson in charge of New York. After the Bostonians had deposed and imprisoned Andros, Jacob Leisler, a German captain of the train-bands, seized the government of New York, and held it for over a year, during which there was one bloody fight between the local train-bands in the
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
25
fort and British infantry in the town. After Governor Sloughter had arrived, Leisler was tried for treason, and convicted ; and suffered the penalty of death by hanging, on the edge of Beekman's Swamp, where the Sun building now stands.
During the period between 1690 and 1700, New York carried on a large trade with British East-Indian pirates, sending out liquors, ammunition and other com- modities, and at the pirates' haunts exchanging these for Oriental fabrics and carpets, jewels and gold, perfumes and spices. Some of these freebooters were New-York- ers, and several successful pirate chiefs visited the city. Captain Robert Kidd, "so wickedly he did," recruited at this port most of the buccaneers who sailed with him on his last three-years' voyage to the Red Sea.
Governor Benjamin Fletcher, a luxurious soldier of fortune, and courtier, ruled New York from 1692 until 1698; and received large gifts from the pirates. His successor was the Earl of Bellomont, a pure and honorable governor, who restored the Leislerian (or people's) party to power, and hung all the pirates he could catch. Next came Lord Corn- bury, the nephew of Queen Anne, and a silly, venal and bigoted de- bauchee, who ruled here from 1702 until 1708.
The Dutch Reformed people had long been content to wor- ship in the stone church in the fort; but in 1691-93 they erected on Exchange Street (now Garden Street) the finest church in the province, a quaint and high- steepled brick structure. Next came the Church-of-England people, dissatisfied with services in the fort chapel ; and to this society Gov. Fletcher in 1696 gave the reve- nue of the King's Farm for seven years, which encouraged them to build a new chapel on the site of the present Trinity. The First Presbyterian Church, now on Fifth Avenue, near nth Street, is descended from the church of the same faith erected on Wall Street in 1719. The quaint towers of the French Huguenot and Middle Dutch Churches rose high above the gables of the houses near Broad Street.
From 1 7 10 to 17 19, the little royal court at New York was dominated by Gov. Robert Hunter, formerly a Scottish general under Marlborough, and a friend of Addison and Swift. He founded the court of chancery ; fought for religious liberty ; and predicted American independence ("The colonies are infants at their mother's breast, but such as will wean themselves when they become of age. ")
In 1692 the municipality cut up the Clover Pastures, and laid out Pine and Cedar Streets, and others ; and further increased its dignity a year later by appointing a town-crier, dressed in proper livery, and by building a bridge across Spuyten-Duyvil Creek. Four more years passed, and then the night-watch came into existence, to patrol the streets of lonely evenings. The watchmen moved about on duty from nine o'clock until the break of day, traversing their beats every hour, with bells,
BANK OF NEW YORK.
MC EVER'S MANSIuN.
WALL STREET, BELOW WILLIAM, IN 1800.
26
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK,
proclaiming the condition of the weather and the hour of the night. The dark high- ways were lighted by lanterns put out on poles from every seventh house. In front of the City Hall stood the cage, pillory, and whipping-post, as terrors to thieves and slanderers, vagrants and truants ; and the ducking-stool, to cool the ardor of scolds and evil-speaking persons. Now also began the era of street-cleaning, when each householder was ordered to keep clean his section of street, and the street sur- veyor received directions to root up weeds. In 1696 the city made its first appro- priation (of £26) for cleaning the streets. At the same time, "the street that runs by the pie-woman's leading to the city commons" was laid out, and became Nassau Street.
Hunter's successor was another gentleman of Scottish origin, William Burnet, the son of the famous Bishop of Salisbury ; and after a rule of eight years, he in
T1
NEW YORK IN 1805.
turn gave place to Col. John Montgomery, another Scot, and an old soldier and member of Parliament. During this period, Greenwich and Washington Streets were made, by filling in along the North River.
With the dawn of the year 1730 a fortnightly winter stage to Philadelphia was established. A year thereafter the municipal authorities imported from London two Newnham fire engines, able to throw water seventy feet high ; and organized a fire-department of twenty-four strong and discreet men.
From 1743 to 1753 the city and province were governed by Admiral George Clinton, the son of an earl, who ruled with the rough temper of a sailor, and retired from his administration, enriched by plunder, after many a hot contest with the people. During this period, in 1 752, the Royal Exchange was opened, at the foot of Broad Street, with its spacious assembly-hall for merchants, and a famous coffee- room. The Chamber of Commerce received its incorporation in 1770, by Royal Charter.
In 1 75 1 the Assembly appointed trustees to take charge of funds raised for a college ; and the next year Trinity Church offered to give the site for the proposed institution. In 1753 the entering class of ten members began its studies in the
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
27
vestry-room of Trinity ; and in another year King's College received its charter. The building was erected in 1756-60, on the site long held by the college, between Barclay, Church and Murray Streets and College Place.
The tremendous power of New- York journalism and publishing, which is now felt all over the continent, began in the humblest way far back in 1693, when the Council invited William Bradford to settle in the city as official printer, for "^"40 a year and half the benefit of his printing, besides what served the public." He issued the first bound book in New York, the Laws of the Colony, in 1694; and in 1725 began the publication of The New^York Gazette, a semi-official organ of Gov. Burnet's administration, printed weekly, on foolscap paper. Nine years later The Weekly Journal came into being, to resist the Government, and Zenger, its editor,
THE NEW TRINITY CHURCH AND PART OF WALL STREET.
was sent to prison, and various numbers of the paper were burned by order. The Gazette was the organ of the aristocracy, and the Journal stood as the champion of the people. After Editor Zenger had languished in prison for nine months, he was tried, and received a triumphant acquittal, to the immense delight of the people, who bitterly resented this first attempt to muzzle the press.
The Brooklyn ferry was started in the earliest days of the colony, and consisted of a flatboat worked by sweeps, the ferryman being summoned by blasts of a horn. It was not until 1755 that a packet began running semi-weekly to Staten Island; and the Paulus-Hook (Jersey-City) ferry began its trips in 1763, followed in 1774 by a ferry to Hoboken.
In the year 1765 the Stamp Act was passed, and the disruption of America and England began. The New-Yorkers forgot their old-time local controversies, and took sides in the new contest. Rivington's Gazetteer stigmatized the patriots as rebels, traitors, banditti, fermenters of sedition, sons of licentiousness, and the like ; and Game's Mercury and Holt's Journal proclaimed the Royalists to be ministerial hirelings, dependent placemen and informers.
28
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
A congress of delegates from nine colonies met at the New- York City Hall and passed a Declaration of Rights and an address to the King. When the stamped paper arrived from England, under naval escort, the Sons of Liberty refused to allow its use, and the Common Council compelled the surrender of the paper to the corporation. The city and province were then under the rule of the venerable Lieutenant-Governor Cadwallader Colden, a Scottish Jacobite and scholar, who lived in New York from 1708 until his death in 1 7 76. He endeavored to repress the popular tumults, but prevented the fort from firing on the rioters. The military commander was Gen. Thomas Gage, who afterwards received from the New- Englanders the brevet title of "Lord Lexington, Baron of Bunker Hill." Major James of the Royal Artillery had his beautiful estate of Ranelagh near the present West Broadway ; Sir Peter Parker's estate of Yauxhall was at the foot of Warren Street ; and Murray Hill, the seat of Robert Murray, the Quaker merchant, occu- pied the domain between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, and 36th and 40th Streets.
The Commons, now the City-Hall Park, were often crowded by assemblies of citizens, to whom the tribunes of the people, Sears and Scott, McDougall and Wil-
BUILDINGS IN CITY-HALL PARK IN 1809.
lett, Livingston and Hamilton, made fiery addresses, although strong detachments of the 16th and 24th British Regiments lay in adjacent barracks. Thence the populace marched to the fort, at evening, bearing 500 lights, and beat against its gates, defied its grape-shot, insulted the officers, spiked the guns of the Battery, and burned Governor Colden's coach, and an effigy of the ruler. The Liberty Pole was set up on the Commons, amid hilarious festivities, attended with a barbecue, and the drink- ing of twenty-five barrels of beer and a hogshead of punch. Thrice the red-coats of the 24th Regiment cut down this emblem of popular sovereignty, but when they laid it low for the fourth time, the alarm-bells toiled, the shops were closed, and the citizens made a series of attacks on the soldiers. The hottest skirmish occurred on Golden Hill f John Street;, where the Sons of Liberty beleaguered and beat a large detachment of the 16th, and themselves received many bayonet-thrusts and other wounds. After this outbreak, the patriots erected on the Commons a lofty iron- bound pole, crowned by a vane bearing the word Liberty. This stood fast until the city fell into the hands of the British army. In 1770 the people erected an eques- trian statue of George III. on Bowling Green ; and also a marble statue of William
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
29
Pitt, at Wall and William Streets. When the British ships laden with taxed tea arrived at New York, the people seized the London and emptied all her tea-chests into the river, and compelled the Nancy to put about and sail back to England.
On the Sunday after the battle of Lexington, a breathless horseman galloped in over the Boston road, bearing the startling news. The citizens immediately seized the public stores and colony arms ; over-rode the local authorities ; formed a govern- ing Committee of One Hundred ; and enthusiastically welcomed the New-England delegates to the Continental Congress. A few weeks later, the frigate Asia fired a broadside through the city, injuring several people, and damaging the houses along Whitehall.
The Provincial Congress, fearing a descent on the city by royalist troops from Ireland, summoned help from New England ; and Gen. Wooster marched down
OLD CUSTOM HOUSE AND VICINITY IN 1825.
with 1,800 Connecticut militia, and encamped for several weeks at Harlem, sending out detachments to cover the coast from British marauders. Under this protection the Sons of Liberty seized the Royalist supply-depots at Greenwich Village and at Turtle Bay (at the foot of East 47th Street), and removed thirty cannon from the Battery. The Tories included the landed proprietors, the recent English immigrants, and the Episcopalians ; while the patriot party was made up of the Dutch and Huguenots, the New-Englanders and Scots, the Dissenters and the artisans. The influence of the principal families inclined the General Assembly and Provincial Con- gress strongly toward Royalism ; and caused the province to move more slowly in the direction of independence than its neighbors had done. But the great mass of the people were in favor of freedom, and in time crushed out the Tory legislative influences. During these troublous days, Isaac Sears, one of the leading New- York patriots, rode down from Connecticut, with a band of light horsemen, and destroyed the press and other apparatus of Rivington's Royal Gazetteer, and carried off the type to be made into bullets. Early in 1776 Gen. Charles Lee marched into New York with 1,200 Connecticut troops, and encamped on the Commons, whence his detachments
3°
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
disarmed the Tories, and began to fortify the city. Lee was succeeded by Lord Stirling, and he by Gen. Putnam ; and the Third New- Jersey Regiment and troops from Dutchess and Westchester Counties and from Pennsylvania entered the city.
Governor Tryon took refuge on the British fleet, and the garrison of the Royal Irish Regiment was sent away to Boston. As soon as the New-England metropolis was delivered from the enemy, Washington marched his army to New York ; and here on the 9th of July, 1776, the Continental troops were assembled by brigades to have the Declaration of Independence read to them. One brigade was drawn up on the Commons, and in the hollow square Washington sat on horseback while an aide read the historic document. The same day the citizens pulled down the gildeddead equestrian statue of George III. on Bowling Green, and sent it off into Connecticut, where it was con- verted into 48,000 bullets ; and thus the Royalist troops had "melt- ed majesty" fired at them from pat- riotic muskets. Three days later the British frig- ates Rose and Ph<znix sailed up the Hudson, firing on the city as they passed, and tak- ing post above. By mid -August
the hostile fleet in the Bay numbered 437 sail, bearing the armies of Howe, Clin- ton and Cornwallis, and the King's Guards and De Heister's Hessian division, num- bering 31,000 soldiers in all. Again the Rose and Phcenix sailed past the city, bound downward, and firing broad-sides through its streets and buildings.
The defences of New York (aside from the Brooklyn lines) consisted of Fort George, six guns, and the Grand Battery, 18 guns; the Whitehall Battery; and field-works at Coenties Slip and at Catherine, Madison, Pike, Clinton, Broome, and Pitt streets, and Grand and Mulberry streets, besides others near Trinity Church, and heavy barricades in the streets. In due time 21,000 British troops landed at Gravesend, and shattered Putnam's army of 9,000 men, holding the Brooklyn lines. Almost a fortnight later five frigates demolished the American defences at Kip's Bay (foot of East 34th Street), and scattered their garrisons in wild panic, which was communicated to the troops on Murray Hill, as the English grenadiers advanced. Putnam retreated from the city by the Bloomingdale Road. The Continentals rallied on Harlem Heights ; defeated the enemy in some hot skirmishes ; and then retreated into Westchester. The military officers had discussed the question of burning ihe city, to prevent it being made a winter-quarters for the British army ; but Congress forbade this extreme measure. Nevertheless, on the 2i*t of September a fire acci- dentally broke out in a low tavern near Whitehall Slip, and destroyed 493 houses, obliterating nearly all the North-River side of the city west of Broad Street and Broadway. The British troops believed that the torch had been applied by the Americans, and bayonetted or threw into the flames a number of citizens. At mid-
RESERVOIR OF MANHATTAN WATER WORKS ON CHAMBERS STREET, IN 1825.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
31
November, Gen. Howe and 9,000 men stormed the outworks of Fort Washington, and compelled the surrender of that strong fortress, the last American post on Man- hattan Island. Thenceforward for over seven years New York lay in the hands of the enemy, a prostrate city under martial law, the chief depot for the soldiers and stores of the invading army, and the place of captivity where their prisoners of war were confined. The Dissenters' churches were turned into hospitals and prisons, and the Middle Dutch Church became a riding school for cavalrymen. The munici- pal government existed no longer, and about the only commerce was that of the sutlers' shops.
In the East River lay the horrible prison ships in whose disease-infested holds so many American soldiers were confined. It is related that in the Jersey alone over
10,000 prisoners of war perished. The American officers and dignitaries were consigned to the new jail (now the Hall of Records). Several of the great sugar houses, in- cluding Rhineland- er's, near William Street, were also used as prisons for captives from the Continental armies.
BROADWAY, FROM BOWLING GREEN, IN 1828. ^n the 25th Ol
November, 1 783, the rear-guard of Sir Guy Carleton's British army embarked at the Battery. The American advance-guard, composed of light infantry, artillery and the 2d Massa- chusetts Regiment, marched down the Bowery and Chatham, Queen and Wall Streets to the corner of Broadway and Rector Street. After these came Gen. Washington and Gen. Clinton, the City Council, a group of veteran generals, and other functionaries. A few weeks later, Washington bade farewell to his officers, at Fraunces' Tavern, at the corner of Broad and Pearl Streets.
The first American Congress under the Constitution met in 1789, in the handsome old City Hall, at the corner of Wall and Broad Streets. Here, on the gallery over- looking Wall Street, which was packed with vast and silent crowds, Livingston, the chancellor of the State of New York, administered the oath of office to the first President of the United States, April 30, 1789. For a year thereafter New York was the capital of the Republic (as it had been for five years previously) ; and the President and Cabinet officers, Congressmen and foreign ambassadors and their families made up a brilliant and stately Court circle. The ruins of the great fires, and the squalor of the British garrison's "canvas town," were replaced by new buildings ; the streets were cleared from the rubbish which had for years choked them up; and new shops and warehouses showed tempting arrays of wares. Wall Street, the favorite promenade, was brilliant with richly dressed ladies and hardly less showy gentlemen, and the carriages of the Republican aristocracy crowded Broadway down to the Battery. The finest mansion in the city was built in 1790, from the public funds, for the occupancy of Washington and his successors in the
32
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
Presidential office. Before its completion, the seat of government was moved to Philadelphia, and so the splendid house with its Ionic-colonnaded front became the official residence of Governors Clinton and Jay. It occupied the site of the ancient fort, and was afterwards replaced by the Bowling-Green block.
The holiday of New Year's had been introduced by the first Dutch colonists on Manhattan, and their descendants had kept it up faithfully, and with abundant good cheer. Washington thus advised a citizen, during one of these receptions : "The highly favored situation of New York will, in the process of years, attract numerous immigrants, who will gradually change its ancient customs and manners ; but, what- ever changes take place, never forget the cordial observance of New Year's Day."
The Tammany Society was formed in 1789, as a patriotic national institution, with a government of a Grand Sachem (chosen from thirteen sachems), a Sagamore, and a Wiskinskie. Many Indian forms and ceremonials were adopted ; the months
NORTH BATTERY, AT THE FOOT OF HUBERT STREET.
were "moons"; and the seasons were those of snow, of blossoms, of fruit. With a view of conciliating the hostile tribes on the borders, the society took also the name of Tammany, an Indian chief. In its early years, some of the most conspicu- ous and respected of New-Yorkers belonged to this order, which, indeed, did not become a political party institution until the days of the Jefferson administration.
It was impossible for New York to become the permanent capital of the United States, because Congress demanded that the Federal District thus dignified should be ceded to the Nation. Neither the local nor the State authorities would consent to this alienation of territory and wealth. Washington made excursions on Long Island and elsewhere, in search of an appropriate location, but without success. His heart was on the Potomac, where, after a ten years' sojourn at Philadelphia, the National capital was at last established.
The tract known successively as De Vlackte, the Commons, and City-Hall Park, in 1785 contained the Alms House and I louse of Correction, the public gallows, the Bridewell (on part of the City Hall's site) and the New Jail (now the Hall of Records). The present City Hall was begun in 1803, Mayor Edward Livingston
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
33
laying the corner-stone. The front and sides were of Massachusetts marble ; but the back, or northern side, was built of red sandstone, because it was thought that the city would never grow to any importance to the northward of the new edifice. As a contemporary writer said, the northern front "would be out of sight to all the world." When this building was finished, in 1812, at a cost of $500,000, it was generally conceded to be the handsomest in the United States.
At the beginning of the century, Broadway had a length of about two miles, paved for little more than half this distance, and lined with comfortable brick houses. Here and there between the houses the view passed down the bay, and out through the Narrows. The homes of the gentry and the rich merchants were along lower Broadway and the Battery, where their occupants could enjoy the beautiful views
Broadway. C1TY HALL AND PARK, AND PARK THEATRE. PARK R0W-
and refreshing air of the bay. At little over a mile from the Battery the paving ceased, and Broadway became a rather straggling road, with houses at intervals, and the indications of streets planned for the future. Broad Street in its width recalled the old canal that once flowed down its centre, but had long since vanished. Wall Street possessed many fine residences, and the handsome Federal Hall. The dry- goods marts occupied much of William Street, which afforded a bright spectacle on days favorable for shopping. Most of the other streets were narrow and winding, and lined with small red-brick houses with tiled roofs. On the west side, where the great fire of 1776 had occurred, the streets had been widened and straightened, and provided with brick sidewalks and gutters. The first sidewalk in the city was on Broadway, between Vesey and Murray Streets, constructed of brick and stone, and hardly a yard wide. The numbering of houses began in 1793. Broadway was built up only as far as Anthony Street ; the Bowery Lane, to Broome Street ; the East- River shore, to Rutgers Street ; and the North- River shore, to Harrison Street. Beyond the steep Anthony-Street hill, Broadway plunged sharply into the Canal 3
34 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK
Street valley, between the Fresh Water Pond and the Lispenard Meadows. At Astor Place, Broadway ceased, its line being crossed by the wall of the Randall farm.
The favorite duelling ground was a lonely grassy glade in the woods of Wee- hawken, high above the Hudson, and allowing glimpses of New York through the surrounding trees. The combatants were rowed across from the city, and clambered up the rocky steep to the scene of their fight. The most mournful event in Ameri- can duelling annals occurred here, July II, 1804, when the antagonists were Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, and founder of the National financial system, and Aaron Burr, Vice-President of the United States. Hamilton had characterized Burr as a "dangerous man," and helped to defeat his political schemes ; and Burr challenged him to mortal combat. Hamilton did not fire at his antagonist, but Burr, with a carefully aimed shot, mortally wounded him ; and he died the next day, in the presence of his wife and seven children. This dreadful encounter closed the practice of duelling in the civilized States of America ; and at the same time put an end to the public career of Burr.
The development of the higher culture in the Empire City received an impetus in 1784, by the re-chartering of the long-closed King's College, under the more republican title of Columbia College. Twenty years later the New- York Histori- cal Society was organized, followed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1807, and the American Academy of Fine Arts in 1808. The education of the children rested in the hands of parochial, charity and private schools until 1806, when a small public school came into existence, from the contributions of wealthy citizens, and small State and city appropriations. The Free School Society in 1809 erected a large brick building on Chatham Street ; and in 1825, six schools were in operation, not as charities, but open to all comers.
New York may be called the cradle of steam navigation, which has completely revolutionized the world's commerce ; for although other localities had seen at an earlier day vessels propelled by steam, yet here occurred the first profitable and successful ventures in this line on a large scale. In 1807 the Clermont was built, from the designs of Robert Fulton, the inventor, and with capital furnished by Chancellor Robert R. Livingston ; and in spite of all the evil prognostications of the conservative, she made a triumphant run from New York to Albany in thirty-two hours. As it took the ordinary packets from four to six days to run between the two cities, the rapid success of steam navigation on the Hudson followed as a neces- sity, especially after 181 7, when the time of passage was reduced to eighteen hours.
The navigation of Long- Island Sound by steamboats was soon inaugurated by a line opened in 181 8 from New York to New Haven, followed by another to New London, and in 1822 by the New- York & Providence line. The advance from the ugly little Clermont and the slow and dirty vessels of her class to the magnificent steamboats of modern days was largely due to a young Staten- Island ferryman, Cornelius Vanderbilt, who came to New York in 1829 and established new and im- proved lines on the Hudson and the Sound.
The first steam vessel to dare the storms of ocean was the Phoenix, built by Col. John Stevens of Hoboken, in 1807, and a year later sent around from New- York harbor to Philadelphia, by the sea passage. In 181 1 Stevens opened between Hoboken and New York the first steam ferry in the world ; and this was followed the next year by Fulton's lines to Jersey City and Brooklyn. The first steam frigate in the world, the Fulton, was built from a Congressional appropriation of $320,000, under Robert Fulton's supervision ; and made its successful trial-trip to Sandy
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
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3*
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
Hook in 1 8 14. Transatlantic steam navigation was inaugurated by the Savannah, built at New York in 181 9 and sent thence to Savannah, Liverpool, Copenhagen, Stockholm and St. Petersburg. In 181 2 Col. Stevens made the plans for a circular iron- clad war-ship, with screw propellers.
* About the year 1810 the city began a rapid development to the northward. The Brevoort estate, between Broadway and the Bowery road and nth Street; Henry Spingler's farm, between 14th and 16th Streets, west of the Bowery ; Nicholas Bayard's West Farm, covering 100 acres between Broadway and McDougall Street, and running north from Prince Street ; the Bayard-Hill estate, between Broadway and the Bowery and Broome Street ; the 260-acre domain established by Sir Peter Warren, in the region of Gansevoort and Christopher Streets ; and many other
estates and farms were invaded by the City Commis- sioners. Legions of stalwart labor- h^ ers levelled the
hills and filled the E3m^^M0f?s hollows ; and new iwKaw— streets were laid
out with efficient engineering skill and foresight. Oftentimes the irate landlords as-
CORP. THOMPSON'S MADISON COTTAGE, IN 1852. SITE OF THE FIFTH-AVENUE HOTEL. Sailed {}}Q SU1VCV-
ors with dogs, hot water, cabbages and other distressful methods ; but the work went steadily on, especially above Houston Street, whence they laid out the island into parallel numbered cross streets and broad north and south avenues, distinguished by numbers or letters.
When Trinity Church, in 1807, erected St. John's Chapel, in Varick Street, it was regarded as quite beyond civilization, and the parish received much blame for planting their new mission opposite a bulrush swamp, tenanted only by water snakes and frogs. About the same time, the Lutheran society got into financial straits, and a friend offered to give it four acres of land at the corner of Broadway and Canal Street. This largess was declined by the church on the ground that the land was not worth the cost of fencing it — which was doubtless true at the time.
The Collect was a broad and placid pond, favored by skaters in winter, and boating parties in summer. But it lay in the path of the northward advance of the city, and therefore, in 1809, a drainage canal was cut and bordered on either side by shade trees and a pleasant street (afterwards Canal Street). It was proposed in 1789 to make a public park of this beautiful pond and its shores ; but the scheme came to naught, on the ground that New York would never grow within accessible distance of this lonely region.
The intersection of Leonard and Centre Streets is not far from the centre of the pond, which had a depth of sixty feet. On the same site now stands the gloomy prison of the Tombs, the abode of so much misery and wickedness. The Collect was famous as the place where a steamboat with a screw propeller was first tried, in 1796, when John Fitch, its inventor, steamed around the pond several times, in an eighteen-foot propeller. Among the spectators were Chancellor Livingston and
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
37
other prominent New-Yorkers. About this time Oliver Evans aroused considerable popular amusement by saying that "The time will come when people will travel in stages moved by steam engines from one city to another, at fifteen or twenty miles an hour."
When Great Britain declared the ports of Continental Europe to be blockaded, and Napoleon retorted by proclaiming all vessels trading with Great Britain liable to seizure, American shipping suffered grave losses; and President Jefferson (in 1807) ordered all our commercial fleets to remain in our ports, and forbade the shipment of cargoes on foreign vessels. He believed that warring Europe, thus deprived of American breadstuffs, would hasten to acknowledge our neutral rights. During this
OLD NEW-YORK POST-OFFICE. SITE OF THE MUTUAL LIFE-INSURANCE BUILDING, ON NASSAU STREET.
year of interdict the shipping of New York's merchant-princes decayed at their anchorages, the warehouses were closed and abandoned, and the clerks were dis- charged because there was no work for them.
The War of 181 2 broke out in the same year that the City Hall received its finish- ing touches ; and within a few weeks the city had fortified her approaches, and sent to sea 26 privateers, manned by 2,239 bold sailors. Such a hornet's nest must needs be closed, and so from 1813 until the end of the war the mouth of the harbor was blockaded by tall British ships-of-the-line. The naval headquarters of the enemy was at Gardiner's Island, east of Long Island, whence their squadrons off Sandy Hook, or blockading New London, could be reinforced or supplied. In expectation of a dash from the enemy, New York was strongly fortified by the voluntary labor of its citizens, and new lines of defence covered the heights of Brooklyn and Harlem, with forts on the islands and at the Narrows and around Hell Gate. The city was held by a garrison of 23,000 men, mostly of the State troops.
The first great trunk line of railway finished from New York to the West was the Erie, which ran its trains as far as Dunkirk, on Lake Erie, in 1 85 1. The line from Albany to Schenectady was opened in 1832, and in 1853 became a part of. the newly organized New- York Central, whose rails reached Buffalo a year later. The Hudson-River Railroad, from New- York to Albany, was opened in 1851, and in 1869 became a part of the New- York Central system.
The horse-railroad, of such incalculable importance in street traffic, was inaugu- rated in 1832, when the Fourth- Avenue line began its trips, running from Prince
32
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
Street as far as Murray Hill. The first street-car ever built was made by John Stephenson, with compartments, roof seats, and the driver in the roof.
Another valuable modern convenience, illuminating gas, was introduced in 1825, with pipes traversing Broadway from the Battery to Canal Street.
After the War of 181 2, the famous packet lines began their service, the Black - Ball in 1816 and the Red-Star in 1821, running swift and handsome ships nearly weekly between New York and Liverpool, and making the run across eastward in from 15 to 23 days. Depau put four ships on the Havre packet service in 1822; and Grinnell, Minturn & Co. began to send monthly packets to London in 1823. After 1840 Low, Griswold & Aspinwall inaugurated the sailing of clipper-ships to China and California, and their vessels performed the most wonderful feats — as when the Flying Cloud ran from New York to San Francisco, making 433^ statute
FIVE POINTS IN 1859, VIEW FROM THE CORNER OF NORTH AND LITTLE WATER STREETS.
miles in a single day; or the Sovereign of the Seas sailed for 10,000 miles without tacking or wearing ; or the Dreadnought made the passage from Sandy Hook to Queenstown in nine days and seventeen hours.
The wonderful Erie Canal was built between 1816 and 1825, and became the most prominent factor in the growth of the Empire City, bringing to her docks the illimitable products of the Great West (then without railways), and carrying back much of her vast imports. The telegraph was not then known ; and the news of the opening of the canal was carried in 81 minutes 550 miles from Buffalo to Sandy Hook by the successive reports of a line of cannon, ten miles apart. A group of canal boats containing Gov. Clinton and other magnates descended the canal to Albany, and were thence towed down the Hudson to New York, and out to sea, escorted by many flag-bedecked vessels and barges. At Sandy Hook, Governor
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
39
Clinton emptied into the ocean a keg of Lake-Erie water, and other unique ceremonials were solemnly and decorously performed.
John Jacob Astor, a native of Waldorf, near Heidelberg, came to the New World in 1784, in his twenty-first year, and entered the fur-trade in the Empire City, keeping also a stock of London piano-fortes. He had himself incorporated as the American Fur Company ; bought out the Mackinaw Company and all its forts ; established a line of trading-posts across Oregon ; and developed a rich China trade. This typical merchant lived on the site of the present Astor House, and frequently entertained Irving, Halleck, and other literary men and scholars.
In 1834 occurred the Anti- Abolition riots, in which for the first time the National Guard was called out to restore order ; and a few months later the same potent peace- makers came into service to quell the stone-cutters' riots, and lay under arms .on Washington Square for several days. In December, 1835, a fire in the lower part
VIEW FROM THE SCHOOL-HOUSE IN 42D STREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD AVENUES, IN 1868.
of the city burned over 13 acres, with 700 buildings and $20,000,000 worth of prop- erty, and was stopped only at the wide gaps made by blowing up houses with gun- powder. This portentous calamity showed the need of more water for the growing city; and the Croton Aqueduct, begun in 1835, delivered water on Manhattan Island in 1842, and was completed in 1845, a^ a cost °f $9,000,000. The old Man- hattan Water Works, whose reservoir stood on Chambers Street, were thus rendered valueless.
The University of the City of New York dates from 1 83 1 ; the Sun from 1833 > the Herald from 1835 '■> t^ie Tribune from 1 841 ; the Times from 185 1 ; and the World from i860. Other notable achievements of this period were the opening of the Croton Aqueduct in 1842 ; the founding of the Astor Library in 1848 ; and the opening of the World's Fair in the Crystal Palace in 1853.
In 1825 the region north of Astor Place was still devoted to farms and orchards, with a gray old barn on the site of Grace Church, and a powder-house on Union Square. The fashionable summer evening resort was the Vauxhall Garden, stretch- ing from Broadway to the Bowery, near the present Astor Library, and famous for its trees and flowers, band-music and fire-works, and cakes and ale. In the triangle where Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue come together, stood the grocery store of
40 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
Peter Cooper, where the uptown lads exchanged berries picked in the Bleecker- Street pastures, for taffy and cakes.
Greenwich village occupied the region about the present Greenwich Avenue ; and to the northward, near West 23d Street, the roofs of Chelsea Village peered over the trees. In 1797 the State Prison of Newgate was opened at Greenwich, and served as a terror to evil-doers during full a quarter of a century.
For a number of years after 1825 the vicinity of St. John's Park was the Court end of the city, with the mansions of the Lydigs, Pauldings and other prominent families. In this vicinity, at the foot of Hubert Street, stood the frowning old North Battery, with its empty embrasures.
The old Potter's Field, now known as Washington Square, became fashionable about ten years later ; and here dwelt the Rhinelanders and Johnstons, Griswolds and Boormans, and other well-known families.
The convergence of several streets where Fourth Avenue met the old Bowery road made it necessary to leave there a broad common, which was at times used as the Potter's Field, much of its area being also covered with rude shanties. Not until 1845 was tnis ru&ged and filthy field improved into the present Union Square, which was soon surrounded by fine mansions, and up nearly to the time of the War for the Union remained the Belgravia of Manhattan. Only a few houses were to be seen above Union Square in 1845. Gramercy Park was laid out by Samuel B. Rug- gles, and presented to the owners of the sixty neighboring lots, to induce the erection of attractive houses here. Where the old Boston Road met the Bloomingdale Road lay another broad area of waste land, in olden times a burial-place for the poor, and from 1806 to 1823 the site of a United-States arsenal. Here the first House of Refuge was founded, in 1825, with six boys and three girls ; and remained until it burned down in 1839. During the mayoralty of James Harper (one of the famous publishers), between 1844 and 1847, tn^s dreary region was cleared and beautified, and became the famous Madison Square. The chief house here in 1852 was the little story-and-a-half cottage of Corp. Thompson, on the site now occupied by the Fifth-Avenue Hotel.
One of the most wonderful of modern inventions, the electric telegraph, was inaugurated by the experiments of Prof. S. F. B. Morse, in the University of the City of New York. A line of telegraph was completed from New York to Phila- delphia in 1845 > to Boston in 1846 ; and to Albany in 1847.
In 1849, Macready, the celebrated English actor, played Macbeth in the Astor- Place Opera House. The populace supposed that Edwin Forrest's ill reception in England, a few years before, had been due to Macready's hostile influence ; and they attacked the Opera House, 20,000 strong, during the play, scattering the police, and breaking the windows with paving stones. The Seventh Regiment cleared the vicinity, after a pitched battle, in which 150 soldiers were severely injured and 70 of the mob.
The commercial and therefore conservative spirit of modern New York naturally held back from the dread hostilities foreshadowed in i860; and by monster petitions and peace societies endeavored to arrest the storm. Mayor Fernando Wood even outlined a plan to make it a free city, like those of mediaeval Germany, inviting the trade of the world by nominal duties. But after the first guns were fired, in South Carolina, the spirit of temporizing vanished like a dream, and patriotism and loyalty possessed all classes with full inspiration. Within ten days 8,000 volunteer troops left the city for the South, including the 7th, 6th, 12th and nth Regiments of militia. In this metropolitan centre also were organized the famous and efficient
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK
41
THE BLIZZARD OF MARCH 11th, 12th, AND 13th, 1!
PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN JUST AFTER THE STORM, BY_LANGILL.
42 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
societies, the United-States Sanitary Commission and the United-States Christian Commission, and the Union Defense Committee, whose efforts placed 40,000 soldiers under the National colors. New- York City alone sent 116,382 patriotic troops into the field, besides raising scores of millions of dollars for the needs of the Republic.
The terrible Draft Riot of 1863 was caused by popular discontent with the impressment of citizens into the army, a feeling which was intensified by the incen- diary editorials of certain Democratic journals, and was not sufficiently discouraged by Gov. Seymour. On July 13th, a mob plundered and burned the provost- marshal's office, at Third Avenue and 46th Street, and then scattered through -the city, bent on deeds of rapine and murder. The Tribune office was sacked ; the col- ored Orphan Asylum on Fifth Avenue went up in flames ; the grain-elevators at the Atlantic Docks were burned; and negroes and soldiers were slain or grievously mal- treated wherever found. The closed shops, the streets clear of their customary traffic, and even of omnibuses and horse-cars, and many of the houses prepared like fortresses for defence, gave the city a singular and ominous appearance, which was increased by the mad roars of the mob, the clattering of cavalry along the pavement, the roll of volley-firing, and the heavy booming of artillery, sweeping the riotous vermin from the streets. The police behaved with extraordinary valor, but were unable to completely control this vast uprising of foreign-born anarchists, until the arrival of strong military forces, aided by the personal efforts and appeals of the Governor, the Mayor, and Archbishop Hughes. More than 1,000 men were killed and wounded and $2,000,000 of property was destroyed.
The long-continued supremacy of the degraded classes in municipal politics reached its crown of infamy after the close of the War for the Union, when William M. Tweed, a low ward-politician, was elevated to one of the chief offices of the city. In conjunction with other and similar conspirators, he elaborated a shrewd scheme, by which, within a few months, the city was robbed of $20,000,000. The new- County Court House alone furnished $7,000,000 of this amount. In 1871, through reason of a disagreement among the municipal officials, the damning documents in the case of "The Ring" passed into the possession of the New-York Times, which immediately printed the entire history of this gigantic robbery, and itemized the amounts stolen. The other leading newspapers also came out against the detected thieves, the citizens organized a committee of seventy, and most of the culprits fled to Europe or Canada. Tweed was imprisoned, but escaped to Spain, whence he was returned to the outraged metropolis, and finally died in jail.
The events of later days in New York are familiar to all readers of the newspapers — that is to say, to all Americans. The development of education, of public charities, of artistic and literary culture, of vast works of public utility, have gone forward mightily, and to the great glory of the community. Occasionally, a great financial flurry, like the Black Friday of 1869, or the panic of 1873, threatens to unsettle values and bring ruin to thousands. Now and then a riot occurs, like that of 1 871, when 29 policemen and soldiers were killed and wounded, and 104 of their assailants, in the attack of the Irish Catholics on the parading Orangemen. Other years see the rejoicings upon the completion of great public works, like the Park-Avenue improvements, costing $6,000,000, in 1875 '■> tne hlowing-up of Hell Gate, in 1876; and the dedication of the East-River Bridge, in 1883.
The year 1886 saw the unveiling of Bartholdi's wonderful statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World," with its attendant civic and National ceremonials. Then also came the trial of the aldermen bribed by persons seeking the franchise of the Broadway Surface Railroad. The same year saw the local Anarchists sent to prison,
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
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44
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
the great street-car strikes, and the twentieth annual encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic.
The most notable event of 1888 was the great blizzard of March 11-13, with its stoppage of transportation, food panic, the forming of an ice-bridge across the East River, and other unseasonable phenomena.
In 1889 the hundredth anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as President of the United States was celebrated here by a three-days' festival, with a naval review by President Harrison, a march-past of 50,000 soldiers from 21 States, a civic parade of 75,000 persons, and other imposing ceremonies.
In 1890 the Holland Society began to mark historical localities in New York by inscribed brass plates ; and the Washington Memorial Arch was founded. Then also occurred the centennial celebration of the organization of the Supreme Court of the United States, the unveil- ing of the Greeley statue, the con- ventions of iron and steel manu- facturers and of mining engineers.
In 1 89 1 the chief events were the founding of the Grant monu- ment, the opening of the Museum of Art on Sundays, the attack on Rus- sell Sage, the visit of Prince George of Greece, the
burning of the Fifth- Avenue Theatre, the decision of the Tilden will case, and the opening of the Carnegie Music Hall.
In 1892 occurred the terrible Hotel-Royal holocaust, the successful Actors' Fund Fair, the great gathering of the Society for Christian Endeavor, the running of cable cars on Broadway and Third Avenue, the re-districting of the city into thirty Assembly districts, and the publication of "King's Handbook of New- York City."
Thus pauses, for the time, the record of History. What may be in store for the proud New-World metropolis, who can say ? She may be destined to sink beneath the waves that gave her life, like the drowned cities of the Zuyder Zee ; or to be irretrievably shattered by hostile armaments, like Tyre ; or to tranquilly fade away into commercial death, like Venice. Yet such fates can hardly be imagined as awaiting the Empire City of the Western World, now in the full flush of her success and power, and leading in the van of modern life and thought. She has appalling problems to face — the inflowing of half-pauperized foreigners, the menace of the submerged tenth, the evils of municipal misgovernment, the rise of a many- millioned plutocracy, and other serious and perilous questions. But public opinion is awakening on all sides to their consideration, and the grand old city will doubtless meet the strong new troubles with stronger new remedies, just as in the days that are past she has faced and conquered so many other threatening perils.
THE LOEW BRIDGE, BROADWAY AND FULTON STREET.
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A. Comprehensive Outline Description of the Whole City — Area, Population, "Wealth, Statistics, Etc.
TO-DAY the City of New York is not only the metropolis of the United States, but in population, in wealth, in influence, in enterprise, in all that best dis- tinguishes modern civilization, it is the rival of the great capitals of the Old World.
The Area actually within the limits of the city includes Manhattan Island, Governor's Island, in New-York Bay ; Blackwell's, Ward's, and Randall's Islands, in the East River ; and a considerable section of the mainland north of the Harlem River, and west of the Bronx. From the Battery, at the southern extremity of Man- hattan Island, to the northern line of the city is a distance of sixteen miles. On the island, which is 13^ miles long, the width of the city varies from a few score rods to 2^ miles ; and north of the Harlem its greatest width is 4^ miles. The area of Manhattan Island is nearly 22 square miles, or 14,000 acres ; and with the section on the mainland, the city has a total of 41^ square miles, or 26,500 acres. In the process of growth and annexation New York has absorbed many villages, once its outlying suburbs, and whose memories even now exist in popular local designations, despite the fact that they have become parts of the metropolis. Thus down-town are Greenwich and Chelsea ; farther uptown, in the vicinity of Central Park, Bloomingdale and Yorkville ; above the park, Harlem and Manhattanville ; then Carmansville, Washington Heights and Inwood ; and on the mainland, that was annexed in 1874, are Port Morris, North New York, Claremont, Fairmount, Morris- ania, West Farms, Spuyten Duyvil, Mosholu, Williamsbridge, Fordham, Tremont, Mount St. Vincent, Mott Haven and Melrose, and other villages. The insular part of the city is thickly built up and heavily populated, save in certain territories in Harlem, Bloomingdale, Yorkville, and Washington Heights ; but even there build- ing is going forward with rapidity. In the annexed district development has been retarded by the lack of transit facilities, but is now proceeding steadily, and this section promises to become an important residential quarter.
The Population has grown in a phenomenal manner during the last half-cen- tury; In 1830, it was 202,000; in i860, 805,000; in 1880, 1,206,500. In 1890 the United-States Census gave the city 1,513,501 population; the Health-Board statistics, 1,631,232; and the police enumeration, 1,710,715. In February, 1892, there was a State enumeration that showed a population of 1,800,891. The yearly vote of the city is one vote for every 7| inhabitants. New York is thus the first city of the United States in population, and that too within a more contracted area than those rivals that come nearest to her in number of inhabitants — Chicago and Phila- delphia. The overflow of the city goes out into the surrounding region ; and has built up cities, towns and villages that would scarcely have existence were it not for the activity of Manhattan Island.
46
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK
PRUDUCt EXCHANbE TUWE
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NEW-YORK CITY.
LOOKING SOUTHWEST FROM THE "WORLD" DOME.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK
47
POST OFFICE.
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CITY-HALL PARK.
48 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
Greater New York comprises the city, with its suburban environs in the State of New York. It takes in the City of New York ; the counties of Kings and Rich- mond ; the western portions of the towns of Eastchester and Pelham, in Westchester County ; and Long-Island City, the towns of Newton, Flushing, Jamaica and the westerly portion of the town of Hempstead, in Queens County ; making a total area of 318 square miles, with a population of nearly 3,000,000. A commission to en- quire into the expediency of consolidating this territory into one city was appointed under an act of the New- York State Legislature, in 1890, and has reported in favor of the project. Andrew H. Green, the father of the movement, is also the Presi- dent of the Commission. Greater New York will thus be the second city of the world, leaving Paris behind ; and still provided with a line of great suburban cities pertaining to New Jersey, and hence isolated from its political life, though united with it socially and industrially.
The Nationalities represented in New York make it the most cosmopolitan city in the world. It has more Irish than Dublin, and more Germans than any German city except Berlin. There are sections almost entirely given over to people of foreign birth or descent, each nationality forming a colony by itself. Thus, we have the French, the German, the Italian, the African, the Chinese, the Hebrew, the Spanish and the Arab colonies. The English-speaking foreigners, as the Irish, the English and the Scotch, have assimilated more readily with the native popula- tion ; and so have the Germans, to a considerable extent. Other nationalities have kept themselves more nearly intact.
The Surroundings of few cities are more remarkable than those of New York. The urban territory and the surrounding country is historic ground. In the lower streets many old houses still stand, or localities are distinguished that recall Rev- olutionary and pre-Revolutionary days ; and on the hills of upper Manhattan, and in the Trans-Val region, modern enterprise has not yet destroyed all the ancient land- marks. Along the west flows the noble Hudson, renowned as one of the world's most beautiful rivers ; and on the east, the East River leads into Long-Island Sound. Up and down Long Island are numerous beautiful and historic villages ; and along the south shore of the island extend the great popular summer-resorts, Coney Island, Rockaway Beach, Sheepshead Bay and their rivals. The harbor is one of the largest, safest and most beautiful in the world. A hundred navies could ride at anchor upon its waters. The Lower Bay, almost surrounded by the shores of Long Island, Staten Island and New Jersey, is a magnificent sheet of water. Coming up through the Narrows, between the picturesque shores of Long Island and Staten Island, the view is enchanting ; and the land-locked upper harbor, sheltered by the hills of the two islands and of New Jersey, with the point of Manhattan Island reaching down into it between the two great rivers, the indications of a phe- nomenal commercial energy exhibited on every hand, the Statue of Liberty, and the towering buildings of the city, present a scene never to be forgotten.
The Municipal Administration is conducted mainly by the Mayor and the heads of departments, several of whom are chosen by popular vote, and the others appointed by the Mayor. Municipal legislation is in the hands of the Board of Aldermen, which consists of one member elected from each of the twenty-four Assembly Districts in the city ; and a president, who is elected at large, for a term vDf two years. In 1893 the Board will include 32 members.
The City Finances, according to the last report of the Comptroller, for the year ending January 1, 1892, shows the receipts were : From taxes, $32,861,779, from other sources, $6,656,255; moneys borrowed, $27,289,497. Total receipts,
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK. 49
$66,848,769. The expenditures were, by appropriation, $35,775>772> and on special and trust accounts, $31,072,997. The total funded debt was $150,298,870 ; or, less the amount in the sinking fund, $97,515,436. This debt is bonded at from 2^ to 7 per cent, interest, a considerable part of it being at 2\ and 3 per cent., a handsome testimonial to the credit of the city.
For the year 1892 the final estimate of appropriations allowed amounted to $35,881,205. Of that sum $3,000,000 is providedfor by receipts from miscellaneous sources, leaving $32,881,205 to be raised by taxation. Of this amount $5,151,771 was for interest on the city debt ; $1, 190,428 for the redemption and installments of the principal of the city debt; $2,398,505 for State taxes and State common schools ; $3,148,770 for the Department of Public Works ; $1,003,150, for the Department of Public Parks ; $2, 1 70, 1 25, for the Department of Public Charities and Corrections ; $5,045,468, for the Police Department ; $1,978,540, for the Department of Street- Cleaning ; $2,301,282, for the Fire Department ; $4,448,356 for the Board of Educa- tion ; $1,098,810, for Judiciary Salaries ; and $1,232,716 for Charitable Institutions.
The Judiciary is partly elected and partly appointed by the Mayor. The elected officials are the seven judges of the Supreme Court, with a salary of $11,500 each ; the six judges of the Superior Court, with a salary of $15,000 each ; the six judges of the Court of Common Pleas, with a salary of $10,000 each ; in the Court of General Session, one Recorder and three judges, salary, $12,000 each; in the Surrogate Court, one Surrogate, $15,000; in the District Court, eleven justices, $6,000 each ; Sheriff, $12,000 and half the fees; and District Attorney, $12,000. The principal appointed officials are fifteen Police Justices, $8,000 each ; six Assist- ant District Attorneys, at $7,500 each ; and one Commissioner of Jurors, at $5,000. Legal advice can be secured from 6,000 lawyers.
Political Divisions separate the city into thirty Assembly, eight Senatorial and ten Congressional districts. At the last election, in 1891, 239,898 votes were cast, or twenty per cent, of the total State vote. Within ten or fifteen miles of the New- York City Hall there is a vote of about 447,000, or over thirty-eight per cent, of the whole State.
The Police Department numbers 3,654 men, and has a deservedly high rep- utation for efficiency. The arrests number about 90,000 yearly.
The Fire Department has 1,400 employees, in twelve battalions; and over 200 pieces of apparatus, including 91 steam fire-engines, four water-towers and three fire-boats. There are 1,000 miles of wire and 1,200 boxes for the fire-alarm telegraph. Fire destroys over $4,000,000 of property in this city every year.
The Number of Buildings includes 90,000 dwelling-houses in the city, and 25,000 business-houses, making a total of more than 115,000. Over 1,100 new buildings, valued at more than $13,000,000, are erected yearly. The real-estate val- uation for purposes of taxation is $1,464,247,820, which fixes the actual value at over $4,400,000,000. The assessment value of personal property is $321,609,518, making a total of $1,785,857,338. The tax rate is $1.90 per hundred.
The Deaths in 1890 were 40,103, at a rate of 24.58 in a thousand ; and in 1891, 43,659, or 25.97 m a thousand ; being lower than the average for ten years past.
Streets, Sewers, Water, Etc. — There are 575 miles of streets ; 444 miles of sewers, constructed at a cost of over $22,000,000 ; 685^ miles of water-mains, and 8,800 hydrants; and 16 public bathing places, used in 1891 by 3,750,000 bathers. The streets are lighted at night by 27,100 gas-lights, 1,200 electric lights, and 140 naphtha lamps. The city has 144 piers on the North and East Rivers; and 13
public markets. 4
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
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CITV HALL.
NEW-YORK CITY
LOOK.NG WEST-NORTHWEST FROM THE "WORLD" DOME.
WARREN STREET.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
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COUNTY COURT HJUSt
COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS
NEW-YORK CITY.
LOOKING NORTH FROM THE "WORLD" DOME.
52 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
The Public Buildings belonging to New York include the City Hall, a fine example of the Italian Renaissance architecture ; the County Court-House, an imposing Corinthian structure of white marble, which nominally cost many millions, and is a memorial of the peculations of the notorious Tweed ring ; the Jefferson- Market Court-House, a handsome building of brick and sandstone, in the Italian Gothic style ; the Hall of Records, in City-Hall Park ; the Tombs, a substantial and grim-appearing edifice, in the purest Egyptian style; the new Court-House, just approaching completion, near the Tombs ; the famous Castle Garden, at the Battery, long used as a receiving station for immigrants ; and many department buildings. Two other imposing public structures, both works of engineering skill, belong in part or in whole to the city — the East-River Bridge to Brooklyn, and the Washington Bridge, over the Harlem River.
The Water-Supply comes from the Croton water-shed, about 30 miles from the city. Besides natural lakes in that region, there are artificial reservoirs giving a total storage capacity of 17, 150,000,000 gallons. Work now in progress in the con- struction of new dams will more than double this storage capacity. The supply is practically unlimited, and with abundant storage facilities 350,000,000 gallons a day would be assured. Water is brought down to the city by the old aqueduct, which hasa carrying capacity of 75,000,000 gallons each day. The new aqueduct which was opened in 1890 has a carrying capacity of 320,000,000 gallons each day. It cost over $25,000,000. In the city proper there are storage and receiving reservoirs that will hold 1,266,000,000 gallons. The daily consumption is 110,000,000 gallons, and the present storage capacity at the watershed would meet all needs for three months.
The Militia constitutes a full brigade of the National Guard of the State. There are seven regiments, two batteries, one cavalry troop, one signal corps, and one naval battalion, with 274 officers and 5,365 men.
Local Traffic is effected by the elevated railroads, horse-cars and cable-cars, and the Fifth-Avenue stage-line. There are five lines of elevated roads (33 miles), under one management, four running practically the length of Manhattan Island, from the Battery to the Harlem River ; and the fifth extending out into the trans- Harlem district. There are 17 surface street-car railroad companies, running cars over 42 main lines and branches. One line across town in Harlem and up Washing- ton Heights (seven miles) has been operated by cable for several years ; and cable- power is about to be substituted for horse-power on Broadway and Third Avenue.
The Ferries (with the exception of the East-River Bridge and the several Harlem-River bridges) afford the only means of communication between Manhattan Island and the surrounding localities. There are 38 ferry lines, including thirteen to Brooklyn, and thirteen to New Jersey.
Steam Railways to the number of 23 serve New York directly. Only four of these enter the city proper — the New- York Central & Hudson- River, the New- York & Harlem, and the New- York, New-Haven & Hartford, which come into the Grand Central Depot, at 42d Street ; and the New- York & Northern, which has a depot at 155th Street and Eighth Avenue. The depot of the Long-Island Railroad is at Long- Island City ; and on the New-Jersey side of the Hudson River are the depots of the Pennsylvania, the Baltimore & Ohio, the New-Jersey Central, the Delaware, Lacka- wanna & Western, the Erie, the Lehigh- Valley, the New-Jersey Southern, the Ontario & Western, the West-Shore, and many connecting lines.
Steamboats run from New York to Albany, Troy and other ports on the Hud- son River ; to Boston, Newport, Providence, Bridgeport, New Haven, Fall River and other New-England ports ; to Long Branch, Sandy Hook and elsewhere on the
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK. 53
New- Jersey coast ; and to many places on Long Island. There are over thirty such lines, and not fewer than 150 steamboats thus employed, including the palatial boats that are in commission on the Sound routes to Boston, on the Hudson River, and on the summer routes to Sandy Hook and Long Branch. For speed, safety, beauty and elegance of appointments these boats surpass anything in the world.
Coastwise and Ocean Traffic to and from the port of New York reaches enormous proportions. In the trans- Atlantic fleet there are over 120 steamships, belonging to fourteen regular lines to Europe, and lines to Brazil, Central America, the West Indies, Mexico, Venezuela, Trinidad, Newfoundland and other foreign ports, and to the chief Atlantic domestic ports. In the European fleet the great ocean greyhounds are floating palaces that represent the perfection of modern marine architecture. From foreign ports the yearly arrivals of steamships number 3,000, and sailing vessels reach about the same number. From domestic ports there are 1,700 steamships and 14,000 sailing-vessels. The total tonnage of the shipping at this port is 5,000,000 yearly.
Federal Interests of paramount importance are concentrated in New York, which is second only to Washington in this particular. The Custom House, the Assay Office and the Sub-Treasury, all close together on Wail Street, represent the Federal Government financially. Here is the main port of entry for foreign trade for the whole country. The business transacted through the Custom House in 1890 amounted to : dutiable imports, $349,217,107; free imports, $193, 155,771 ; specie, $20,369,499; total, $562,735,987 ; on which duties were collected to the amount of $163,238,278. Of these imports $146, 143,028 were of dry goods; and all other merchandise amounted to $396,223,460. In the same time the exports were : Domestic goods, $339,458,578; foreign goods, $8,184,783; specie, $41,646,121 ; making a total of $389,289,482.
At the Sub-Treasury during the year 1 89 1 the receipts were $1,227,000,000. Enormous quantities of bullion are annually passed through the Assay Office.
The Post Office is the centre for the railway mail service of the Eastern and the Middle States, and the distributing point for foreign mail to and from Europe. More than 3,000 men are employed. The United-States Courts hold their sessions in the Post-Office building.
Immigration pours a steady tide into the United States through the port of New York. Immigrants were formerly received at Castle Garden, but they are now landed at Ellis Island, where the United-States Government takes charge of them. In no year since 1880 has the number of immigrants fallen below 300,000. In 1890 they reached 358,510; and in 1891, 430,887.
The Military Department of the East has its headquarters here, and the Major-General and his staff reside on Governor's Island. Detachments of troops are in garrison at Fort Hamilton and Fort Wadsworth, which face each other across the Narrows on the Long-Island and Staten-Island shores respectively ; at Fort Schuyler, upon Throgg's Neck, where the East River and Long-Island Sound meet ; and at Willett's Point, on the Long-Island shore, opposite Fort Schuyler. These fortifications would, perhaps, be of small avail against the heaviest modern naval armaments, but the Government is improving the defences at these stations, and pro- jecting new works at Sandy Hook and Coney Island, so that the city and harbor shall have adequate protection in case or war.
The United-States Navy-Yard (virtually a part of New York, although across the East River, in Brooklyn) is the most important naval station in the country; and employs over 2,000 men continually. The dry dock cost over
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COURT OF GLNERAL SESSIONS
POLICE CUUBT.
NEW-YORK CITY.
LOOKING NORTHEAST FROM THE "WORLD" DOME.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
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»*» l« -2 j3 .13'
STAATS ZEITUNQ.
CITY-HALL BRANCH ELEVATED RAILROAD.
NEW-YORK CITY.
LOOKING EAST-NORTHEAST FROM THE " WORLD " DOME.
LLIAM STREET.
56 KJNG'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
$2,000,000, and is unequalled anywhere in the world. The Government property- covers 144 acres, and has a mile of water-front. Besides the shops and officers' houses, there are Marine barracks and a naval hospital.
The Wealth concentrated in the hands of residents of New York is almost inconceivable. Many vast fortunes have been made here ; and many enormously wealthy Americans have come here to live and enjoy the fortunes accumulated elsewhere. A recent table of the wealth of New- York's millionaires estimates that at least two New-Yorkers are worth more than $100,000,000 each ; six more have above $50,000,000 each; more than thirty are classed as worth between $20,000,000 and $4.0,030,000 ; and 325 other citizens are rated at from $2,000,000 to $12,000,000 each.
The Commerce and Finance cannot be adequately measured in words or figures. The aggregate transactions every day reach an amount so stupendous that the figures are beyond comprehension.
The Banks include 50 National banks, with a capital of $50,000,000, and resources of $509,869,109 ; 45 State banks, with a capital of $17,372,700, and re- sources of $181,422,000; 25 savings-banks, with deposits of $324,221,000, from 787,506 depositors; and 19 trust-companies, with capital of $19,650,000, or gross assets of $255,000,000.
The Clearing House does a business amounting to from $35,000,000,000 to $50,000,000,000 yearly, and its daily transactions range from $125,000,000 to $250,000,000. Since it commenced in 1853 it has transacted business to the enor- mous amount of over $1,000,000,000,000.
The Stock Exchange has a membership of 1,100; and its aggregate transactions amount to many millions of shares a year. The Produce Exchange has 3,000 members; and the Maritime Exchange, 1,365. There are 2,362 members in the Consolidated Exchange, where often in a single day 75,000 shares of stock are dealt in, and where almost incalculable quantities of petroleum are sold yearly. There are also ninety-six Trade-Associations. In and about Wall Street 289 of the leading railroads of the country have their main or important offices.
The Office Buildings comprise many notable structures. In the down-town business-districts alone, there are several hundred great office-buildings which are hives of industry. Many of them have a business population every day more than equal to the population of a large country village. Such buildings as the Mills, the Equitable, the Havemeyer, the Bennett, the Potter, the Pulitzer, the Times, the Washington, the Columbia, Temple Court, the Western Union, the Postal-Tele- graph-Cable, the Mutual Life, the Jersey Central, the Lackawanna, and a score of others, are notable for their grandeur and solidity and elegant appointments.
The Manufactures in 12,000 factories give employment to over 500,000 people, who make every year $600,000,000 worth of goods, of which clothing, books and papers, cigars and pianos, constitute the largest amounts.
The Publishers of the United States are well represented or located in New- York City, where more books are yearly published than in all the rest of the country combined. There are thirty leading publishing concerns, and others of lesser importance. In periodical publications there is even more activity.
The Papers and Periodicals comprise 43 daily newspapers. Of these, one is French, five German, two Italian, two Bohemian, one Spanish and one Jewish. There are eight semi-weekly papers, 325 weekly, nine bi-weekly, and 333 semi- monthly. Among the weeklies are papers for the Germans, the Hungarians, the Hebrews, the Irish, the Norwegians, and the Hollanders. The monthly publications
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK. 57
lead off with Harpers' Magazine, the Century, Scribner's, the Cosmopolitan, the North American Revieiv and the Fornm, and run up a list of 372. There are 14 bi-monthlies and 21 quarterlies. All the varied social, religious, literary, political and business in- terests are served by these periodicals. The most important groups can be classed thus: Religious, 53 ; commercial, 15 ; sporting, 8 ; art, 5 ; literary, 64 ; mechanical, 5; socialist, 2; German, 15; secret societies, 9; legal, 3; theatrical, 6; scientific, 7; medical, 22; educational, 12; agricultural, 3; Spanish, 4; and fashions, 7.
The Churches own and occupy more than 400 church buildings, valued with their land and foundings at upwards of $50,000,000. They represent every phase of religious belief, and together they have a seating capacity of nearly 300,000. The Protestant Episcopal Church leads, with 88 buildings ; closely followed by the Roman Catholic, with 75 ; then come the Presbyterian, with 65 ; the Methodist- Episcopal, 63 ; the Baptist, 46 ; the Jewish, 44 ; the Reformed Dutch, 27 ; the Lutheran, 21 ; the Congregationalist, 7; the Reformed Presbyterian, 5; the Afri- can Methodist Episcopal, 6 ; the United Presbyterian, 5 ; the Unitarian, 3 ; the Universalist, 3 ; and all others, including Swedenborgians, Moravians, Christian Israelites, Friends, Plymouth Brethren and Missions, 45.
Religious Work in conjunction with the churches is served by many societies and associations. Most prominent among these is the American Bible Society, which, since it started in 1816, has published over 56,000,000 copies of the Bible ; has printed the Bible in more than eighty different languages and dialects ; has had receipts of nearly $21,000,000 ; and owns a large building, valued at nearly $500,000. The Young Men's Christian Association is housed in its own building, that cost $500,000, and it occupies a broad field of usefulness in promoting the spiritual, intellectual, social and physical welfare of the community. It supports fourteen branches, of which the most important are the Young Men's Institute, in the Bowery, and the Railroad Branch, which occupies a house on Madison Avenue, built and presented to it by Cornelius Vanderbilt. In local missionary work the New-York City Mission and Tract Society is preeminent, maintaining churches, libraries, missions, gymnasiums, and Sunday-schools. Each of the leading denomi- nations supports one or more missionary societies, publication-houses, and organiza- tions for the propagation of their religious tenets. Three-score missionary societies cover the foreign and home field.
The Charities (according to a published directory of the charitable and benev- olent societies) number more than 700, not including scores of small associations, that never appeal to the public. More than 200 are prominent, and labor unremit- tingly and effectively in relieving the poor and suffering of every class and national- ity. Many of these associations maintain hospitals and homes. Besides all the hospitals, there are a score of homes for the poor, sick and convalescent. Thirty asylums are provided for orphans and destitute children ; fifteen asylums for the blind, the insane, the deaf and the crippled ; twenty homes for the aged ; and numerous temporary refuges for the poor and friendless. Some of these are munic- ipal institutions ; and others receive municipal aid. But, aside from civic appro- priations, charitable contributions from private sources yearly amount to many millions of dollars. In addition, much is given in the form of permanent endow- ments and new buildings. The Children's Aid Society alone maintains twenty-one industrial and twelve night schools ; keeps open six lodging houses ; has every year under its charge 37,000 boys and girls ; and spends nearly $400,000. Another notable and unique charity is the Fresh-Air Fund, through which poor children are sent into the country every summer.
ffJT.
NEW-YORK C ' '
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NEW-YORK CITY.
LOOKING SOUTHEAST FROM THE " WORLD -' DOME.
60 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
The Charitable and Correctional Institutions of the city are located chiefly on the islands in the East River. Blackwell's Island, 120 acres in extent, has the penitentiary, almshouse, workhouse, charity hospital, hospital for incurables and other institutions. Over 7,000 persons, including criminals, charity patients, officials and attendants live upon the island, which is maintained chiefly by convict labor. A recent proposition that is being favorably entertained looks to the removal of these institutions to a location on the main land, and the transformation of the island into a beautiful public park. On Randall's Island are the Idiot Asylum, the House of Refuge, Nursery, Children's Hospital, and Infants' Hospital and schools. The usual population of the island is between 2,500 and 3,000. On Ward's Island are the Insane Asylum for Males, the Homoeopathic Hospital, the State Emigrant Hospital, and other noble institutions. On Hart's Island is another lunatic asylum and a convalescent hospital ; and on North Brother Island is the Riverside hospital for contagious diseases. At Islip, Long Island, is an insane asylum. The city maintains the Bellevue, Emergency, Gouverneur, Harlem, Reception and Fordham hospitals in the city proper. Municipal aid to the amount of nearly $1,250,000 is given for the support of 29 private or State asylums, reform- atories and charitable institutions, and altogether the city pays out for these purposes more than $3,300,000 annually.
The Hospitals of New York are not surpassed elsewhere in the world for extent, completeness of appointment, and general excellence of management. The most skilful medical service is at the command of the suffering ; and the reputation of the physicians for skill has travelled even to Europe, so that in recent years Euro- pean physicians have sent patients across the water to New- York hospitals for treat- ment in special cases. Particularly is this true of surgery, in which New- York practitioners are without superiors. The leading hospitals are Bellevue, established in 1826, and maintained by the city ; New York, chartered by King George III. of England in 1771, and opened to the public in 1 791 ; Roosevelt, opened ini87i, and supported by the endowment of James H. Roosevelt ; St. Luke's (Protestant Epis- copal), incorporated in 1850 ; St. Vincent's (Roman Catholic), 1857 ; Lebanon (Hebrew), 1889; Mount Sinai, opened in 1872 ; New- York Eye and Ear Infirmary, 1822; New-York Ophthalmic, 1855 ; Presbyterian, 1852 ; and the Sloane Maternity and Vanderbilt Clinic, endowed by the Vanderbilt family to the amount of $1,000,- 000. Other hospitals devoted to special diseases bring the number of these institu- tions up to nearly seventy. There are dispensaries and infirmaries for the free treat- ment of the sick in all parts of the city, to the number of over fifty.
The Educational Work of New York is preeminent, and her teaching facili- ties yearly attract thousands of students from all parts of the country. The public- school system, broad in scope and thorough in instruction, is in charge of a Board of Education composed of 21 commissioners. The number of school buildings is 135, and in these 240,000 children are taught by 4,200 teachers. There are 108 grammar schools, 118 primary schools and departments, 29 evening schools, two colleges, one training school, one nautical school, and 48 corporate schools in reformatories and asylums. The College of the City of New York has a yearly attendance of 900 young men ; and the Normal College of 1,600 young women. These two institutions complete the system of public schools.
Advancing beyond the public schools we find educational institutions of higher grade, that in number and in character combine to make New York one of the great university-towns of the world. In the front rank stands Columbia College, one of the five oldest and greatest colleges of the country. With its five depart-
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK 6l
ments, Arts, Mines, Law, Political Science, and Medicine, and its Barnard College for Women, it is in effect, as well as in name, a university. Scarcely second to Columbia is the University of the City of New York, which has three well-equipped departments. Both these institutions have had brilliant careers, and the names of scores of men like Barnard, Drisler, Chandler, Quackenbos, Dwight, Morse, Mott, Butler and others, great in various branches of professional attainment, are identified with them. There are 3,000 students yearly instructed in these two universities.
The Union Theological Seminary (Presbyterian), and the Episcopal General Theological Seminary are the next most prominent higher educational institutions. Combined they have a yearly register of over 2,000 students. To these must be added the medical schools, Bellevue, Physicians and Surgeons, University, Homoeo- pathic, and a dozen like institutions, in special fields. There are several prosperous Catholic colleges, like Manhattan, St. John's, and St. Francis Xavier.
The prominent law-schools are those connected with Columbia College and the University of the City of New York, both unsurpassed in facilities and thoroughness of training ; and drawing students from all parts of the world.
Private schools of all grades are numerous. The Cooper Union Schools for free instruction in the sciences, mathematics, art, engraving, telegraphy, and other branches, is one of the grandest philanthropic institutions in existence. Over 4,000 students are taught yearly, most of whom are young tradesmen or mechanics who attend the evening classes. The Trade School is another institution on a large scale for practical instruction in common employments.
The Libraries, special and general, are numerous and large. The Aguilar Free Library and the Free Circulating Library have several branches each ; and the Apprentices' Library contains nearly 90,000 volumes. The millions left by the will of Samuel J. Tilden provided a great free library ; and even now that the will has been set aside, the generosity of one of the heirs will in the near future make up a part of the loss. The Mercantile Library is the largest circulating library in the city. It contains 240,000 volumes. The Astor Library, richly endowed by the Astor family, with a quarter of a million volumes, mostly valuable for reference rather than for popular reading, is much frequented by students and investigators.
The useful Columbia-College Library has over 100,000 volumes. At the Cooper Union there are 30,000 volumes of a miscellaneous character, and several hundred newspapers and magazines are regularly received. The library of the New-York Historical Society is valuable in Americana. The Lenox Library contains more rare editions of Bibles, Shakespeariana and Americana, and ancient manuscripts than other institutions in this country. It has only a few more than 30,000 volumes, but most of these are priceless in value. The libraries at the City Hall ; the Bar Association, 35,000 volumes; the American Institute, 15,000; the New-York Society, 90,000; the Bible Society, 4,000 rare volumes; the Law Institute, 35,000; and the Young Men's Christian Association, 40,000, are useful institutions. There are more than a score others of lesser importance, generally serving the needs of some special class. The libraries attached to the Art Museum and the colleges and seminaries, as Union Theological Seminary (59,000), St. Francis Xavier (25,000), and Manhattan College (17,000), are also* note-worthy.
In Art and Architecture, New York leads the country. It is the Mecca towards which artists from all other sections turn. The studios of America's greatest painters, sculptors and designers are here, and the native school of art has always displayed its fullest and most admirable powers in this city. To-day the names of
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
SHOT TOWCR.
SPRUCE AND WILLIAM STREETS.
NEW-YORK CITY.
LOOKING SOUTH FROM THE " WORLD » DOME.
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
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'ILLIAM STREET.
PROOUCE EXCHANGE TOWER.
NEW-YORK CITY.
LOOKING SOUTH-SOUTHWEST FROM THE "WORLD" DOME.
64 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK
such painters as Huntington, Inness, Chase, Millet, Weir, Porter, Parton, Beck- with, J. G. Brown, Blum, Crane, Gay, Moran and Shirlaw, and of such sculptors as St. Gaudens, Elwell, Ward, Warner, Hartley, and scores of others not less accomplished, sufficiently uphold the claim of New York to preeminent distinction in this respect. The general art taste of the community is revealed on every side, especially in the local architecture, which has attained to a remarkable degree of excellence during the last few years. The Vanderbilt houses, the Stewart mansion, the Union-League-Club buildings, the Madison- Square Garden, the Metropolitan Opera House, the Casino, the Carnegie Music Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the City Hall, the Tribune Building, the Times Building, the World Building, the Academy of Design, Grace Church, the Produce Exchange, the Mutual- Life and the Equitable-Insurance buildings, the Imperial, Astor, Savoy, Holland and New Netherland hotels, the Tiffany house, the new Court House, Trinity Church ; the record might be continued for pages without exhausting the list of buildings that give architectural distinction to the city. The Huntington mansion, the Metro- politan Club House, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Havemeyer Office Building, the American Fine-Arts Building, and a score of other residence and business structures are either projected or in process of erection. Every conceivable style and variation of style is represented by admirable examples, Colonial in the houses of old Greenwich and Chelsea villages, Gothic in Trinity and other churches, Doric in the Sub-Treasury building, Corinthian in the Court House, Ionic in the Custom House, Egyptian in the Tombs, Italian Renaissance in the City Hall and the Produce Exchange, Florentine in the Lenox Library and the W. K. Vanderbilt house, Moorish in the Tiffany house, the Temple Emanu-El and the Casino, Vene- tian in the Academy of Design, Byzantine in the German Catholic Church of the Most Holy Redeemer and St. George's Church, and contemporaneous "Queen Anne" in the Union-League Club House, and many private residences around about Central Park. Nor in this connection can the public statues and memorials be ignored. Among them are many admirable examples of art, such as the Farragut statue, by Augustus St. Gaudens ; the equestrian Washington, by H. K. Browne ; the Indian Hunter, the Horace Greeley, and the Washington, by J. Q. A. Ward ; the Union-Square Drinking-Fountain, by Olin Warner; the Diana on the Madison- Square-Garden tower, by Augustus St. Gaudens ; the Still Hunt, by Edward Kemys ; the Egyptian Obelisk, in Central Park ; the Tigress and Young, by Augustus Caine ; the Washington Memorial Arch, by Stanford White ; the Grant Mausoleum ; and the magnificent colossal Statue of Liberty on Bedloe's Island, by Bartholdi.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art easily stands at the head of institutions of its character in this country. It now has treasures valued at over $6,000,000, housed in a building that has already cost nearly $1,000,000, and is not yet completed. In these galleries are many famous pictures presented to the Museum from the Stewart and other private collections, the Wolfe collection of pictures by modern masters (valued at half a million), the Marquand old masters, the Di Cesnola collection of Cypriote antiquities, the E. C. Moore collection of ceramics, the Brayton-Ives Jap- anese swords, the Marquand, Charvet and Jarves glass, the Stuart and Astor laces, the Drexel and Brown musical instruments, the Baker Egyptian mummy and other cloth, the Ward Assyrian antiquities, a remarkably large collection of casts from the antique, and other valuable and interesting possessions. The New-York Historical Society has a valuable collection of portraits of distinguished Americans, the Durr collection of old Dutch paintings, the Abbott collection of Egyptian antiquities, the Lenox Nineveh marbles, and other art-treasures second only in extent
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK. 65
and value to the possessions of the Metropolitan Museum. In the Lenox Library- there is a precious collection of pictures, including works of most of the great masters of modern times. Recent bequests bring this institution into close rivalry with the Metropolitan Museum and the Historical Society.
The private galleries in New York are not equalled by those in any other Amer- ican city. The finest collections belong to the Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Belmonts, the Havemeyers, the Rockefellers, H. G. Marquand, J. A. Bostwick, Thomas B. Clarke, C. P. Huntington, Henry Hilton, D. O. Mills, Jay Gould, Morris K. Jesup, J. W. Drexel, Robert Hoe, and many other eminent collectors, who constitute a band of picture lovers and buyers such as no other American community can boast of. The portraits in the Governor's room at the City Hall, and in the Chamber of Commerce, and the Academy of Design's collection of works by its members are interesting. All the leading clubs possess good paintings, and they make exhibitions of these and loaned pictures from time to time. Nearly all the fashiona- ble hotels show fine collections of paintings in their saloons, offices and public rooms. Not much attention has yet been given to art in New-York church interiors. In St. Thomas's, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, the Church of the Transfiguration, the Church of the Heavenly Rest, Grace Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Trinity Church, there are mural paintings, mosaic and sculptured reredoses, statu- ary and painted windows. A score of art-stores show the best productions of American and European painters, and during the season there are numerous exhibi- tions. The National Academy of Design has autumn and spring exhibitions ; the Society of American Artists, the Salmagundi Club, the Etching Club, the American Water-Color Society, and other art organizations hold annual exhibitions.
The Parks of New York are commensurate with its great development. Bowling Green was the first public park ; and the fashionable folk dwelt about it in the old Dutch and Colonial times. In the main part of the city the principal reservation for the people is Central Park, one of the handsomest public breathing-places in the world. It contains 840 acres, which have been beautified at an expense of over $15,000,000, with landscape-garden features, statuary, play-grounds and prome- nades. Part of the park is still left in a state of nature. Morningside Park (of 32 acres) and Riverside Park (of 178 acres), the latter overlooking the Hudson River for nearly three miles, are two of the most beautiful public places in the city. Many smaller squares and parks are generally made attractive with shrubbery and flowers. North of the Harlem River are six parks : The Van Cortlandt, of 1,070 acres ; the Bronx, of 653 acres ; the Crotona, of 135 acres; St. Mary's, of 25 acres; Clare- mont, of 38 acres; and Pelham-Bay, of 1,740 acres. At present these properties, which cost the city $10,000,000, are unimproved. They are distant from the populated part of the city, but are already much frequented by those who wish a rustic outing in the wild woods and pastures. In time these parks, which are con- nected by parkways, will form a system that in extent, in natural beauty and in adornment will have no rivals. A new park on the west bank of the Harlem River at Washington Heights is also projected.
Amusements numerous and varied enough to suit all tastes and all purses range in character from the Metropolitan Opera House to the low concert-saloons of the Bowery and Eighth Avenue. The legitimate theatres are thirty-six in number, and at least five others are projected or building. Several of these remain open the year round, comic opera holding the stage throughout the summer months. All of them have a season of at least forty weeks. The Metropolitan Opera-House is the home of German and Italian grand opei-a, and during the last ten years the productions
66 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
there have been on a scale of magnificence and musical excellence rivalling the most famous European opera-houses. The receipts for the opera season have amounted to about $200,000 annually, in recent years, leaving a deficiency of $100,- 000 to be made good by assessments upon the stockholders, who are the leaders in wealth and society. The Madison-Square Garden, a large and architecturally beau- tiful structure, has an amphitheatre where horse-shows and dog-shows patronized by fashion are held, and where the circus annually exhibits. In addition, it has a theatre, a restaurant, a roof-garden, a concert-room, and a ball-room. The old Academy of Music, once devoted to grand opera, but now given over to the spectacular drama ; the luxurious Fifth-Avenue ; Palmer's arid the Star, both rich with memo- ries of Lester Wallack ; the handsome Casino, where comic opera reigns the year round ; Amberg's and the Thalia, where performances in German only are given ; Daly's, and the Lyceum, with their admirable stock companies ; the handsome Garden Theatre ; the Madison-Square Theatre, with its permanent farce comedy ; these are the most important. In all the legitimate theatres combined there is a seating capacity of nearly 60,000. The dime-museums and other low-priced places will accommodate at least 10,000 more. Even with this total the supply does not exceed the demand. It is estimated that every year there is spent in New York for amusements of this character at least $6,000,000.
In Chickering Hall, Music Hall, the Lenox Lyceum, the Berkeley Lyceum, Hardman Hall and the concert-room of the Metropolitan Opera-House most of the high-class musical entertainments are given. Notable concerts of the year are those by the Philharmonic Society, the Symphony Society, the Oratorio Society, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Liederkranz and the Arion Society.
Clubs and Clubmen are legion throughout New- York City. Every conceiva- ble social, political, religious, professional and business interest is concentrated in this manner. A list of the leading clubs in the city would include the names of over fifty, such as the Union League, Manhattan, Union, Metropolitan, Lotus, Century, New- York, St. -Nicholas, Colonial, Aldine, Authors', University, German, Knickerbocker, New- York Athletic, New- York Racquet, Players' and Manhattan Athletic. All these have comfortable homes, and the houses of many are palatial. The purely sporting clubs and associations, such as the American Jockey Club, the American Kennel Club, the Coney-Island Jockey Club, the yacht clubs, the bicycle clubs, and so on down to those of minor importance will number a hundred or more, and there are at least 150 clubs of a miscellaneous character. There are fully 300 clubs of good standing in New York, with a membership of upward of 100,000. Few men of New York do not belong to at least one club, and most of them have membership in several. The desirable clubs are usually full to their extreme limit.
The Hotels, comprising about a thousand of all kinds, include a full hundred excellent hotels, a large proportion of them strictly first-class, with a world-wide reputation. The Fifth- Avenue, Windsor, Gilsey, Hoffman, Imperial, Brunswick, Brevoort, Plaza, Murray-Hill, Buckingham and Astor House are notable. Recent important additions to the list either just completed or building are the Holland House, the Waldorf, the Savoy and the New Netherland.
The Harbor and Rivers - Piers and Shipping — fortifications
and Quarantine — Exports and Imports — Oceanic and
Coastwise Lines — The Ocean Greyhounds.
THE harbor of New York is perhaps the most interesting in the world, for it has been the portal of a new world and a new life for millions of men and women. It is as beautiful, furthermore, as it is interesting, from the hill-girt gate- way of the Narrows up into the broader spaces between Bayonne and Gowanus, with the high blue Orange Mountains crowning the view to the northwest, the rampart-like Palisades frowning down the Hudson, and verdant islands here and there breaking the vivid blue of the bay. On all sides the assembled cities encircle the waters with their masses of buildings, the forests of masts by the waterside, the immense warehouses and factories along the pier-heads, and the spires, domes and towers of the beautiful residence-quarters beyond. At night, the harbor is girded about by myriads of yellow and colored lights and white electric stars, and dotted with the lanterns of vessels in motion or at anchor.
The Lower Bay and its tributary Raritan Bay and Sandy-Hook Bay are formed by a triangular indentation of the coast, between Monmouth County, N. J., Staten Island and Long Island, partly protected from the sea by Sandy Hook and Coney Island, and the long bar and shoals extending between them. The channel is devious and at times difficult, and numerous buoys, beacons and light-houses mark out the path of the inbound ships. At the head of the Lower Bay the maritime route leads through the Narrows, a magnificent water-gate a mile wide, hemmed in between the bold hills of Staten Island and Long Island, and bordered by heavy batteries. Beyond this remarkable portal opens the Upper Bay, or New- York Har- bor, an admirable land-locked haven eight miles long and five miles wide, the grand focal point of North-American Atlantic commerce.
The Water-Front of Manhattan Island available for vessels is about 25 miles l°ng> J3 miles being on the North River, 9 on the East River, and the rest on the Harlem River. There are seventy-three piers on the East River, below East nth Street ; and seventy on the North River, below 12th Street.
On one side of the harbor is the mouth of the magnificent Hudson River, flow- ing down for 300 miles, from the Adirondack Mountains, navigable for 148 miles to Albany and Troy, and the outlet of the Erie Canal, bringing down immense sup- plies of grain from the West. On the other side is the entrance to Long-Island Sound, "The Mediterranean of the West," giving an admirable marine route to the ports of New England and the remote East. The strategic position of the city, for purposes of commerce, is one of unapproachable strength and excellence, and has been skillfully availed of by the merchants and public men of this active community ;
68 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
and the commerce of the East and the West converges here in immense volume, on the waters of one of the finest American harbors.
The East River is a deep and swift tidal strait twenty miles long, joining New- York harbor, at the Battery, with Long-Island Sound, at Willett's Point. Most of the western shore is formed by New-York City ; and the eastern shore includes Brooklyn, and other communes of Long Island. It is the avenue of a vast commerce, and with its many ferry-boats and immense white steamboats flying to and fro presents a pleasantly animated scene. The narrow channel of Hell Gate, near Astoria, was for two and a half centuries a terror to mariners, with its swift eddies and currents, setting over a reef of sharp rocks. Between 1870 and 1885 these ledges were undermined and blown up with nitro-glycerine, by Gen. Newton and a corps of engineers, at a cost of many millions of dollars ; and since that time navi- gation here has been much less perilous.
Harlem River is an arm of East River, seven miles long, partly navigable for small vessels, and connecting near its head with the much-winding Spuyten-Duyvil Creek, a shallow tributary of the Hudson River. These two streams separate Man- hattan Island from the mainland, and form the proposed route of the ship-canal between them.
The North River, on the western shore of the great city, preserves a name applied for nearly three centuries to that stretch of the Hudson River extending in front of Manhattan. The old Dutch colonists named the Delaware the South River, and the Hudson they called the North River. It is a noble straight-channeled reach of deep water, a mile wide and a score of miles long, and gave ample soundings for the Great Eastern, as it does now for the Majestic and the City of New York.
The lower water-side streets are occupied generally by small irregular buildings, sail-lofts, the haunts of riggers and outfitters, ship-owners and ship-chandlers, mys- terious junk shops, and a vast variety of drinking-places, sailors' boarding-houses, and shops for small-wares. Street-railways run along the pier-heads ; and a contin- uous crowded and noisy procession of drays and carts pours up and down the streets, or entangles itself in hopeless blocks, overflowed by tides of objurgations and hearty profanatory expletives.
The Piers and Wharves are for the most part exceedingly irregular and rather unsightly, being of various lengths, and constructed of wood, upon myriads of piles," around and between which the free tides swirl and eddy. Though devoid of the architectural symmetry and structural massiveness of European quays, the water- front of New York is well-fitted for its uses, and has also a singular picturesqueness and diversity of outline and character. Some years ago a well-considered plan was devised and begun, to replace the crazy-looking wharves w'ith a systematic and imposing line of stone piers and docks ; but this transformation is a very costly process, and has made but little advance. In 1892 the Legislature passed a bill providing " for the recreation and health of the people of New York by setting aside certain piers along the river-front." The plan involves the construction of very large two-story pavilions on the pier-ends, the lower stories being devoted to com- mercial purposes, and the high-arched upper floors forming fresh-air gardens, with music and flowers and sea-views, for the pleasure of the people. The piers at Bar- clay and Perry Streets, on the North River, are being fitted up for this fortunate service ; and there are to be four similar roof-gardens on the East-River front.
In going up the North-River side, from the Battery, there is a continual succes- sion of varied and busy scenes, the headquarters of the Coney-Island steamboats; the huge piers of the Pennsylvania Railroad ; the trim vessels of the New-Orleans, Bos-
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
69
ton, and Cuba steamships ; the huge white floating palaces of the Sound lines to Fall River and Providence and Norwich ; the docks of the Hudson-River lines ; the Texas and Old-Dominion boats ; and the resting-places of the unrivaled ocean-grey- hounds of the Guion, Inman, White Star, Cunard and French lines. Along the East River a long space is given up to the large sailing-ships, bringing in cargoes from all parts of the world, and with their lofty masts and long yards interwoven against the sky. Then come the grain-laden canal-boats from the West, hundreds of fruiters from the West Indies, and a line of ferries, above which appear several dry-docks, followed by iron-foundries, lumber-yards, and old steamers laid up in ordinary. Almost every variety of vessel is found in these waters, the brilliant excursion-steamboats, melodious with band-music, and waving with flags and streamers ; ark-like canal -boats from the Great Lakes, distended with wheat and corn ; the swift Norfolk schooners, redolent of fine tobacco and of early vegetables; oyster-boats from the Connecticut coast, small and pert in outlines and motion ; huge full- rigged ships from Calcutta, laden with indigo ; sooty steam-barges from the Pennsylvania coal-regions; Nova- Scotia brigs, laden with fine apples and potatoes; heavy old whalers, making port after long Arctic voyages ;
schooners from the West Indies and Honduras, crammed with tropical fruits ; fishermen from the Grand Banks, heroes of the saltest northern seas ; Medi- terranean merchantmen, with rich cargoes from the Levant ; and hundreds of other types, each full of interest and attraction. The loom of the great environ- ing cities, the breadth and life of the confluent waters, the intense and joyous activity of motion, combine to give this cosmopolitan picture an unusual breadth and life.
Space fails to tell of the Barge Office at the Battery, and its customs inspectors and sailors' dispensary ; of the natty flotilla of the Battery boatmen ; of Ellis Island and its great buildings for the reception of immigrants ; of the United- States Navy Yard, at Brooklyn, the chief naval station of the Republic ; of the wonderful docks on the Brooklyn side, the home of a universal commerce ; and of scores of other interesting scenes which surround the gateway of the New World.
UNITED-STATES BARGE OFFICE, BATTERY PLACE.
70 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK
The Military Defences of New- York City are formidable, as far as the old
style of warfare goes. It remains to be seen how efficient they may be when confront- ing the untried and uncertain naval monsters of the new era; and acting under the support of chains of torpedoes, dynamite guns, and the battle-ships of the new American navy. New mortar-batteries of great power are about to be constructed on Sandy Hook and near Long Island, to command the remote Lower Bay ; and Fort Lafayette and other points will be occupied by immense steel turrets.
Fort Wadsworth, the most powerful of the military defences of New York, is a three-tiered casemate work of granite, on the Staten-Island shore of the Narrows. On the heights above stands the heavily-armed Fort Tompkins; and along the chan- nel-side extends a line of water-batteries. From this place a triple fire, water-line and casemate and plunging,- -could be converged upon a hostile vessel in the narrow channel.
On the Long-Island shore, at the Narrows, opposite Fort Wadsworth, and only a mile distant, glower the heavy stone casemates of Fort Hamilton, on a military reservation of 96 acres. Just off-shore, on an artificial island, stands Fort Lafayette, built in 18 1 2-22, and celebrated as a prison for political captives and disloyal per- sons during the civil war. The inflammable parts of the fort were burned in 1868, and the remaining buildings are used now only for storing ordnance supplies.
Fort Wood, on Bedloe's Island, is a star-shaped work, finished in 1841, and mounted then with seventy guns. The wonderful colossal statue of Liberty Enlight- ening the World rises from a pedestal on the parade-ground.
Wiilett's Point was fortified in 1862, by the National Government, to close the entrance to the East River from Long-Island Sound. It is the headquarters of the Battalion of Engineers, U. S. A. Across the entrance of the East River looms the ponderous casemated defence of Fort Schuyler, whose construction was begun in 1833.
Governor's Island, within 1,000 feet of the Battery, and six miles inside of the Narrows, is the headquarters of the Military Department of the East, and the usual residence of the commanding general. It is a beautiful island, of 65 acres, with a far-viewing parade-ground, surrounded by fine old trees and the quarters of the officers; an arsenal containing scores of heavy'cannon and endless pyramids of cannon-balls ; magazines and hospitals ; the headquarters of the Military Service Institution, with its library and picture-gallery ; and the interesting Military Museum, rich in battle-flags, weapons ancient and modern, and Indian curiosities. The chief defence on Governor's Island is Fort Columbus, a star-shaped stone fort mount- ing 120 guns, and with enclosed barracks for the artillerists. On the point toward the Battery stands Castle Williams, an old-fashioned and picturesque three-story fortress, circular in shape, built between 1808 and 18 1 2.
The Quarantine Station defends the port of New York (and with it the entire continent) against the entrance of dangerous and pestilential diseases. The danger of epidemics being brought in by foreign vessels was guarded against as early as 1647; and in I710 the Council ordered that all West-Indian vessels should be detained at Staten Island. In 1758 the Provincial Legislature enacted laws for the protection of the port in this regard, and established a quarantine station at Bedloe's Island. One of the first measures of the State Legislature, in 1784, was a re-enact- ment of this law. Ten years later, the station was moved to Governor's Island, but the citizens of New York were rather uneasy at having the pest-house so near them. In 1 801, therefore, it was again transferred to Tompkinsville, Staten Island, where it remained for more than sixty years. But in the course of time, as Staten Island
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK. 71
became thickly settled, its people made serious objections to the continuance of so undesirable a neighbor; and in 1857 the State Legislature ordered the selection of another site. This was found at Sandy Hook, but the opposition of New Jersey rendered it impossible. The next move appeared in the erection of buildings for the purpose at Seguin's Point, on the south part of Staten Island. The neighbor- ing residents were incensed at the project, and attacked the establishment by night, and set fire to it. This summary process approved itself to the people of Tompkins- ville, who also made a night attack upon the existing station, and thoroughly destroyed it. Richmond County was forced to pay for these nocturnal raids, but the result justified the acts, and the State gave up its attempt to establish the quar- antine here. In 1859 a commission including Horatio Seymour, John C. Green, and Gov. Patterson adopted the idea of a floating hospital ; and the old steamship Falcon entered upon the duty, with an anchorage below the Narrows. In 1866-70 the artificial Swinburne Island was constructed, on the sand-bar of West Bank, and now has rows of hospital wards, a crematory and mortuary, and a dock and break -
T r
BAY AND HARBOR FROM BEDLOE'S ISLAND, ABOUT 1840.
water. Hoffman Island, built in 1868-73, is a quarantine of observation and isola- tion, for immigrants who have been exposed to dangerous epidemics. The Lower Quarantine is marked by yellow buoys, and has a ship moored for a floating station, where vessels from infected ports are boarded. Their arrival is signalled thence to the main Quarantine Station, six miles above, on Staten Island, from which the proper officials go down to board them. The swift little tug-boat of the station passes the day in rushing from one incoming vessel to another, and the health- officers are kept busy in inspecting their passengers and crews. In a single year 7,600 vessels and 370,000 passengers have been examined here. The New-York quarantine is the most complete, thorough and efficient in the world.
The harbor is guarded from law-breakers, and "wharf-rats," mutineers and riot- ers, river-thieves and smugglers, as much as possible, by the police of the Thirty- Sixth Precinct, which has jurisdiction over the waters and wharves adjoining the city, along both rivers, and down as far as Robin's Reef. The police headquarters
72 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
is on the steamboat Patrol, and several row-boats are continually moving along the rivers and up into the docks, manned by officers of the law, looking after thieves, fires, lost property, suicides and drowned persons.
The Exports and Imports of America find their foremost clearing-houses in this peerless harbor, with its rich adornments of Nature, and improvements and defences of art. One hundred years ago the total export and import trade of the United States was below $50,000,000 annually. At present (including specie) it is nearly $2,000,000,000, of which the imports reach $900,000,000. The exports of cotton are over $290,000,000 ; of grain, breadstuffs, and provisions, an equal value ; and of specie, $180,000,000. The foreign commerce for 1890 and 189 1 was the largest in the history of the nation. Nearly two-fifths of the exports of the Republic go from New York, which sends out $370,000,000 yearly, to $107,000,000 from New Orleans, $74,000,000 from Baltimore, $70,000,000 from Boston, and $37,- 000,000 from Philadelphia. Two-thirds of the imports to the United States enter at the port of New York. Less than one-fourth the trade is under the American flag, which has a tonnage of 928,000 in the foreign trade, and 3,409,000 in the coastwise trade, besides 87,000 in the fisheries. New York owns 2,000 sailing ves- sels, of 409,000 tons; 1,000 steamers, of 375,000 tons; and 900 canal-boats anil lighters, of 167,000 tons.
During a single year over 2,000 grain-laden steamships sail from New York, which ships one-third of the American grain and breadstuffs, in spite of its heavy port and storage charges. The hold is filled with grain in bulk ; the between-decks with grain in bags. The port has a storage capacity of 26,000,000 bushels, in 22 stationary elevators and 31 floating elevators ; and grain-ships can be loaded at the rate of 458,000 bushels an hour.
New York receives every year over 200 tramp steamships, 136 from transatlantic ports, and the rest from other American harbors. Many of them come to this great maritime clearing-house for orders, or enter in ballast, seeking cargoes. These Avanderers of the seas have engines of low power, with small consumption of coal, and cross the ocean in from fifteen to twenty days, with cargoes of heavy character, and including all sorts of merchandise. Here also are seen the singular tank-steam- ships, partly owned by the Standard Oil Company, and carrying over seas from 30,000 to 35,000 barrels of oil, pumped into the hold, which is divided into half-a- dozen or more great tanks. One of these singular floating reservoirs can be filled with petroleum in twelve hours. On their return-voyages from Europe the tanks are partly filled with water-ballast. Vessels of somewhat similar construction are employed in transporting molasses from Cuba.
There are several score of fruit steamers plying between the Central-American and West-Indian ports and New York, bringing bananas and cocoanuts, oranges and pineapples, and mostly sailing under the Norwegian flag. Between the outer hull of steel and the inner hull of wood opens a considerable space, which is packed with charcoal, for refrigeration. They have triple-expansion engines, steam steering-gear, and, in many cases, twin-screws, and are built for the trade, with three open decks and separated deck-planks, to ensure free circulation of air, and prevent the fruit from becoming heated. Their seasons are spring and summer, after which most of them go into the grain and general freighting business to and around Europe.
Before the days of steam, the Atlantic Ocean was traversed by several famous packet-lines, like the Black Star ships of Grimshaw & Co., the Black Ball line of C. H. Marshall & Co., the old Black Stars of Williams & Guion, the packets of the Tapscot Line. The large-st accommodations were for 30 cabin and 20 second-cabin,
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
73
and a varying number of steerage passengers in a ship, the rates being higher than in the modern steamships. These ocean racers were built on the finest and most graceful lines, with vast expanses of canvas spread from their towering masts ; and their passages across were of remarkable swiftness. The Red Jacket made the trans- atlantic voyage in 13 days and \\\ hour; and the Dreadnaught in i860 made the run from New York to the Irish coast in 9 days and 17 hours. In 1864 the clipper Adelaide left New York at the same time as the Cunard steamship Sidon, and entered Liverpool before her, in 12^ days. At the present time many sailing ships ply to and from the port of New York, and among them are enormous four-masted steel vessels, with a capacity of 6,000 tons of freight.
The science of steam navigation, which has revolutioned modern commerce, changed the aspect of naval warfare, made travel by sea speedy and pleasant, and united the remote places of the earth, had its beginning in the noble harbor of New York. Various Spanish and German, British and American inventors claimed to
NEW-YORK HARBOR, FROM EAST-RIVER BRIDGE, IN 1S92.
have discovered the principles of marine engines, at periods running from the Middle Ages down to the close of the eighteenth century ; but it was reserved for Robert Fulton to practically apply this idea, and to perfect and develop it, so that his fleet of vessels had an immediate economic value for transporting passengers and freight. This successful demonstration of a great new principle resulted in a rapid spread of the discovered power all over the maritime world. Fulton's Clermont was launched at Jersey City, in 1807, and ascended the Hudson River to Albany. Almost at the same time, John Stevens, of Hoboken, built the Phoenix, and sent her around to Philadelphia, the pioneer of all ocean-going steamers. Following New York's example, the St. -Lawrence River received a steamboat, in 1809; the Ohio and Mississippi, in 181 1 ; and the Scottish Clyde, in 1812. The first steamship to cross the ocean was the Savannah, built at New York, and equipped with folding paddle-wheels, which were taken out and laid on the deck when not in use. In
74 KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
1 819 this little 380-ton vessel steamed from Savannah to Liverpool, Cronstadt, and Copenhagen. In 1838 Brunei's steamship Great Western, of 1,340 tons, steamed from Bristol, England, to New York, in fifteen days; and the Sirins ran across from London and Cork to New York.
In 1850 the Collins Line began its operations, and built up a fleet of five mag- nificent American steamships — the Pacific, Arctic, Adriatic, Baltic, and Atlantic, built at a cost of $4,000,000, and operated under a large subsidy from the United- States Government. The first two were lost* at sea; the cost of the voyages far exceeded the receipts ; the subsidy was withdrawn ; and in 1858 the Collins Line ceased to run.
There are now thirty great transatlantic steamship lines between New York and Europe, some of them with several sailings each week. They have eighty-five passenger steamships, bringing to New York yearly nearly 100,000 cabin passengers, four-fifths of whom are returning Americans. Their eastern ports are Liverpool, Southampton, London, Newcastle, Hull, Moville (Londonderry), Queenstown, and Glasgow, in the British Islands ; Havre, Bordeaux, and Boulogne, in France ; Ant- werp, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, in the Low Countries; Copenhagen, in Denmark; Hamburg, Stettin, and Bremen, in Germany ; Christiana and Christiansand, in Scandinavia ; and several Mediterranean ports. The capital embarked in these lines is $500,000,000. The offices of most of the steamship lines are on lower Broadway, or at "Steamship Row," on Bowling Green, where they occupy a block of ancient brick houses once dwelt in by the merchant-princes of New York.
The Inman Line (Inman and International Steamship Company, Limited,) opened its operations in 1850, under the title of the Liverpool, New- York & Phila- delphia Steamship Company, running at first only between Liverpool and Philadel- phia. Its earlier ships were the City of Berlin, City of Chester, and City of Rich- mond, built in 1873-74; and the City of Chicago, in 1883. The City of Berlin, with her 520 feet of length, was for some years the largest steamship in the world, except the Great Eastern. She is still running on the line. William Inman of Liverpool was the managing director of the company from 1854 until his death, in 1 88 1. In 1886 the old company dissolved, and its fleet and good-will were purchased by the International Navigation Company of Philadelphia. As the line had nominally to be owned and operated by a British corporation, the present company was formed. The new management determined to mark a new era in ocean-navigation by building two immense unsinkable steamships, of unrivalled swiftness, and provided with every possible comfort for passengers. In 1887 tne enormous City of Paris and City of New York, each 580 feet over all in length, with a displacement of 10,500 tons, and over 18,000 horse-power, were begun, at Clyde- bank. The City of Paris has made the fastest transatlantic voyage on record, in 5 days, 15 hours and 58 minutes. The City of New York made her first voyage in 1888; the City of Paris, in 1889. The new Inman boats are provided with double bottoms, so that the inner skin would keep out the water if the outer one was broken ; with twenty water-tight compartments separated by solid bulkheads, and fronted by an immensely thick collision bulkhead, near the bow ; and with twin- screws, having totally independent triple-expansion engines and mechanisms, so that if one becomes disabled, the ship can be carried into port with the other. Each steamship can carry 1,200 passengers and 2,700 tons of freight. The depth of the vessels, from the top of the deck-cabins to the keel, is 59 feet ; and the extreme breadth is 63^ feet. Each ship carries many of its first-class passengers on the promenade and saloon decks, some in suites of sitting-room, bed-room, bath-room,
KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK.
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and toilet-room, and others in rooms arranged with berths folding up like those of a Pullman car, so that by day the place becomes a pleasant sitting-room. The other first-class cabins, on the main and upper decks, are of greater size than usual, and elegantly and comfortably furnished. The dining-saloons are rooms of singular beauty and convenience, with high arched ceilings and choice architectural and artistic decorations. Every device calculated to increase the comfort of passengers has been combined in these splendid ships, which are at once swift, secure and sumptuous, as strong as battle-ships and as luxurious as Belgravia drawing-rooms. The kitchens are isolated, and ventilated into the main smoke-stacks.
Hydraulic power is used instead of steam for the daily work of steering, hoist- ing out supplies, and many other duties ; and its operation is very nearly noiseless.
The offices of the Inman company, at 6 Bowling Green, New York, and 3 Cockspur Street, London, are equipped with reading and writ- ing rooms and ladies' rooms for the use of travel- lers. The steam- ships at present sail from Pier 43, N . R . , every Wednesday. But the Inman com- pany has recently acquired from the
city the largest and finest pier in New-York harbor, at the foot of Vesey Street, and known as New Pier 14, or Washington Pier. This they are rapidly fitting up in the most approved manner, and it will probably be made, in many respects, the most commodious pier in the world in its admirable provision for passengers and freight. The rates of first-cabin passage are from $50 to $650, depending on the ship, the season, the number in a state-room, and the location. The former price is for a passage in one of the smaller steamers, before April 1st; the higher rate is for a summer passage on one of the two great racers, for one person occupying a suite of rooms on the promenade or saloon deck. The larger steamers accommodate each over 500 first-cabin and 200 second-cabin passengers ; and have spacious state-rooms, ventilated by electric-driven fans, and containing scientific plumbing, and other modern improvements. Since over nine-tenths of the Inman stock is owned by American capitalists, Congress in 1892 admitted to American registry the City of Pa?-is and the City of New York, thus laying the foundation for a great merchant navy. For this privilege the Inman Company is compelled to build 21,000 tons of steamships in American dockyards, and they propose that these new boats shall surpass in swiftness, luxury and ingenuity of construction everything now floating on blue water. Some part of the $150,000,000 now paid by the United States for transatlantic traffic may thus be turned, by the skill of our shipbuilders, into American channels; and the nation may thus also acquire a strong and
PIER 43, NORTH RIVER, FOOT OF BARROW STREET.
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useful auxiliary navy, available in time of war for swift cruising and transport purposes. The placing of its finest ships under the Stars and Stripes will attract to the Inman Line an immense patronage from true Americans. The prosperity and enterprise of the Inman Line are due to the International Navigation Company, of Philadelphia, owners of a controlling interest of the stock of the Inman Company, and also owners and managers of the well-known Red Star Line, plying between New York, Philadelphia and Antwerp.
The White Star Line (or Oceanic Steam Navigation Company), founded in 1870, sent out in 1875 tne Britannic and Germanic, steamships of a new type, of great length, and equipped with powerful compound engines. Fourteen years later, in 1889, the magnificent Teutonic and Majestic were, launched, each of them 582 feet long, and of nearly 10,000 tons displacement. In March, 1891, the Majestic crossed from Queenstown to New York in 5 days, 18 hours, and 8 minutes, and the Teutonic made the same voyage in 5 days and 16^ hours, the average being 20^ knots an hour, and the swiftest day's run reaching 517 knots. Each of these giants of the sea can carry 1,200 passengers and 2,500 tons of freight ; and each of them cost above $2,000,000. They are built of Siemens- Martin steel, and each is propelled by two independent sets of triple-expansion engines, with manganese bronze propel- lers. They are minutely divided by athwart-ship and longitudinal bulk-heads, ensuring rigidity, strength and security. There are family and single-berth state- rooms, ivory-and-gold Renaissance saloons, smoking-rooms decorated with embossed leather and fine marine paintings, a library-room with well-filled book-cases and luxurious furniture, and many other very comfortable departments. The first-cabin rates are from $80 to $600, depending on the steamship, the season, and the loca- tion of the state-room. Among the other vessels of the line are the Oceanic, its first boat ; the Belgic, Gaelic, Adriatic and Celtic ; and the Coptic, Doric and Ionic. All these were built at Belfast, Ireland. The company's dock is at the foot of West loth Street. The twin-screw steamships Naronic and Bovic, Tanric and Nomadic, and the Runic and Cujic are used for freight exclusively, and cross in ten days. In a single voyage, the Nomadic has carried 9,591 tons of freight; and the Cujic has brought to New York at one time 77,000 boxes of tin-plate.
The Cunard Line was established by Samuel Cunard, of Halifax, David Mclver, of Liverpool, and George Burns, of Glasgow; and began its voyages in the year 1840. Its official title was the British and North- American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. The first Cunarders were paddle-wheel vessels, of wood, and bore the names — Britannia, Acadia, Columbia, and Caledonia. These four steam- ships carried the mads between Liverpool, Halifax and Boston, for which the com- pany received $400,000 yearly. The mail service has ever since been an important perquisite of the Cunard Company. The fleet was increased by the Hibernia, in 1843 '■> the Cambria, in 1845 > the America, Niagara, Europa and Columbia, in 1850 ; the Asia and Africa ; the Persia, in 1855 ; and the Scotia, in 1862. The CJiina, launched in 1862, was the first iron screw steamship in the Cunard fleet. In 1874, the Bothnia and Scythia were launched; and in 18S1, the Servia. In 1884-85, appeared the Etruria and the Umbria, each of over 8,000 tons, and in their day the sovereigns of the seas. The two last-named are celebrated for their great comfort and speed ; and each has accommodations for 1,600 passengers. The Cunard New- York fleet includes the Etruria, Umbria, Aurania, Gallia, Servia and Bothnia, sail- ing on Wednesdays and Saturdays for Queenstown and Liverpool. The first-cabin fare from New York to Liverpool is from $60 to $125. The Cunard dock is at Pier 40, N. R., at the foot of Clarkson Street.
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The Guion Line dates from 1864, when its great new steamships succeeded its line of wooden sailing-packets, established in 1842. The construction of the Arizona, in 1879, inaugurated the wonderful rivalry which has since stimulated the ocean lines to increase the size, speed and comfort of their ships. The Arizona was of 5,164 tons, and crossed in 7 days and 3^ hours ; and her sister-ship, the Alaska, built in 1881, of 6,932 tons, and 11,000 horse-power, made a still better record. These two enormous ships have accommodations for about 1,200 passengers and 2,000 tons of freight each. The other vessels — the Nevada, Wisconsin, and Wyoming were built at Jarrow, England, between 1868 and 1870, and are smaller. All the Guion boats are of iron, with water-tight compartments. The cabin passage rates vary from $50 to $100, and upward, according to the ship or the location of the berth. The Guion dock is at Pier 38, N. R., at the foot of King Street.
The Anchor Line, founded in 1852, by Thomas Henderson, has on its service between New York and Glasgow, six fine steamships, with weekly sailings. The Ethiopia, Devonia, Circassia and Anchoria are each of between 4,000 and 5,000 tons. The Furnessia, of 6,500 tons, is a fine vessel, with electric lights, water-tight com- partments, and a rich furnishing. The City of Rome, built in 188 1, at Barrow, has a gross tonnage of 8,415, with four masts, three funnels, and a magnificent equip- ment for passenger accommodation The Anchor cabin fares from New York to Glasgow are from $50 to $100. The Anchor dock is at Pier 54, N. R., foot of West 24th Street. The route is across to the bold north coast of Ireland ; up Lough Foyle to Moville, where passengers for Londonderry get on a tender ; across the North Channel and the Firth of Clyde ; and up the wonderfully interesting River Clyde for 25 miles to Glasgow. This company also has West-Indian, Mediterranean and Indian services.
The Allan-State Line, between New York, Londonderry, and Glasgow, was founded in 1872 by a Glasgow company, under the name of the State Line. The New- York fleet includes the Clyde-built steamships State of California, State of Nebraska, and State of Nevada, strong and comfortable vessels of iron or steel, with saloons amidships, and electric-lighted parlors and sitting-rooms and state-rooms on the main deck. The California was built on the Clyde, in 189 1, and is 400 feet long, with a tonnage of 4,500, eight water-tight compartments, triple-expansion engines, steel boilers, and accommodations for 1,000 passengers. This line carries large quantities of freight, and is thus able to make very low rates for passengers who are not in a hurry to get across. Its first-cabin rates are $40, or $75 for the trip over and back. The steamships leave the foot of West 21st Street Thursdays. The Allan Line also sends out freight steamships, which bring back passengers.
The Wilson Line owns thirty vessels, with a tonnage of 114,000, mainly devoted to freighting. There are four services from New York, running to Hull, London, Newcastle and Antwerp. The Hull steamships sail from Hoboken (cabin fare, $45), and carry no steerage passengers. The London steamships include several 4,500-ton vessels. They are largely devoted to carrying cattle.
The National Line, founded in 1863, runs from New York to Liverpool and London, and has twelve large steamships, once favorite passenger-boats, but now entirely devoted to freighting. In a single trip, one of these vessels has carried over 1,000 head of cattle.
The Atlantic Transport Line, running every ten days between New York and London, is also devoted to freight.
The Bristol City Line, at the foot of West 26th Street, and the Manhanset Line for Avonmouth, whose pier is at Jersey City, have a large freight business
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with Bristol and South Wales, served by weekly steamships on each route. The English coast is also reached by the Hamburg-American and North German Lloyd splendid steamships, calling at Southampton, from or for New York every day or two.
The Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, usually known as the "French Line," was founded in i860 by Parisian capitalists ; and serves the route between New York and Havre with six fine express mail steamships, La Tonraine, La Bourgogne, L.a Normandie, La Champagne, La Bretagne and La Gascogne. Each of these vessels can accommodate 1,300 passengers, and carries 2,500 tons of freight. Several of them were built at St. Nazaire, France, by the company ; and so also was La Touraine, with a tonnage of 10,000, and 12,000 horse-power, and costing $2,000,000. She has made the run from Havre to New York in six days and 8^ hours. The other ships are of 7,000 tons each. The vessels of the French Line
"FRENCH LINE" '. COMPAGNIE GENERALE TRANSATLANTIQUE. STEAMSHIP "LA TOURAINE."
are mainly commanded and entirely manned by officers and sailors of the French navy, and are equipped so as to be convertible into armed cruisers in time of war. Festivals and holidays are celebrated on these ships with peculiar enthusiasm, and lines of bright flags adorn them from bow to stern on such occasions. The table is supplied with all the variety and daintiness of the Parisian cuisine, and the wines served are famous for their excellence. The saloons, smoking-rooms, music-room and other public parts of the ships are beautifully and appropriately decorated with pink and gold panels, mahogany and marble pillars, mirrors, paintings, Japanese inlaid work, embossed leather wall-hangings, and other exquisite adornments. These ships furnish the luxury of a first-class hotel. The French Line has enjoyed a singular immunity from accident, and its ships are of steel, with water-tight com- partments and cellular bottoms. Although they attain a high rate of speed, and make remarkably quick transits, the perils of the sea are averted by unceasing vigil- ance and admirable seamanship. In the latter part of the voyage the vessels command pleasant views of the Channel Islands and the great naval city of Cher- bourg, and then swing around the French coast to Havre and the mouth of the
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River Seine. Special trains meet the steamships on their pier at Havre, to carry the passengers and luggage to Paris, whence their route may be taken for any part of the continent. Trunks may thus be checked from New York to Paris direct. The first-class fares on this line are from $80 upward. The pier is No. 42, N. R., at the foot of Morton Street. The office is at 3 Bowling Green, Augustin Forget being the general agent for the United States and Canada.
The Compagnie Generale Transatlantique bought out several lines at the time of its foundation, and now has 75 steamships, including Mediterranean, West-Indian and South-American services.
The "French Line" enjoys the highest class of patronage, and carries a full proportion of the eminent people travelling between the two continents. It is specially popular from the fact that its steamships run about as promptly and as reliably as to time as railroad trains, and the general elegance, attentive service, exquisite cuisine, efficient management, and the whole appointments are not sur- passed by any of the ocean steamship lines.
The Bordeaux Line, originating in 1880, runs three British-built steamships, the Chateau lafite, Panama and Tancarville, making the voyage in nine days.
The Netherlands Line calls at Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The North German Lloyd Line (Nord-Deutscher Lloyd) was organized in 1857 ; and between 1881 and 1886 constructed the express steamships Elbe, Werra, Fulda, Eider, Ems, Aller, Trave, and Saale, equipped with triple-expansion engines. Since that date it has built the Lahn, Spree, and Havel, single-screw vessels, with a speed of 187 knots an hour. The Kaiser Wilhelm II, launched at Stettin in 1888, is the largest of the fleet, with a gross tonnage of 6,990. The Havel has crossed from New York to Southampton in 6 days and 19^ hours. These vessels have German officers and crews, and are celebrated for their capital accommodations for passengers. A special feature is the music, furnished daily by a band on each ship. Steamships leave Hoboken semi-weekly for Southampton, thence traversing the English Channel and the North Sea to Bremerhaven (i^- hours by rail from Bremen). The first-cabin rates are from $70 to $150. The express-boats have an average accommodation of 1,150 passengers and over 2,000 tons of freight. The North German line also has services to the Mediterranean ports, Australia, China, and South America, employing seventy steamships. The Ocean Steam Navigation Com- pany, between New York, Cowes and Bremen, was established in 1847, with the steamships Washington and Hermann, each of about 4,000 tons. This was an American line, and was abandoned when the mail-subsidy ceased.
The Hamburg-American Packet Company, running a weekly express- line from New York (Hoboken) via Southampton to Hamburg, and a regular service from New York direct to Hamburg, was founded in 1847, and sent out its first steam vessel in 1856 ; and now owns 54 steamships. It numbers among the modern ves- sels of its fleet the magnificent Fiirst-Bismarck, Augusta Victoria, Normannia, and Columbia, twin-screw express mail steamships of from 10,000 to 12,000 tons each, and 13,000 to 16,000 horse-power, with a speed of between 19 and 2of knots an hour. The Fiirst-Bismarck has made the voyage between New York and South- ampton in 6 days and nf hours, the fastest time ever made between those ports. They take passengers from New York to London regularly in less than a week. The express-boats are built of steel and teakwood, with double bottoms and numerous water-tight compartments, double keels, Edison incandescent lights, and richly decorated saloons, music-rooms and smoking-rooms, and large state-rooms, some of them with connected bath-rooms, and others en suite. The first-cabin fares are
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from $75 to $250. After leaving Southampton, the express-boats make a run of twenty-four hours to Cuxhaven, at the mouth of the River Elbe, whence passengers are taken to Hamburg by railway. The four greater boats are devoted to the Express Service ; and the Regular Service employs the Bohemia, Gellert, Wieland, Dania, Rhcetia, Rugia, Suevia, Scandia, Russia, and other vessels, running to Ham- burg direct, with first-cabin fares at from $45 upward.
The Union Line, also managed by the Hamburg Company, runs from New York (Brooklyn) to Hamburg direct, but takes steerage passengers only. Its steamships are the Sorrento, Amalfi, Marsala and Taormina.
The Hamburg-American Company's Baltic Line sends its vessels from New York (Hoboken) to Copenhagen and Stettin every three weeks. The cabin fare is $50. The company has also lines from Hamburg to Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, Venezuela, Aspinwall, Cuba, St. Thomas, Hayti, Porto Rico, and Mexico; and a winter express-service from New York to Gibraltar, Genoa, and Naples.
The Red Star Line, started in 1871, plies between New York (Jersey City) and Antwerp direct, and Philadelphia and Antwerp, weekly, carrying the Belgian and American mails. The rates are from $50 upward for first-cabin passage, the distance being 3,457 miles, and the usual time from ten to twelve days. The Fries- land was built in 1889, of Siemens-Martin steel, on a fine clipper model, and with ten water-tight compartments, and a tonnage of 7,116. The Westemland and Noordland are sister-ships, of steel, built by the Lairds at Birkenhead in 1883 ; and
RED STAR LINE STEAMSHIP " FRIESLAND,
the sisters Rhynland and Belgenland were launched at Barrow in 1879. The popu- lar PVaesland dates from 1880 ; the Pennland, from 1882; and the Switzerland, from 1874. The Nederland, Pennsylvania and Illinois are for steerage passengers only. The Red Star boats are very comfortably arranged, with family rooms, dining rooms on saloon deck, electric lights, isolated kitchens, saloons decorated with rare wood- work and paintings, perfect ventilating apparatus, and smoking-rooms with tiled
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floors and mahogany walls. The voyage eastward leads first to the Scilly Islands and the Lizard, whence the course is laid up the English Channel, in sight of Eddy- stone Rock, the Bill of Portland, the Isle of Wight, Hastings and Dover, with the French coast visible on the right. Then the steamship heads across the North Sea, passing Dunkirk and Ostend, and entering the Scheldt River at Flushing, forty miles
RED STAR LINE STEAMSHIP " WESTERNLAND.
above which it reaches Antwerp. This port was chosen as the Continental terminal on account of its central geographical position, within about six hours' railway ride of Paris, Strasburg or Frankfort, and in the very heart of the quaint and fascinating Low Countries.
The Netherlands-American Steam-Navigation Company was founded in 1872, and runs weekly boats from New York (Hoboken) to Rotterdam or Amster- dam, touching at Boulogne-sur-Mer to land passengers for Paris, four hours distant by railway. The fleet includes the steamships Spaarndam, Maasdam, Veendam, IVerkendam, Amsterdam, Obdam, Rotterdam, Didam and Dubbeldam, the first seven having been built at Belfast, and the other two at Rotterdam (in 1891). The Maasdam and Veendam were formerly the White- Star liners Republic and Baltic. The Netherlands boats are four-masters, with four decks and eight water-tight com- partments, and very commodious equipments. The first-cabin rates are from $45 to $70. The route traverses the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel, with pleasant views of the coasts of England and France and the port of Boulogne, and ascends the River Maas, an arm of the Rhine, fourteen miles by Vlaardingen and Delfthaven to Rotterdam. The steamships sailing on Wednesday do not call at this port, but go on to Amsterdam, traversing the costly North- Sea Canal from Ymuiden, about fifteen miles. Either of these great ports has favorable railway communication with Paris, Vienna, Berlin and all other cities of Continental Europe.
The White Cross Line runs between New York and Antwerp, with the steamships Hermann and De Ruyter.
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HELL GATE, FROM GREAT BARN ISLAND, ABOUT 1825.
The Thingvalla Line in 1879 began its voyages from New York to Norway and Sweden, with Scandinavian officers and crews and flag, and bearing the mails. The run across takes from eleven to twelve days ; and the first-cabin fares are $50 and $60. The steamships are the Hekla, Thingvalla, Norge and Island, making fortnightly sailings from Hoboken to Christiana and Christiansand, in Norway, and Copenhagen, in Denmark.
The Insular Navigation Company (Empreza Insulana Navegacao) runs from New York to the Azore Islands in nine days (fare, $ 60), to Madeira (by transfer) in eleven days ($75), and to Lisbon in fifteen days ($90). It is a Portuguese line. The Vega is a fine- ly equipped 4, - 000-ton steam- ship.
Peabody's Australasian Line is owned and operated by Henry W. Pea- body & Co., of 58 New Street, New York, one of the most important of the large mercan- tile houses en- gaged in the for- eign commerce of
S VESSEL OF HENRY W. PEABODY & CO. >S AUSTRALASIAN LINE.
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the port of New York. The business of this firm extends to nearly all parts of the globe, but is more especially with Great Britain, Australasia, India, the Philippine Islands, and Yucatan, in all of which countries they have either their own branch houses or regularly established agents. They are also well known, and have extensive dealings in Mexico, Central and South America, the West Indies, and South Africa. It is, however, in connection with the Aus- tralian shipping and commission business, which has for a long time been one of the most important mercantile interests of the port of New York, that the firm of Henry W. Peabody & Co. is perhaps best known. In this business, which comprises the pur- chasing and shipping to the British colonies of Australia and New Zealand of the pro- ducts of the United States and Canada of every description, Henry W. Peabody & Co. have taken a foremost place since 1859. They established between the United States and Australia the regular line of sailing ves- sels known as Peabody's Australasian Line, of which the present firm are still the pro- prietors. In this service Henry W. Peabody & Co. have constantly under charter or load- ing, in New York, first-class ships, in which they take all freight offering for the various Australian ports.
The Mediterranean Trade is accom- modated by several lines, and by many "ocean tramps," bringing to New York yearly 1,500,000 boxes of Sicily oranges and lemons, 600,000 barrels of Spanish grapes, and vast quantities of nuts and dried fruits. Many passengers for Southern Europe and the Levant avail themselves of these routes, which lie far south of the storms and ice of the North Atlantic. There are lines of steamships running monthly from New York by the Mediterranean Sea and Suez Canal to the ports of India, China and Japan. They are usually laden with heavy freights, and bring back valuable cargoes of tea.
The North German Lloyd in 1891 inaugurated a fortnightly service to the Mediterranean, with the first-class vessels Fidda and Werra, running from New York to Genoa in less than eleven days, and calling at Gibraltar. First-cabin passages vary from $80 to $150. At Genoa connection is made with the same company's Eastern steamships, for Port Said and beyond.
The Anchor Line also sends steamships every ten days from New York to Gibraltar, Naples, Genoa, Leghorn, Messina and Palermo. The fares are : to Gibraltar, $60 to $80; to Naples, $80 to $100; to Genoa, Leghorn, and Messina, $100 to $120; and various excursion rates are provided.
MEiNhY W. PEABODY & CO. 'S OFFICES, 58 NEW ST.
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The Florio-Rubattino Italian Line sails fortnightly from New York for Gibraltar, Marseilles, Genoa, Naples, Messina and Palermo, connecting with steam- ships for Egypt, the Black Sea and the West Indies. They take a far southerly course, below the range of ice, fogs and gales, in twelve days reaching Gibraltar, where a stop is made, and connecting boats run east to Algiers, Tangier, Oran, and Spanish ports. A seventy-hours' run thence leads to Genoa, where connections are made with the same company's daily steamers for Leghorn, Naples, Messina, Palermo and North Africa, or for Bombay (in nineteen days) and Calcutta and ports in Ceylon and Cochin China, Hong Kong and Shanghai, besides Levantine, Greek and Black-Sea, Egyptian and Red-Sea ports.
The Fabre Line sends the Neustria, Massilia, and other steamships from Brooklyn to Naples and Marseilles every two or three weeks, charging from $65 to $75 for first-class passage. The time to Naples is from 16 to 18 days.
The Western Seas, to their uttermost ends, are traversed by steamships and sailing vessels, loaded by or for the Empire City.
To the Southern and Gulf coasts, the West Indies, and the Central-American and South-American ports, there are several first-class sea-routes, served by fine vessels, and much used for winter excursions, as well as for freighting. An inexpensive voyage of two or three days conducts the traveller from the snow-bound northern coasts to lands of perennial summer, the lovely semi-tropical Bermudas, the ever- popular Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles, the summer-lands of Cuba, Hayti and Jamaica, and the coasts of Mexico and the Spanish Main.
The Red-Cross Steamships Miranda and Portia visit Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St John's, Newfoundland, in the cold and bracing North, every ten or fifteen days, making the outward voyage in five days (fare, $34 ; or $60 for the round trip of twelve days). The route lies through Long-Island and Vineyard Sounds, and re- quires fifty hours from New York to Halifax, and an equal time thence to St. John's. Hence these swift vessels run 240 miles northward along the grand marine scenery of the Newfoundland coast to the pyrite-mines of Pilley's Island, in the Bay of Notre Dame.
The Mallory Line steamship Winthrop, 1,143 tons> leaves New York every Saturday for Bar Harbor, Maine (arriving Monday; fare, $9.50, exclusive of state- rooms and meals), Eastport, and St. John, N. B., (arriving Monday afternoon; fare, $10), connecting for all ports in Eastern Maine and the Maritime Provinces.
The Maine Steamship Company sends out its swift new 2,000-ton steam- ships Manhattan and Cottage City thrice weekly, at 5 P. M., from Pier 38, E. R. (foot of Market Street). During the same night they traverse Long-Island Sound, and the next morning they stop at Cottage City, Martha's Vineyard. Sailing thence eastward through Vineyard Sound, and past lone Nantucket, and up along sandy Cape Cod, the boat reaches Portland at nightfall, twenty-seven hours from New York (fare, $5 ; round trip, $8). Thence railways diverge to all the famous Maine resorts, and to the White Mountains.
The Metropolitan Line sends its large and powerful freight-steamships thrice weekly, from Pier 11, N. R., to Boston, by the outside passage around Cape Cod. They carry freight only. It was the H. F. Dimock of this line that sank the costly Vanderbilt yacht Alva, in July, 1892, near Martha's Vineyard.
The Clyde Steamship Company has lines of steamers running between Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Norfolk, New Berne, Richmond, Troy, Albany, Wilmington, N. C. ; Georgetown, S. C. ; Charleston, S. C. and Jacksonville, Fla. ; and on the St. -John's River between Jacksonville, Palatka and Sanford and intermediate landings ; also between New York and Turks Island,
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Haiti and Santo Domingo, and other West-India ports. Their line between New York, Charleston, S. C. , and Jacksonville, Fla., comprises the following first-class passenger steamers : Iroquois, Cherokee, Algonquin, Seminole, Yemassee and Dela- ware, which sail from the company's wharf, Pier 29, E. R., on Mondays, Wednes- days and Fridays.
The Clyde steamships for the far South pass down the beautiful harbor of New York in the glory of the late afternoon, traversing the Narrows, and rounding the lonely Sandy Hook. In about fifty hours they reach the historic city of Charles- ton, the pride of South Carolina, passing into the harbor by the famous Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie. Here the vessel sojourns for about eight hours, giving ample opportunity for an inspection of the city, rising undaunted from the ruins of
CLYDE'S STEAMSHIP PIER, AT FOOT OF ROOSEVELT STREET, NEW YORK.
bombardments and earthquakes. From Charleston a short and pleasant voyage out- side of the Sea Islands of Carolina leads down to the low semi-tropical coast of Florida, the land of flowers and oranges. The great steamship enters the St. -John's River, and runs up its broad course for 25 miles, to the city of Jacksonville, from which railway or river routes reach all parts of the State. Clyde's St. -John's River Line runs thence southward up this famous river for 193 miles, by Green Cove Springs, Palatka, Astor, Blue Springs, and many other landings, to Sanford, the terminal point of seven railways, and the main distributing point for South Florida. The general office of the Clyde Line is at 5 Bowling Green ; and its dock is at Pier 29, E. R., at the foot of Roosevelt Street, under the great Brooklyn Bridge. The steamers of the West-India Line leave from Pier 15, E. R. , as advertised.
The Clydes have been active in the building and management of steamships for more than half a century. Thomas Clyde, the founder of the house, was a co-laborer
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with John Ericsson, as early as 1837, in introducing the screw-propeller. He built the steamship John S. Ale Kim, the first screw-steamer ever constructed in the United States for commercial purposes, and was one of the originators and owners of the first line of propellers — the Ericsson Line, which to-day has a service between Philadelphia and Baltimore. The John S. McKim, by the way, was a twin-screw ship. This steamer conveyed Col. Jefferson Davis and his regiment of Mississippi troops from New Orleans to one of the Mexican ports during the Mexican War. Strange to say, it was a Clyde steamship, the Rebecca Clyde, which brought President Jefferson Davis, of the Confederacy, a prisoner from Savannah to Fort Monroe, in 1865. In 187 1 the Clydes built for their ship, George W. Clyde, the first compound engine ever set up in this country, and in 1886 built the first large triple-expansion engines in America. They were placed in their ship Cherokee. In 1888 the Clydes also built the steamer Iroquois, the first steel steamship ever built for commercial purposes in this country.
The Old Dominion Steamship Company has a fleet of eight large steam- ships, the Seneca, 3,000 tons, Guyandotte and Roanoke, 2,354 tons each, the Old Dominion, IVyanoke, Richmond, City of Atlanta, and City of Columbia. Their sail- ings are from the foot of Beach Street, Pier 26, N. R., New York, at 3 P. M., four times a week to Norfolk, Old Point Comfort and Newport News, Va., in 24 hours (fare, $8, including meals and state-room berth) ; three times a week to Richmond
PECK SLIP, EAST RIVER.
in 36 hours (fare, $9); and thrice a week to West Point, Va. At Norfolk connection is made with the company's auxiliary steamboat, Newbeme, running through the sounds to Newberne and Washington, N. C. The Luray, Accomack and other auxiliary boats visit many landings on the waters of Virginia and North Carolina. The Savannah Line (Ocean Steamship Company) controls the handsome American-built vessels Kansas City, City of Birmingham, City of Augusta, Tallahas- see, Chattahoochee, Nacoochee, and City of Savannah, nearly all of which have a ton- nage of 3,000 or over. They sail four times a week from New Pier 35, N. R., at the foot of Canal Street ; and reach Savannah in 55 hours (fare, $20).
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF NEW YORK
The City of St. Augustine, freight-steamer, sails every three weeks from the foot of Clinton Street, to St. Augustine, Florida.
The Cromwell Steamship Company dispatches a steamer every Wednesday and Saturday from Pier 9, N. R., New York, to New Orleans direct. The fleet includes the largest and finest vessels in this coastwise trade, built of iron, exclu- sively for this route, and first-class in every respect. The cabin fare is $35 ; and return tickets good for six months cost $60. This is a six days' voyage, the round trip, with four days at New Orleans, taking sixteen days.
The Morgan Line is devoted to freight, exclusively, and runs semi-weekly boats from New York to New Orleans, handling a vast quantity of freight to and from New Orleans, Texas, Mexico, and the Pacific Coast.
The Mallory Line (New-York & Texas Steamship Company) owns the iron steamships Concho, Lampasas, Alamo, San Marcos, Colorado, Rio Grande, State of Texas, City of San Antonio, N'uecesa.nd Comal, aggregating 31,000 tons, running from Piers 20 and 21, E. R., New York, to Galveston, Texas, twice or thrice a week ; to Key West, every Saturday ; and to Brunswick, Georgia, and Fernandina, Florida, every Friday, or oftener. They have light and airy state-rooms, above the main deck, well-supplied tables, commodious smoking and bath-rooms, and other com- fortable accommodations for passengers.
The New-York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company (Ward Line) owns the Niagara, Saratoga, and City of IVas/iiugtou, running from Piers 16 and 17, E. R. (foot of Wall Street), New York, every Wednesday. They reach Havana in from
HOBOKEN FERRY PIER, NORTH RIVER, FOOT OF CHRISTOPHER STREET.
four to five days, connecting with steamers for all parts of the West Indies, and for Mexico and the Spanish Main, England, France and Spain. Ward's Wednesday Fteamers from New York go to Havana, and to Matanzas, Cardenas and Sagua la Grande, alternately visiting Caibarien monthly.
Ward's Mexican Line, including the Yumuri, Yucatan, Orizaba and City of Alexandria, leaves New York every Saturday, and goes on from Havana to Progreso (the port for Merida, in Yucatan), Tampico and Vera Cruz, 263 miles by rail from Mexico, returning by Progreso and Havana. Every week a Ward steamer calls at Tuxpam and Campeche, alternately. The company's steamer Manteo runs between Frontera, Laguna and Campeche. The Wards also send fortnightly the steamships Cienfuegos and Santiago to Nassau, arriving in three days, and thence running
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through the Bahama Islands, and around to beautiful old Santiago de Cuba, and 325 miles further to bright modern Cienfuegos. This is a favorite excursion-route in winter, and affords various interesting combination and round tours. The single cabin fares are : from New York to Havana, or to Nassau, $40 ; to Santiago, Cienfuegos, Tampico, or Vera Cruz, $60; with steerage at about half these rates. The Ward fleet includes also the steamships of the former Alexandre Line, and has several very handsome and commodious vessels, efficiently managed.
The Compania Transatlantica is a Spanish mail line, sending steamships every ten days from Pier 10, E. R., New York, to Havana, the voyage taking four days. The steamer sailing on the 20th of each month also goes on to Progreso and Vera Cruz, in Mexico ; and the steamer on the 30th goes from Havana to Santiago de Cuba ; La Guayra and Puerto Cabello, in Venezuela ; Sabanilla, Cartagena, and Colon, in Colombia ; and Puerto Limon. At Havana, close connections are made for Spanish ports. The passage-rates (from which 25 per cent, is discounted for excursion-tickets) are : From New York to Havana, first-cabin, $35, second- cabin, $25, steerage, $15; to Progreso, $55, $35 and $20; Vera Cruz, $60, $40 and $25 ; to Santiago de Cuba, $65, $45 and $30 ; to La Guayra, $80, $ 60 and $45 ; to Cartagena, $93, $72 and $54 ; to Cadiz, Spain, $190, $145 and $50.
The Quebec Steamship Company has weekly sailings from mid-January to June, and fortnightly the rest of the year, between New York and Bermuda, the fine 2,000-ton iron steamships Trinidad and Orinoco making the voyage in 55 hours. The fares are $30 for the first cabin, and $20 for the second cabin. The dock is at New Pier 47, N. R., at the foot of West 10th Street. The Quebec Line also sends steamers every ten days from New York to St. Croix, St. Kitts, Antigua, Montser- rat, Guadaloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, and Barbadoes, at fares varying at from $50 to $60. These vessels connect in the Windward Islands with steam- ships for the other West Indies, and for England and France. The Bermuda Line is much patronized in spring by persons in search of health or respite from bad weather, who find delight in the serene climate of these beautiful coral islands, abounding in flowers and fruits, and one of the impregnable and strongly garrisoned naval stations of the British Empire.
The New-York & Porto-Rico Line sails from the Atlantic Dock, Brook- lyn, at regular intervals, for the famous Spanish island of sugar and coffee, cotton and tobacco.
The Trinidad Line has its pier at the Union Stores, Brooklyn, and brings from the far-away British island, under the Venezuelan Andes, large cargoes of tropi- cal products. Its steamboats — the ^^Arand Arecuna — sail every ten days, carrying cabin passengers.
The Clyde West-India Line sends steamships to Turk's "Island, Hayti, Puerto Plata, Samana, Sanchez and San-Domingo City.
The Atlas Steamship Company, of New Pier 55, N. R. , dispatches ves- sels twice weekly to the West Indies and the Spanish Main. The Atlas fleet includes twelve Scotch-built iron or steel steamships, of which the Adirondack and Alene are of 2,500 tons each, and the Athos, Alvo, and Ailsa are of 2,200 tons. Each has eight compartments, double bottoms, triple-expansion or compound engines, and state-rooms for sixty passengers on the main deck forward, the saloon being a steel house above. An Atlas vessel runs from New York to Hayti, 1,348 miles, fare $60; and thence to Savanilla (1,833 miles from New York), the old Spanish fortress of Cartagena, and Puerto Limon, ninety miles by railway from San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. The run thence to New York is 2,008 miles ; fare, $75. Other
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steamships run to Kingston, Jamaica (fare, $50), connecting with the company's coastal-boats Arden and Adula, for the thirteen outports on the island of Jamaica. This coastal trip is very popular among visitors to Jamaica.
The Honduras and Central-American Company sends its steamships "Jason and Argonaut from Atlantic Dock, Brooklyn, fortnightly, to Kingston (Jamaica), Greytown (Nicaragua), Belize, Livingston, Truxillo, and other tropical ports.
The Pacific Mail Steamships sail from the foot of Canal Street, Pier 34, N. R., every ten days, for Colon, connecting there with the Panama Railway for the Pacific Coast. The distance by this route from New York to San Francisco is 5,220 miles ; and the fare is $90, or $40 for forward-cabin passengers. The time is about 25 days. The steamships are the Columbia, City of Para, Newport and Colon.
The Red " D " Line, at Harbeck Stores, sends out the large American-built iron steamships Venezuela, Caracas, and Philadelphia every ten days to the chief ports of Venezuela. The fare is $80 ; or $50 for second-class. The steamships are of 2,500 tons burden or more; and have water-tight compartments, electric lights and bells, large smoking-rooms and social halls, and other comforts. The route
SOUTH STREET AND HARBOR.
leads from New York through the Mona Passage, between San Domingo and Porto Rico ; and at six days out reaches the quaint Dutch island-colony of Curagoa, 1,763 miles from Sandy Hook. Thence a night's run of 1 1 1 miles leads to Puerto Cabello, a busy coffee-port, thirty miles by railway from beautiful Valencia. Another night voyage of seventy miles takes one to La Guayra, celebrated in Kingsley's IVestzuard Ho, and 27 miles by an Andes-climbing railway from Caracas, the mountain-girt capital of Venezuela. The smaller Red " D " steamer Maracaibo runs regularly over the 214 miles from Curagoa to Maracaibo, a city of 35,000 Venezuelans, exporting
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hides, coffee and cocoa, and standing near a great inland sea. The Merida runs from Curac,oa to La Vela de Coro, sixty miles.
The Royal Dutch West-Indian Mail Line (Koninklijke West-Indische Maildienst) has the Prim Willem I. and five other steamships, leaving New York every three weeks, and running to Port au Prince, $60 ; Aux Cayes, Jacmel, and Curacoa, $75; Puerto Cabello, La Guayra, Cumana, and Carupano, $80; Trinidad and Demerara, $90; and Paramaribo, $100. From the last port the ships cross the Atlantic to Havre, France, and Amsterdam, Holland.
The United-States & Brazil Mail Steamship Company sends its swift American-built steamships Finance, Advance, Allianca, Seguranca, and Vigilancia, from Robert Pier, Brooklyn, about every third week, from New York to St. Thomas, 6 days ; Martinique, 7 days; or Barbadoes, W. I., 8 days ; lowest fare $50 (cabin) and $30 (steerage); to Para, Brazil, 13 days ; to Maranham, 26 days; to Pernam- buco, 19 days ; to Bahia, 22 days; to Rio de Janeiro, 26 days (lowest fares, $150 and $75) ; to Santos, 29 days ; and by connecting boats to Montevideo, 30 days ; and Buenos Ayres, 31 days (lowest fares, $190 and $75). This is the only passen- ger line from the United States to the entire east coast of South Amei ica. The Seguranca and Vigilancia, are first-class steel steamships of about 4,200 tons, fitted for 180 cabin passengers and ample steerage, with triple-expansion engines, electric lights, ice machinery, pneumatic bells, and elegant social halls and state-rooms. This company also runs semi-weekly freight-steamers.
The Sloman Line runs freight-boats between New York and the Brazilian ports.
Norton's Freighting Vessels sail to the ports of the River Plate.
Busk & Jevons send occasional vessels down the South-American coast.
The Booth Line sends a monthly steamship to Para and Manaos (on the Amazon River), and another to Para, Maranham and Ceara, with passenger accom- modation at from $75 to $125.
The waters of the bays, rivers and sounds for a hundred miles about New York are traversed by great fleets of passenger-steamers, varying in size from the tiny craft which visit the nearer islands to the immense and magnificent vessels which traverse Long-Island Sound and the Hudson River. No other port in the world has such noble boats as these last mentioned, which, with their superb halls, grand staircases, and spacious dining-rooms, resemble floating hotels of the first class. In summer an immense passenger and excursion business is done by the suburban steamboats, especially by those running to Coney Island and Rockaway Beach, to Sandy Hook and the coast toward Long Branch, and to the Fishing Banks outside.
The Fall-River Line has its headquarters at the foot of Murray Street, whence in the pleasant season it dispatches at late afternoon two of the vessels of its fleet, the Puritan, Pilgrim, Plymouth, or Providence. They arrive early the next morning at the Massachusetts port and cotton-manufacturing city of Fall River, whence connecting trams run to Boston in eighty minutes. These are undoubtedly the largest, most magnificent, and most perfectly-equipped vessels in the world, used for interior navigation. They are lighted by electricity, steered by steam, enlivened by orchestral music, and provided with meals a la carte. In spring, autumn and winter the Fall-River line sends out but one boat daily.
The Providence Line steamboats leave from Pier 29, N. R., at late afternoon daily (except Sunday), from May to November, and traverse the entire length of the East River, Long-Island Sound, and Narragansett Bay, arriving at six o'clock the next morning at Providence, Rhode Island. Parlor-car trains connecting run to Boston, 42 miles, in 75 minutes ; and to Worcester. The Connecticut and Massa-
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chusetts are beautiful vessels, decorated in white and gold, with dining-rooms on the main decks, and fine orchestras.
The Norwich Line steamships City of Worcester and City of Boston leave Pier 40, N. R., New York, at 5 o'clock, P. M., and run eastward up the Sound to New London, where passengers take the trains at early morning for Boston, Worcester and other New-England cities. This is a very commodious route, served by large and handsome first-class steamboats, and giving easy access to Yankee-land.
The Stonington Line sends a fine steamboat at 5.30 o'clock every afternoon from New Pier 36, N. R. , up Long-Island Sound to the quaint little Connecticut port of Stonington, where it connects with swift trains to Boston and other New- England cities. This route is served by the new steel steamers Maine and New Hampshire and other fine boats ; and is especially desirable in winter, or when rough sea-winds make the longer Sound routes uncomfortable.
Other Eastern Lines are those to Saybrook and Hartford, daily, ascending the picturesque Connecticut River ; to Bridgeport, the busy manufacturing city on the Connecticut shore ; to New Haven, the seat of Yale University ; to Stamford, South Norwalk, New Rochelle and Port Chester ; and to the towns on the north shore of Long Island, like Sea C liff and Sands Point, Ros- lyn and Glen Cove, Sag Harbor and Shelter Island, Southold and Whitestone.
The Hudson- River Day Line is designed entire- ly for passenger service, and car- ries no freight. The richly fur- nished private parlors, for parties ; the main-deck dining-rooms, commanding the river-scenery ; and other unusual appointments, give this line a large popularity. The swift iron steamboats New York and Albany depart every morning (except Sunday) from the Desbrosses-Street Pier and the 22d-Street Pier, N. R., from about May 28th to October 15th, ascending to Albany (fare, $2).
The People's Line and the Citizens' Line run by night from Canal and Christopher Streets to Albany and Troy (fare $1.50).
The Homer Ramsdell Transportation Company runs a nightly line of steamboats between New York and Newburgh, carrying large amounts of freight and many passengers.
This company is the successor of the firm of J. & T. Powell, who established a line of sloops in 1802. The freighting business was continued by means of sailing vessels until about 1830, when steamboats were first employed. In 1835 Thomas Powell built the steamer Highlander, and she was run on the route until 1848, when the barge Nexvburgh, built by Powell, Ramsdell & Co., replaced her; in 1 85 1 the barge Susquehanna was built, and run in connection with the ATewburgh; and in 1870 the barge Charles Spear was purchased, and with the Susquehanna and Minisink made a daily line, each of the boats making two trips a week.
FULTON FERRY, FOOT OF FULTON STREET, EAST RIVER.
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Powell, Ramsdell & Co. were succeeded by Homer Ramsdell & Co. in 1865, and the business was carried on under that name until 1880, when Mr. Ramsdell and his sons (the grandsons of Thomas Powell) formed the present company. In 1886-7
RAMSDELL LINE TO NEWBURGH I HOMER RAMSDELL TRANSPORTATION CO., FOOT OF FRANKLIN ST., NORTH RIvtR.
a return was made to the use of steam in the forwarding business, and the barges were replaced by the handsome steel propellers Newburgh and Homer Ramsdell, which afford to the public express freight accommodations unsurpassed by any other water or railroad line in the country.
The distance between New York and Newburgh is sixty miles, and the wonder- ful expanse of the Hudson River between the two cities include some of the finest scenery in the world, the tremendous rocky walls of the Palisades, the broad expanses of the Tappan Zee, the legend-crowned villages of Tarrytown and Peekskill, the busy scenes around Haverstraw and Nyack, the palaces of the millionaires about Yonkers and Dobb's Ferry, the magnificent gateway of the Highlands, the State National-Guard's camp-ground at Peekskill, the gray old United-States Military Academy at West Point, the far-viewing summer-hotels of Cornwall, and then the venerable and beautiful city of Newburgh, the home-port of the Ramsdell boats. Nearly two centuries ago a band of Lutheran exiles from the devastated Palatinate of the Rhine settled here, under the patronage of Queen Anne ; and since that far- past day the present great, flourishing and enterprising city has grown up on these pleasant hills. The New- York pier of the Homer Ramsdell Transportation Co. is at the foot of Franklin Street, North River.
Other Hudson-River lines lead to Yonkers, Tivoli, Nyack, Peekskill, Fishkill, Fort Lee, Sing Sing, Tarrytown, etc.
Another fleet of white steamers ploughs the waves daily to the New-Jersey ports, Elizabethport and Keyport, New Brunswick and Bergen Point, Sandy Hook and Red Bank, South Amboy and Perth Amboy, Atlantic Highlands and Seabright.
The Ferry-Boat, as now in use around New York, was designed by Fulton and Stevens, and is remarkably well adapted to its uses, especially with regard to the terminal floating bridges and the spring piles along the slips. The first ferry was established in 1642, by Cornelius Dircksen, from near Peck Slip to Fulton
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Street, Brooklyn ; and for nearly two centuries the transits were made in barges, row-boats or pirogues. From 1814 to 1824 horse-boats were used, being propelled by horses working a wheel by means of a treadmill between twin-boats ; and these in turn were succeeded by steam ferry-boats. Scores of these vessels now traverse the waters around the city, carrying the suburbans to and from their work, and are well crowded morning and evening. They are swift, staunch and powerful craft, much more serviceable than they appear ; and they make quick and frequent pas- sages, when the fogs and floating ice of winter do not hinder. There are dozens of these routes to Brooklyn and Long-Island City, Jersey City and Hoboken and many other localities, the fare being from one cent upward. On account of their light draft, good speed and great strength, armed New-York ferry-boats were found useful as gun-boats on the Southern rivers, during the civil war; and Capt. Zalinski thinks that they would be valuable adjuncts in the naval defence of the Empire City, when armed with pneumatic dynamite guns.
Staten Island one of the loveliest of suburban regions, is reached by large ferry-boats running in 25 minutes from the Battery to St. George, whence rapid- transit railways diverge to the many villages nestling among the hills and along the shores of this sea-fronting island.
The waters about New York are traversed by about 400 tow-boats or tugs, equipped with very powerful engines, and competent to pull the heaviest ships, or strings of laden canal- boats. Most of them are below 100 tons each ; but the Penn- sylvania Railroad twin-screw tugs Amboy and Raritan, the ocean-tug Luckenback, and the mighty drawers of canal-boats — the Vanderbilt and the Oswego — reach above 250 tons each. Some of these tow-boats have engines of 900 horse-power.
Yachts and Yachting, with an endless number of yachting and boat-clubs, are conspicuous features hereabouts. Nowhere else in the world are there such fleets of white-winged racing boats, flying like huge birds over the harbor and rivers, and swooping away in great bevies up the Sound eastward to Newport. The regattas and cruises of the many local yacht-clubs are events of the liveliest interest, and eager tens of thousands follow them far out to sea, beyond the Scotland Light- ship. The patriarch of all these noble maritime amusements is the New-York Yacht Club, the oldest in the United States (founded in 1844), which has in its fleet 260 boats. Many steam-yachts also cruise about Manhattan, varying in magnitude from the puffy little naphtha-launch up to the superb sea-going private steamships of the Vanderbilts, Bennetts, and other rich families.
NEW-YORK CENTRAL & HUDSON-RIVER RAILROAD COMPANY'S ELEVATOR.
Railroads - Steam, Elevated, Cable, Morse and Electric — Stages, Subterranean Transit, Etc.
THE need of opening communication between New York and the West was recognized as early as the days of Queen Anne, when the first attempt was made in this direction. The Colony appropriated ^500 to certain men to open a route from the Hudson River westward, the first section being from Nyack to Sterling Iron-works, over which a road was ordered wide enough for two carriages, with the overhanging boughs of the trees cut away. In 1673 Col. Francis Lovelace, the second British Governor of New York, established a mail-route between New York and Boston. This primitive establishment consisted of a single messenger, who, for the "more speedy intelligence and dispatch of affairs," was ordered to make one round trip each month, with letters and packages. The Puritan town to the eastward having thus been accommodated, in 1729 certain enterprising spirits established a fortnightly line of stages to Philadelphia, the Quaker town to the southward. In the same year (so sure was the march of progress), proposals were issued for a foot post to Albany. In 1 793 the running time of the "small, genteel, and easy stage carriages" between New York and Boston was between three and four days, and three trips were made weekly each way. The fare was four-pence a mile.
The subject of intercommunication between the little fringe of settlements along the Atlantic Coast and the great Mississippi-Ohio Valley was one of the most cher- ished projects of George Washington. As a Provincial military officer, or member of the Virginian House of Delegates, or commander-in-chief of the American armies, or President of the United States, he always kept this theme in view, and in person crossed the Virginian mountains, and examined the valleys of the Potomac and the Mohawk, to find the best route for a canal. He regarded the West (" the flank and rear of the Union," as he called it) as likely to be lured away from the Republic by Great Britain, on the north, or by Spain, on the south. As he remarked : "The Western States hang upon a pivot. The touch of a feather would turn them any way." The crops of the West could not be moved to market, so great was the expense of transportation. To carry a ton of wheat from Buffalo to New York cost $100, where it now costs $1.50. Great arks floated down the Delaware, Susque- hanna and Ohio Rivers, laden with produce ; but the voyage was very long, and the returns were uncertain. The first attempt to relieve this blockade was made by build- ing canals, beginning with the one opened in 1802 from the lower Mohawk to Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario. The completion of the Erie Canal, in 1825, revolutionized the commerce of America, and gave New-York City the place of commercial metropolis of the continent. Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia attempted to 7
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win the West by similar constructions, but their canals reached only to the foot of the Alleghany Mountains. Ohio, Indiana and Illinois built canals connecting the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers with the Great Lakes, at Cleveland, Toledo and Chi- cago ; and by the year 1840, 8,500 miles of canal were in operation.
But a new unifying and civilizing agency was about to enter the world's service. In 1826 the Stockton & Darlington Railway, in England, showed the feasibility of moving trains by steam-power. In 1827 a tramway of three miles was built near Quincy, in Massachusetts, to transport granite from the quarries to tide-water. New York had cut off the Western trade of the other Atlantic ports, by its Erie Canal ; and Baltimore hastened to avail itself of the newly discovered mechanism of the rail-
NEW-YORK CENTRAL & HUDSON-RIVER RAILROAD TRACKS ABOVE 98TH STREET.
way, to offset the canal. Accordingly, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was char- tered in 1827, and began grading in 1828. The first locomotive used in America was the Stourbridge Lion, imported from England, and started on the Carbondale & Honesdale Railroad, in 1829. It was too heavy for the unsubstantial rails then in use, and had to be given up. The second locomotive to run in America was called The Best Friend of Charleston, and was built at the West-Point Foundry Works, on the Hudson, in 1830. It belonged to the South-Carolina Railroad, which for some years was the longest continuous line in the world. Another locomotive from the same works was placed on the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad, in 1 83 1. In the mean- time, the Baltimore & Ohio line had been using horses to draw the trains between Baltimore and Frederick ; and had made elaborate experiments to see if the cars could not be propelled by sails.
With all the Atlantic States reaching inland by lines of iron rails, New York also advanced in the same direction, and the result appears in a remarkable system of railways, excelled by none in the world outside.
The New-York Central & Hudson-River Railroad is the