964 Transactions of tee American Institute, 



New York can never attain to in her present crowded, cramped and 

 shackled condition. 



The city of London, under the pressure of her growing commerce, 

 found herself compelled to pull down her houses, over acres of land, 

 in the heart of the city, and, at large public expense, to dig up her 

 streets and make her 'docks, without which she could not now main- 

 tain her exalted position. New York already is equally hard pressed 

 for good wet docks, M'itliin easy and convenient distance for her mer- 

 chants, and she Jias only to say tlie word, and obtain the assent of 

 our State and congressional authorities, when there will soon spring 

 up, oiit of the resources of private capitalists, this noble and fea- 

 sible pi'oject, which promises so much good for her harbor and to 

 her people, and such magmficent shipping and warehouse accommo- 

 dations as will make her the storehouse of the world, and preserve her 

 own preeminence in population and commerce for long ages to come. 



At the conclusion of Mr, Dow's paper, Dr. Vanderweyde ex- 

 plained that were it not for the tides the harbor would soon fill up 

 with silt. The closing of the East river would undoubtedly tend to 

 this result, but the greater rapidity induced in the currents through 

 the day would benefit Sandy Iluok, etc., by deepening the channel. 

 Whatever convenien-ce might result from the causeways would be 

 more than balanced by injury to the harbor. The speaker stated 

 tliat in the great majority ofvCaaes, the filling up of channels is due 

 to the deposition of silt from .i-iver waters. Sea water seldom depo- 

 sits in this way. He illustrated this by a reference to the filling up 

 of the basins in Amsterdam and Ilottei'dam, in Holland, while at the 

 mouths of the Rhine and the Iser, in Germany, the channels through 

 which navigation is carried on are salt water channels, answering in 

 their general nature to the East river. 



Mr. Lozier presented a diagram of a bridge across the East river, 

 the patent of Mr. Lemuel W. Wright, of England, and read a short 

 description of it. 



Dr. J. J. Edwards said, we want all Long Island for a market gar- 

 den, the same as in London. The course of the North river has 

 been altered by dykes. We want room without disturbing existing 

 rights. We have a magnificent sound, and we want more docks thaa 

 we have. The Great Eastern can go along side of Morris' dock, just 

 al)ove Harlem on tlie East river, and a great i>roportion of our ship- 

 ping would go tliere if tliey could get dockage. The upper part of 

 the island will be the center of the commerce of this city. We have 



