Procsedixgs of the PoLYTEcnmc Association. 981 



determine all public improvements, and justify the arbitrary exercise 

 of " eminent domain," which builds our railways, canals, waterworks, 

 sewerage and all like constructions. The Aldersons, who limit the 

 speed of the locomotive, before an English parliament, to five miles 

 per hour, and see it at a stand still in the face of a strong wind, and 

 the Dr. Dardners, who see an ocean steamer in a passage of ten days 

 across the ocean, plowing through a medium like molten lead, 

 must also have their predictions consulted and their decisions dis- 

 cussed. For the present, to examine two or three salient objections 

 will suffice. 



The first and most important is that of obstruction to the naviga- 

 tion of the East river, as a national highway. 



To this we answer, 1st, that the custom house revenue and com- 

 mercial profit of any improvements at Sandy Hook, at Hellgate and 

 in i^ew York harbor, far outweighs all the income from annual 

 enrollment fees of the town commerce, and the amount of its local 

 business ; and that the same argument is true of any improvement to 

 the commerce with the great west and Canada in the river at Albany. 



2d. That the o-overnment naval station here now suffers seriouslv 

 on account of the East river and Wallabout channel currents and 

 counter-currents, so that the anchorage is not safe opposite ' the cob 

 dock ; launching and dry docking are seriously embarrassed, and in 

 the winter the ice fields expose naval vessels to great damage, while 

 the annual silt deposit at the navy yard involves great expense for 

 dredging ; and as, from motives of prudence, naval vessels very 

 seldom go through Hellgate, this plan involves great benefit and 

 no injury to the naval station. 



3d. We assert, as a matter of daily demonstration, that the East 

 river is not a navigable highway at all, to sailing vessels, except at 

 limited times of the day ; that the prevalence of contrary winds 

 seriously afi^ects the value of these intervals of time ; and that practi- 

 cally, with the increasing restrictions of this river, due to the increase 

 of piers, &c., building to the harbor pier line, this evil is rapidly 

 increasing. This commercial restriction will be entirelv changed by 

 this plan, with its guard locks ; and instead of a dangerous voyage of 

 seventeen miles, only possible at four intervals of time each day, the 

 restricted distance is reduced to 450 feet, with an easy run to it from 

 both sides, with four periuds of the day when the caissons can be 

 tlirown open and a free sailing passage oti'ered, and with a compact 

 and simple arrangement of steam power at hand, at all other times 



