﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  -OO 
  

  

  river. 
  For 
  two 
  miles 
  they 
  flow 
  in 
  an 
  easterly 
  direction 
  and 
  then 
  

   southerly, 
  for 
  a 
  total 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  7 
  miles. 
  These 
  streams 
  

   have 
  been 
  canalized 
  by 
  the 
  Federal 
  government 
  and 
  are 
  rapidly 
  

   becoming 
  an 
  important 
  artery 
  of 
  commerce. 
  They 
  form 
  the 
  

   northern 
  and, 
  for 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  way, 
  the 
  eastern 
  boundary 
  of 
  

   Manhattan 
  island. 
  The 
  two 
  streams 
  join 
  at 
  Kings 
  Bridge, 
  New 
  

   York. 
  

  

  Before 
  improvement 
  the 
  Harlem 
  river 
  had 
  an 
  available 
  depth 
  

   of 
  10 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  East 
  river 
  to 
  Morris 
  dock, 
  except 
  at 
  High- 
  

   bridge, 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  only 
  6 
  feet. 
  From 
  Morris 
  dock 
  to 
  Fordham 
  

   landing 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  cr'ooked 
  channel 
  7 
  feet 
  deep, 
  and 
  above 
  the 
  

   latter 
  place 
  the 
  river 
  could 
  be 
  used 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  smallest 
  class 
  of 
  

   vessels. 
  

  

  Spuyten 
  Duyvil 
  creek 
  from 
  Kings 
  Bridge 
  to 
  the 
  Hudson 
  had 
  a 
  

   depth 
  of 
  4 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  original 
  project 
  for 
  improvement, 
  adopted 
  in 
  1874, 
  provided 
  

   for 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  old 
  bridge 
  piers, 
  Candle 
  factory 
  reef, 
  and 
  

   boulders 
  at 
  various 
  places 
  near 
  the 
  East 
  river 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  12 
  

   feet, 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  being 
  estimated 
  at 
  $167,875.56. 
  In 
  

   furtherance 
  of 
  this 
  project 
  $21,000 
  was 
  expended. 
  

  

  The 
  existing 
  project, 
  adopted 
  June 
  18, 
  1878, 
  and 
  modified 
  

   October 
  7, 
  18S6, 
  provides 
  for 
  a 
  continuous 
  channel, 
  400 
  feet 
  wide 
  

   and 
  15 
  feet 
  deep, 
  from 
  the 
  East 
  river 
  to 
  the 
  Hudson 
  river, 
  except 
  

   just 
  north 
  of 
  Highbridge, 
  where 
  the 
  width 
  was 
  made 
  375 
  feet, 
  and 
  

   the 
  rock 
  cut 
  through 
  Pyckman's 
  meadow, 
  where 
  the 
  width 
  was 
  

   reduced 
  to 
  350 
  feet 
  and 
  the 
  depth 
  increased 
  to 
  18 
  feet. 
  The 
  cost 
  

   of 
  the 
  work 
  was 
  estimated 
  at 
  $2,700,000. 
  

  

  The 
  amount 
  expended 
  in 
  carrying 
  on 
  work 
  under 
  the 
  existing 
  

   project 
  to 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year 
  ending 
  June 
  30, 
  1903, 
  was 
  

   $1,244,851.90. 
  

  

  The 
  maximum 
  draft 
  that 
  could 
  be 
  carried 
  June 
  30, 
  1903, 
  over 
  

   the 
  shoalest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  channel 
  was 
  12 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  commerce 
  of 
  this 
  river 
  is 
  very 
  large. 
  In 
  1895, 
  the 
  tonnage 
  

   amounted 
  to 
  over 
  7,500,000 
  tons. 
  1 
  

  

  1 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  Chief 
  of 
  Engineers 
  for 
  the 
  year 
  ending 
  June 
  30, 
  1903. 
  

  

  

  