COMMERCIAL SUPREMACY OF S. I WATER FRONT. 117 



Hudson, and ou the North the dense mass of buildings and spires, 

 and innumerable masts of shipping which outline the City of New 

 York, and the bold span of the Bridge, over the East River which 

 links that and Brooklyn together. As one sets foot on the wharves 

 of New York, let us see what presents itself on the water front of the 

 Hudson River. Beginning at the Battery, we find docks, with barges 

 vessels of moderate tonnage, ferry boats, steamboats plying on 

 many adjacent waters, market docks and pier after pier occupied as 

 temporary receptacles for the freight of the great railroads, coming 

 into New York, or conveyed by barges from the New Jersey depots. 



Take for instance the enormous traffic of the Pennsylvania Rail- 

 road; block after block stretch its docks filled with freight; the 

 streets are blockaded, and any one who has ventured to ride in a 

 West street car can vouch for this. 



It can be safely stated that the loss of time in transporting freight 

 along this water front costs millions of dollars. Here and there, at 

 long intervals, the masts and funnels of ocean steamships are seen. 

 These piers and docks, with short spaces between, and not more 

 than 400 feet long, and many not as long, are crowded at all times 

 with vessels, many having to wait a considerable time to get a berth. 

 The ocean steamers that come in have great difficulty in getting 

 along side their docks, in consequence of passing vessels, the swift 

 tides and the danger of collision. Above Canal street, Ave begin to 

 see the many colored smoke stacks and tall masts of the ocean 

 steamships : — the Anchor, Guion, Cunard, White Star, National and 

 Havre lines. These ships are from 2,000 to 10,000 tons capacity and 

 are therefore capable of carrying an enormous amount of freight. 

 On this side also there is a constant crush of tra}-s, cars and trucks, 

 productive of a great deal of hard language from the drivers. Pro- 

 ceeding up the East River front, the conditions are the same, except 

 as to coastAvise steamers and others engaged in the East and West 

 India and South American and Australian trade. A stranger coming 

 from the great Liverpool docks would naturally ask, where are your 

 houses to hold the products which arrive and depart from all over 

 the world. On the New York shore there are almost none, the 

 streets facing the docks are filled with ordinary stores for the sale of 

 merchandise, articles for shipping use, market produce, numerous 

 drinking places and restaurants, and here and there and in the 

 adjacent streets, a bonded warehouse. 



