COMMERCIAL SUPREMACY OF S. I. WATER FRONT. 119 



to the entrance of the great railroads into the Island caused this 

 advance. These railroad enterprises were entirely due to the far- 

 reaching thought and enterprise of Mr. Erastus Wiman, who with 

 an indefatigable purpose and untiring labor and undaunted by any 

 obstacles, pushed forward the project of rapid transit; and the co- 

 operation of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad culminating in the build- 

 ing of the great bridge across the Kills. Thus the entire products 

 of the West and South could be brought to the Harbor of New York, 

 received, stored and shipped at the same place. To enter into detail, 

 we will consider the different shores of the Island and their capa- 

 bilities. Beginning at the Nairows and going North, the pier and 

 bulkhead lines are consolidated for a mile in length, and with vary- 

 ing widths of from 260 to 625 feet, and with a depth of about 40 feet at 

 low water. Thus the largest vessels can lay alongside or basins can 

 be formed, as the Atlantic Docks of Brooklyn, as the deep water 

 extends very close to the shore ; from thence north to the Ameri- 

 can Cotton Dock, a distance of 1| miles ; the pier and bulkhead 

 lines are separate and 600 feet apart. The distance of the pier 

 line from the shore varies and increases from 625 feet to 1200 

 feet; the depth is 30 feet at low tide. Along this entire 

 front are splendid chances for development with piers 600 feet 

 long, at which the largest steamers may lie, or two or three of smaller 

 dimensions, with plenty of space for great warehouses for direct re- 

 ceipt and transhipment of all the wealth of the world ; with grain 

 elevators receiving that great product of the West without breaking 

 bulk, and delivering direct into vessels, sailing to European ports ; 

 refrigerator cars unloading into cold storage warehouses, the dressed 

 beef and hog products, to be re-shipped without delay ; great cotton 

 receptacles, safe from the thieves of the city, re-shipped without light- 

 erage charges. Even this, however, does not comprise the whole 

 availability of this water front, as portions of it, where steamships 

 may not be able to lie, can be made into basins, where surrounding 

 warehouses can contain the merchandise of the world, and be sent 

 by lighters into the city, with as reasonable charges as the Atlantic 

 docks, Brooklyn, or from the Staten Island Cotton Docks, which lat- 

 ter have demonstrated the perfect feasibility and safety of such sto- 

 rage. From thence to the entrance of the Kills, a distance of about 

 one mile, will probably be taken up by the needs of the Rapid Transit 



