120 COMMERCIAL SUPEEMACY OF S. I. WATER FRONT. 



Railroad and its accessories. From the entrance of the Kills going 

 westward to Newark Bay, a distance of about three miles, the pier 

 and bulkhead lines generally consolidated, except in the coves, have 

 an average width of 300 feet from the shore, with a depth of from 18 

 to 20 feet at low water. This is admirably fitted for manufacturing 

 purposes where vessels of lighter draft can securely lie. The water 

 works of the Island, whose mains are along the entire shore have 

 ample supplies for all such enterprises. On the lower bay of New 

 York on the south side of the Island, the water is too shallow to ad- 

 mit of any commercial improvement, except at Seguine's Point where 

 the water is 25 feet deep. A considerable portion of the South shore 

 could also be used for the shipment of coal, as in the case of the 

 Jersey shore of the Kill van Kull. These water fronts also present 

 superior advantages for ship-building, if our absurd navigation laws 

 shall be amended. Already on the Kill van Kull are several yards 

 for the building and repairing of small sailing vessels and tug-boats ; 

 on the North and East sides sectional and dry docks can be con- 

 structed to admit the largest vessels. The repair docks at Clifton 

 have had large vessels upon the way, but the want of capital, and the 

 drawbacks upon ship-building, which has crippled so many enter- 

 prises of this kind, has prevented a successful undertaking. 



To show the production from 1860 to 1880 the increase of the grain 

 crop was 1,459,000,000 bushels. 



The merchandise moved in 1887 over various railroads was 552,- 

 000,000 tons, equal in value to $13,043,250,000. 



For the year 1887 the Penns} r lvania Railroad — 

 Carried 17,770,396 passengers. 

 Through freight, moved 2,979,359 tons. 

 Way freight, moved 8,442,083 tons. 

 Total freight moved, 11,421,442 tons. 

 Miles of road operated, 44,693. 



The Delaware, Lackawana & Western in 1887 — 

 Carried 6,916,406 passengers. 

 Freight moved, 4,647,858 tons. 

 Miles operated, 16,690. 



The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad — 



Controls 821 miles of track. 



