THE TOWN OF PELIIAM. 8 1 



sold to George W. Horton forty-two acres of land on the lower, or south- 

 erly part of City Island. Most of this property is still held by his two 

 sons — Capt. Stephen Decatur Horton, and Capt. George Washington 

 Horton. The former owns the extreme point of this beautiful island, 

 overlooking Hutchinson's bay, Throgmorton's Neck, the Stepping Stone 

 light, the great necks upon Long Island, besides the most extensive 

 views of the Sound, Hart Island and neighboring shores. a 



Among the earliest projects of the first proprietors of the island was 

 the construction of a bridge across the narrows, to connect with the 

 main. To enable them to effect this the State Legislature passed an 

 act allowing the erection of the bridge ; and upon the 7 th of September, 

 1S04, a subsciption list was opened for this object, but the attempt then 

 failed for want of support. About six years ago, another effort was at- 

 tended with better success; and a bridge erected by a joint stock com- 

 pany,- connecting the island with the main, and was thrown open to the 

 public on the 1st of December, 1873. It is a singular fact that the pres- 

 ent structure stands within a few rods of the bridge laid down on the 

 map of 1 761. The bridge, which is one thousand feet long, is constructed 

 of nineteen abutments, of heavy wooden cribs filled with stone ; these are 

 ninety-six feet long, by twenty-four feet wide, finished with a draw one 

 hundred and twenty feet long. The greater part of the materials used in 

 its erection were taken from the old United States frigate of war, North 

 Carolina. 



The navigation of the Sound, which is considered exceedingly danger- 

 ous for the larger class of vessels, has given employment to some sixteen 

 or twenty resident pilots at an income of $70,000; but since the last Avar, 

 tug or tow boats have almost superseded the occupation of the pilots on 

 the Sound. At the present time, more vessels actually pass through Hell 

 Gate than through the Narrows. It is estimated that one hundred and 

 fifty vessels pass through the former, daily. 



About seventy-five to one hundred oystermen, heads of families on 

 the island, are engaged in doing a lucrative business in the surrounding 

 waters, under a capital of over $200,000. 



On the eastern side of the island, Mr. David Carll has a fine dock 

 yard. Here are three marine bridges, and the largest marine railway out 

 of the city of New York. Quite a number of yachts have been con- 

 structed in this yard — among which may be noticed the Atlanta, fox 

 William Astor ; the Resolute, for Ayres S. Hatch ; the Henrietta, for 

 James G. Bennett; the Magic, which won the Queen's cup in 18 — , for 



a In a prove, upon this point, the celebrated Italian arfisf, Pietro Vaini, shot himself, in the 

 summer of 1775. One of bis small cabinet pictures is iu the possession oi Capt. Stephen L>. 

 Horton. 



