NOTES OF AN AMERICAN TOUR. 
147 
The elevated railways are a special unique feature, and extend 
for eight miles in length from the southern extremity of the 
city , they are a very great convenience for quick and ready 
access to widely distant parts ; fivepence (ten cents) fare any¬ 
where by trains running every two or three minutes, with 
frequent stations. 
The southern extremity of the city ending with Battery 
Point is the special business portion, containing the cele¬ 
brated Wall Street great Stock Exchange and the wharfs from 
which the English steamers start. The approach from the 
sea is by the tine large harbour of New York, four miles wide, 
which is a remarkable sight with its throng of vessels of all 
kinds, including the numerous great ferry boats passing 
incessantly in all directions. The entrance to the harbour 
is at the outer bar of Sandy Hook, eighteen miles from 
New York, beyond which all the large steamers have to 
be piloted on departure and arrival, causing often a consider¬ 
able delay ; and the passage time of the steamers is conse¬ 
quently reckoned to and from Sandy Hook as a definite 
measure for the speed of passage. Some gigantic submarine 
blasting operations have been many years in progress for the 
removal of rock obstructions in the approach to New York 
from the opposite direction by the sea passage between Long 
Island and the main land, which will lead to the distance 
from England being shortened, and avoid the delay caused by 
Sandy Hook bar. 
The railways to the North and East come into New York 
to the Central Station near Central Park ; but those to the 
"West and South, including by far the largest portion of the 
whole traffic, have to stop in New Jersey, on the opposite 
side of Hudson River, and the passengers are conveyed 
across to and from each train in very large ferry boats, which 
are like floating stations, and carry over horses and carriages 
with the passengers. As the river is too large for a bridge, 
a tunnel has been attempted for removing this great draw¬ 
back, and bringing the railways direct into New York ; but 
the work of the tunnel was stopped when only about one- 
quarter made, from the serious difficulties met with of sand 
beds under the river, and this work is still in abeyance. 
There is now, however, a bridge on the other side of the 
city over to Brooklyn, the celebrated Suspension Bridge, which 
has the largest span of any bridge yet constructed, and forms 
a very fine object in the yiew on approaching by the harbour. 
Coney Island Elephant should be mentioned as a con¬ 
spicuous object in the approach from sea to New York 
Harbour ; it is a wooden seaside refreshment house, built in 
