wharves, during the busy season, are heaped in confusion with produce and merchandise, and the delays and other inconveniences caused by the want of proper accommodation, are often the most harassing, as well as expensive to the parties concerned. Circumscribed and limited, then, as the commercial district of New York is, and must continue to be, unless some favorable expedient offer itself, where shall the future increase of shipping that must eventually come to this port, find accommodation? Where shall we find room for the growing trade of the interior, when our enlarged canal and other great thoroughfares of intercommunication, now in progress, shall pour into the Hudson, and thence to our piers and slips, myriads of "craft" from a "thousand ports," laden with rich cargoes to be stored, transhipped, or consumed, without incurring expenses for cart. age, warehousing, &c., too heavy to be endured? Can New York extend the limits of her water front, without reaching beyond "that convenient proximity to the business centre," which the lower part of the city affords, and which is likely forever to remain where several generations have fixed it? "Nature and common consent have alike determined the point, and it cannot be removed."

In order to surmount the foregoing difficulties, we think there has been no expedient proposed, if properly carried out, that will be more likely to succeed, and will better answer the desired end, than the ATLANTIC BASIN, the construction of which has lately been commenced in New York. This noble work has been undertaken by the "Atlantic Dock Company," a body corporate by an act of the legislature of the state of New York, passed May 6th, 1840; with a capital of $1,000,000, and with a right to commence the operations of the company when $100,000 are subscribed and paid in, which requisition has been complied with. The shares are $100 each-are deemed personal property, and are transferable on the books of the company, or by an authorized attorney. Each shareholder is entitled to one vote at any election for directors, for every share of stock so held.

The object of the company is to construct piers and bulkheads, forming a basin to embrace a water surface of about 42 acres, to be surrounded by rows of spacious warehouses, to which any class of vessels, from the large ship of war down to the Erie canal boat, can come and discharge or receive freight, and where they can enter at any stage of the tide, and remain in perfect safety, in all kinds of weather, in every season of the year. The work is located between Governor's Island and the Long Island shore, as shown on the annexed diagram, and is situated about one and a half miles from the Merchants' Exchange, in Wall-street. The location has been selected after thorough and careful soundings, and an examination of the ground under water, which was found easy for excavation, and free from rock; and also after considering its relative position and advantages to all the locations in and about this port. The shores of New York, Brooklyn, and Jersey city, have all been examined by experienced and scientific gentlemen, and the result is, that the present location possesses many superior advantages over any other; being easy of access, and a short distance from the centre of business in New York. The distance of this location from the centre of business, and being on the opposite side of the river, cannot be deemed an objection, as it is not without precedent in other similar works. The "West India Docks," situated at Blackwall, on the river Thames, are about 3 miles from the London Ex

change, or the centre of the main business of London. The "Commer. cial Docks," constituting the largest basins of London, are situated on the south side of the Thames, while the bulk of business is transacted on the northerly side, where are also the Bank of England, Exchange, &c. The ordinary tides of the Thames are about twenty feet, which renders the crossing at all hours difficult. In our harbor the ordinary tides are only about five feet, and there are no impediments to crossing the East river at all hours, with a safety, certainty, and despatch, unequalled by any other mode of travelling the same distance. The expense also is trifling, and this will rapidly decrease under the present ferry regulations.

The whole work is under contract, and one half of the piers and bulkheads will be ready for the erection of warehouses, and one half of the basin will be ready for use on the 1st of May, 1842. The land and water right designed for this object, embraces about 80 acres. The piers are to be constructed 150 feet wide, forming the front of the basin on the stream, divided by an entrance 200 feet wide. The depth of water in a portion of the basin at low tide is to be 25 feet, and on the outside of the pier as well as in the basin, the depth will be sufficient to moor the largest class of steamships or merchant vessels.

The utility and necessity of the proposed improvements, must be evident from the following considerations:

First. That the main business of New York is now, and in all probability will, for centuries to come, be transacted in and near Wall-street, where are situated the Customhouse, Exchange, Banks, Insurance offices, &c.

Second. That all the docks in New York, from the Battery to Corlaer's Hook, on East river, and as high up as Canal-street, on North river, are now full and crowded, and cannot afford additional accommodation.

Third. That the shipping interest of this port will prefer to go into the docks at Brooklyn, or the Atlantic Basin, rather than go up either river on the New York side further than the points above mentioned-especially when better accommodation can be had elsewhere.

Fourth. The benefit to vessels to be safely moored and protected against heavy gales of wind, tides, and currents, which annually do more or less damage to the shipping in harbors that are not land-locked and surrounded by high grounds or buildings.

Fifth. That vessels in a basin, with proper police regulations, are less liable to fire, robbery, and other depredations ;* and experience has shown that they are better preserved, especially in their rigging and cables, being better sheltered than those moored at the wharves or in the

stream.

Sixth. The erection of a contemplated Floating Dry Dock within the basin, will enable government as well as the shipowner to raise vessels out of the water more economically, expeditiously, and with less risk than by the usual method.

Seventh. From the use of this establishment in warehousing produce or merchandise, commerce will derive incalculable advantages by the despatch in loading and unloading goods, with a great reduction of expenses. The facility for warehousing heavy goods on the piers and around the

Previously to the construction of the wet docks on the Thames, the property annually pillaged from ships, was estimated to amount to £500,000 a year.

basin, such as iron, lead, dyewoods, tea, bags of coffee, molasses, sugars, spirits, wines, hides, cotton bales, wool, &c., which can be done directly from the ship's hold into the warehouse, would be a saving of 50 to 75 per cent. in cartage and all other expenses, including a redelivery, as has been computed by competent persons, after a careful investigation. To exemplify the foregoing, one fact among the many which daily occur, may be mentioned. An eastern manufacturing house recently purchased of one of our largest importing houses, 100 tons of iron, which had been deposited in their store No. 119 Greenwich-street, at the ordinary cartage expense of 50 cents per ton. The same expense (50 cents per ton) was incurred again in delivering it to the purchaser on board of an eastern packet, making $1 per ton for cartage, besides additional expenses for labor. If on the arrival of this iron from a foreign port, it had been deposited in a warehouse on these piers, and when sold, put directly on board the eastern packet, lying at the pier fronting the warehouse, the reader will perceive that two cartages and much extra labor would have been saved. The annual amount paid in the city of New York for the cartage of produce or merchandise that requires reshipment, has been estimated, by competent judges, to be at least half a million of dollars, a considerable part of which would be saved if this portion of business were done at the Atlantic Basin.

A comparison of this work with others of a similar kind, cannot fail to present a favorable view of its utility and importance.

WEST INDIA DOCKS.-It is singular that, notwithstanding the obvious utility of wet docks, and the vast trade of the British metropolis, there was no establishment of this sort on the Thames till nearly a century after a wet dock had been constructed at Liverpool. The inconvenience arising from the crowded state of the river, at the periods when fleets of merchantmen were accustomed to arrive, the insufficient accommodation afforded by the legal quays and sufferance wharfs, the necessity under which many ships were placed of unloading in the river into lighters, and the insecurity and loss of property thence arising, had been long felt as almost intolerable grievances; but so powerful was the opposition to any change, made by the private wharfingers and others interested in the support of the existing order of things, that it was not till 1793, that a plan was projected for making wet docks for the port of London; and six years more elapsed before the act for the construction of the West India Docks was passed. They were first, and continue to be the most extensive, of the great warehousing establishments formed in the port of London. Their construction commenced in February, 1800, and they were partially opened in August, 1802. They stretch across the isthmus, joining the Isle of Dogs to the Middlesex side of the Thames. They originally consisted of an Import and Export Dock, the names of which denote their uses, each communicating, by means of locks, with a basin five or six acres in extent at the end next Blackwall, and with another more than two acres at the end next Limehouse; both of these basins communicate with the Thames. To these works the West India Dock Company have since added the South Dock, formerly the City Canal, which runs parallel to the Export Dock. This canal was intended to facilitate navigation, by enabling ships to avoid the circuitous course round the Isle of Dogs. It was, however, but little used for that purpose, and is now appropriated to the lumber trade, for the greater accommodation of which, a pond of nine

teen acres has been formed within a few years on the south side for the reception of bonded timber.

Width.
Yards.

135

166

Area.
Acres.

241

292

The South Dock, which is appropriated both to import and export vessels, is 1183 yards long, with an entrance to the river at each end; both the locks, as well as that into the Blackwall Basin, being 45 feet wide, or large enough to admit ships of 1200 tons burden. At the highest tides, the depth of water in the docks is 24 feet; and the whole will contain, with ease, 600 vessels of from 250 to 500 tons. The separation of the homeward bound ships, which is of the utmost importance for preventing plunder, and giving additional security to the revenue and the merchant, was, for the first time, adopted in this establishment. The Import and Export Docks are parallel to each other, being divided by a range of warehouses, principally appropriated to the reception of rum, brandy, and other spirituous liquors. There are smaller warehouses and sheds on the quays of the Export and South Docks, for the reception of goods sent down for exportation. The warehouses for imported goods are on the four quays of the Import Dock. They are well contrived, and of great extent, being calculated to contain 160,000 hhds. of sugar, exclusively of coffee and other produce. There have been deposited, at the same time, upon the quays, under the sheds, and in the warehouses belonging to these docks, 148,563 hhds. of sugar, 70,875 casks and 433,648 bags of coffee, 35,158 puncheons of rum and pipes of Madeira wine, 14,021 logs of mahogany, 21,350 tons of logwood, &c., which have been estimated as high as £20,000,000! The whole area occupied by the docks, warehouses, &c., includes about 295 acres; and the most effectual precautions are adopted for the prevention of fire and pilfering.

This spacious and magnificent establishment was formed by subscription, the property being vested in the West India Dock Company, the affairs of which are managed by 21 directors, as a body corporate. The right of voting is vested in those shareholders only who hold £500 of the company's stock. The company's capital is £1,380,000.

The West India Docks have proved a very successful undertaking, and have been highly beneficial to the original shareholders. All the West India ships frequenting the Thames were obliged to use them for a period of 20 years from their completion. The dividend on the company's stock was limited to 10 per cent.; and after making dividends to the full amount, with the exception of the first half year, they had in 1819, an accumulated fund of nearly £400,000. But they then diminished their charges at the suggestion of the Committee of the House of Commons on the foreign trade of the country, so as to give the trade using the docks the benefit of the surplus fund, which was to be reduced to £100,000 before the 30th of January, 1826. Latterly, the company have been obliged, in consequence of the competition of other companies, to make further reductions of dividend. At present, the company's stock sells at about par.

The nearest dock-gate, at Limehouse, is about three miles from the Exchange; and the other, next Blackwall, about half a mile more. This distance has the disadvantage of increasing the expense of cartage, and of being inconvenient to the merchants and others using the docks. On