NEW YORK, the most important city and sea-poi t of the United States, and the third in the civilized world, is situated on the east side of the mouth of the Hudson river, at its confluence with a narrow strait called East river, which opens into Long Island sound, in the state of New York, 18 in. from the ocean. Lat. 40° 42' 43' u., long. 74 0' 3' west. The city comprises the island of Manhattan, formed by the Hudson river and the East river, and separated from the main-land by a narrow strait called Harlem river, on the e., and on the w. by Spuyten Duyvel creek; includes several smaller islands, contain ing the fortifications in the harbor, and the public institutions in the East river; and also part of the main-laud u. of Manhattan island. The island on which the city is built is 13 m. long, and with an average breadth of 14 of a mile, comprising 22 sq. miles. A rocky ridge runs through the center, rising at Washington heights, 238 feet. The compactly built city extends five in. from the " battery " at its southern point, and is laid out regularly into 141,4S6 lots. Avenues 100 feet wide and 8 miles long, in straight lines, are crossed at right angles by streets from 60 to 100 feet wide, extending from river to river. The city is connected with the main-land of New York by bridges across the Harlem river, with Long island by a tine suspension bridge, and with New jersey, Long island, and Staten island by numerous steam-ferries. Several railways radiate from the city, while the finest passenger steamboats in the world pass up the Hudson, Long Island sound, and down the Narrows, through the lower bay. The har bor, formed by the upper and smaller bay, with its two arms, which almost inclose the city, is one of the finest in the world. There are 80 piers for shipping on the west, and 70 on the east side of the city. The harbor is defended by fourteen forts, mounting 1500 guns. The streets are traversed by many city omnibuses and tramways, which carry millions of passengers annually.
The city is built of brick, brown sandstone, and white marble. Among its finest edi fices are the city hall, custom-house, Trinity church, Grace church, [two universities, cathedral, academy of music, Cooper institute, and the numerous great hotels, several of which have accommodation for more than a thousand persons. Of 331 churches, 72 are Protestant Episcopal, 41 Roman Catholic, and the others of all denominations. In 1873 there were 223 public schools and 17 corporate schools with 236,543 pupils, and the college of the city of New York, formerly the free academy. Besides, there are 35 Roman Catholic schools, and colleges and academies of the religious orders. Columbia college is one of the oldest in the country; the university of the city of New York has been more recently established. Each has departments of law and medicine, and there are two other medical colleges, several theological seminaries, and many private acade mies. The hospitals and institutions of charity are on a liberal scale; and besides legal outdoor relief, the poor are visited and cared for by a public society, with agents in every district. Among the charities are asylums for insane, blind, deaf and dumb, mag dalens, foundlings, etc. The Astor free library, founded by John Jacob Astor, has 150,000 carefully selected volumes; the mercantile library, 150,000 volumes, with a large reading-room; society library, 64,000; apprentices' library, 50.000, with rich museums
of antiquities; the Cooper institute, a present to the city by Peter Cooper, has a free read ing-room, picture-gallery, art-schools, etc. Annual art exhibitions are given by the national academy of design, Dusseldorf, and international gallerieg. The academy of music, or opera-house, has seats for 4,700 persons, and eight or ten theaters give nightly entertainment to 20,000. The Central park. laid out in the finest style of landscape gardening, is two and it half miles long by three-fifths of a mile wide. Eighteen smaller public parks are scattered over the city. The Croton aqueduct brings a river of pure soft water from 40 miles distance, which is received in reservoirs of a capacity of 1,500, 000,000 gallons, and distributed through 370 miles of pipes, with such a head as to sup' ply public fountains of 60 and 80 feet jet, and the upper stories of most buildings. Eleven markets supply annually 140,000,Q00 lbs. beef, 25.000,000 lbs. mutton, 56,000,000 lbs. pork, and immense quantities of poultry, game, fish, oysters, fruits, and 7egetables. The city government is composed of a mayor, boards of aldermen and (701111011601i, and bureaux of various departments. The police numbers about 2,500, with salaries of i',300 to $5,500 a year. The stations are connected by telegraph, and have lalgings for destitute persons. A sanitary squad has charge of the public health. The commis sioners of charity and correction have directiou of asylums, hospitals, and prisons. Com missioners of emigration receive and attend to the wants jf immigrants. The volunteer brigade of firemen has been replaced by a paid fire department, which is found to be much more effective for the protection of property. It consists of upwards of '700 men, with above 40 steam lire-engines, and a large number of telegraph stations. New York is the great center of American finance and commerce. It receives 66 per cent of all imports, and sends out 50 per cent of all exports. The total value of imports in 1873-74 was $395,133,622; of exports, $354,993,732. Vessels entered, 6,723, of 5,049.618 tons; cleared, 6,103, of 4,837,218 tons. The total number of vessels belonging to the port of New York was 6,630, of 1.318,523 tons. There were, in 1870, 7,624 manufacturing establishments, employing 129,577 hands, the cost for wages being $63,884,049, and the value of products $332,951,520. The assessed value of real and personal esiate in 1875 was $1,154,029,176. The number cf immigrants that arrived in New York during the year ending June 30, 1S74, was 260,814.
New York, the Nieu Amsterdam of tbe.Dutch, was founded in 1621; in 1664 :t was taken by the English. At the period of the revolution it was smaller than Philadelphia or Boston; but increased in importance, especially after the completion of the Erie canal had opened to it the commerce of the west. In 1789, 2,086 persons died of yellow fever; in 1832, 3,513 of cholera: in 1845 a fire destroyed a large portion of the business part of i the city, with a loss of $18,000,000. In 1741, in consequenceof a supposed negeo plot to burn tne city, 13 negroes were burned at the stake, 20 hanged, and 78 transported. In 1863, in a riot caused by the conscription, the popular fury again turned against the uegroes, and numbers were murdered.