EAST RIVER

a body of water separating New York City on its eastern side from Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens boroughs, and connecting Long Island Sound with upper New York Bay. It is not a river, but a strait, about 16 mniles in length and from a you sand yards to three miles in width. Powerful tides sweep through its narrower portions, giving it all the appearance of a rapidly flowing river. At one time it was extremely dangerous to shipping, on account of the submerged rocks in that narrow portion known as Hell Gate, where the current a umed all the aspects of a rapids at certain time. Most of these rocks have within recent years been removed by blasting and the channel dredged, but even now it is considered a dangerous point for pa ing ve els. Within the waters of East River are Black well’s, Randall’s, Ward's, Riker’s and North Brother Islands. It is spanned by several large bridges; the old Brooklyn, the Williams burg, Queensboro, Manhattan and the H Gate bridges.