DOWN STREAM HIGHWAY

[Applause] the Empire State is blessed with more wonderful scenic water attractions than any other section of the country they include two Great Lakes Lake Champlain the Finger Lakes and hundreds of others then there's Niagara Falls the Thousand Islands Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean our film is the story of the majestic Hudson River a sporting water highway that has its source in the northeast corner of the state high in the Adirondack Mountain the highest point in New York State is not Marci five thousand three hundred and forty four feet elevation it's a fine observation point for Ranger and climber and as they descend to get a bird's-eye view of Lake tear of the clouds the source of the Hudson River the small pond nestled snugly on the side of Marcy about 1,000 feet below the summit [Music] from this mountain pond will follow its course 300 miles to see first a small Mountain Brook a little farther our baby Hudson takes its first big step and gracefully spills over Spearfish Falls in the law Adirondacks it has become of age and as a good-sized rushing stream [Music] near Troy it's a full-grown navigable river and the most important water highway in eastern United States at the capital city of Albany 300 outboard adventures are off on an annual Hudson race to Manhattan this grueling marathon of 140 miles is the largest outboard race in the world hundreds try but relatively few finish its an argue of roaring motors and endless bumps a driver has to average about 40 miles per hour to keep in the race and all the time battle tides and currents it's a rugged test of stamina and driving skill [Music] halfway down the leaders are so far out in front it hardly looks like a race but this beautiful straight stretch of river near Poughkeepsie is famous for another type of sporting crack crew racing here annually the championship Intercollegiate rowing races are held the huge letters painted on the rocky shores are symbolic of winning college crews every June about 350 oarsmen representing crews of a dozen or more colleges gather here two weeks prior to the regatta to study tides and currents and to practice long hours for the championship for one day Poughkeepsie is the biggest college town in America they finish below the bridge and we resume our downstream cruise the Hudson is navigable all the way up to Albany so cargo vessels from the world's ports pass you up as you pass down [Music] Billo Newberg on the West Shore is famous storm king mountain with the star of its motor highway halfway up its precipitous side below a smoky freight train winds along like a dark serpent [Music] that's Sugarloaf Mountain in olden days a river beacon for skippers of sailing schooner the New York Central Railroad onto the river the East Shore is the mainline and modern streamliners flashed by like miniature trains of a boy's dream world stories of revolutionary times reflected every turn as we near West Point it was here that George Washington stretched an iron chain across the river to stop British warships some of the buildings of the US Military Academy border right on the river's edge just below West Point the famed bear mountain suspension bridge spans the river for the benefit of millions of New Yorkers seeking outdoor recreation at this famous park [Music] Wilo Peekskill the river widens into what the early Dutch settlers called the Tappan Zee on this brush pants of river 15 miles long and five miles wide sailing is the sport communities on both sides support Yacht Club's the group under Y is a class of lightnings from the Ossining Club yes our Hudson plays host to every type of sporting craft and sailing runs a close second in popularity below the Palisades the Englewood yacht basin harbors a fleet of power cruisers the stage and annual ten-mile free-for-all which certainly turns up the river canoeists race with double bladed paddles in midstream right off the shore of Upper Manhattan these sturdy lads are from the Inwood racing canoe club the Hudson here is a great river almost two miles wide and canoeing is only safe to the expert [Music] the day lineside wheeler glorifies the name of Robert Fulton inventor of the world's first steamboat which had his trial run right here on the Hudson this little Swiss Family Robinson isn't the least bit shipwrecked and the adventure is just a Sunday outing especially for the little lady in the bow New York City's only Hudson span is the giant $75,000,000 George Washington Bridge connecting Upper Manhattan with New Jersey suburb motor traffic going up the Hudson Valley searched the river on the Westside Highway here's the rivers top speedboat classic the Harwood Trophy race around Manhattan Island 28 nautical miles of green madness in less than 28 minutes in left side started in 1912 this is one of America's oldest motor boat races with vary classifications for runabout speedboats and hydroplanes dodging traffic and driftwood is a sporting thrill there comes or there goes popular Guy Lombardo piloting this tempo each craft races against time so well let them class and proceed down our marine highway to view lower Manhattan from the Jersey pier car goes from the world ports enter our famous River at this point Miss Liberty welcomes the arrival and bids farewell to more ships and more tonnage and enters any other port in the world poking her nose downstream for her shuttle race across the Atlantic is the mighty Queen Elizabeth queen of the super liners largest ship in the world spurn about the glimpse the batteries famous skyline visual American trademark ogress 300 miles from where we started our downstream highway goes to sea [Music]