VALENTINE'S MANUAL
Ambrose Channel

George F. Shrady

When the weary transatlantic traveler hears the lynx-
eyed lookout cry, "Ambrose Light abeam, sir 1" he begins
to realize that he is near his journey's end.

"Ambrose Light" marks the entrance to the great
Channel leading from the trackless deep of the Atlantic
Ocean to the harbor of New York City. While "Am¬
brose Light" and "Ambrose Channel" may suggest home
to the incoming traveler, it is a question whether he
could tell how this waterway and the sturdy little light¬
ship, bobbing about on the waves "outside," came by
their names.

We are Hving in a busy age, amidst never-ending and
kaleidoscopic changes, when the happenings of to-day
may be forgotten by to-morrow.

Not a few of our better-informed citizens may recall
however, that "Ambrose Channel" was named by Con¬
gress in honor of the late John Wolfe Ambrose of New
York City, who devoted the last eighteen years of his
life to securing Federal appropriations amounting to
$8,000,000 for the improvement of New York harbor,
so that vessels of the largest size and deepest draft might
be accommodated at its wharves.

Mr. Ambrose was born January 10th, 1838, at New
Castle, near the city of Limerick, Ireland. He came
to the United States with his parents as a young child,
and, although obliged to earn his living at an early
age, he prepared himself for college by studying far
into the nights, after days of strenuous toil and fa¬
tigue.   He finally entered New York University, later

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