ATLANTIC

See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

CITY  , a city of Atlantic county, New Jersey, U.S.A., on the Atlantic Ocean, 58 m . S.E. of Philadelphia and 137 M . S. by W. of New York . Pop . (189o) 13,055; (1900) 27,838, of whom 6513 were of negro descent and 3189 were foreign-born; (1910 census) 46,15o . It is served by the Atlantic City (Philadelphia & Reading) and the West Jersey & Seashore (Pennsylvania system) railways . Atlantic City is the largest and most popular all-the-year-round resort in the United States, and has numerous fine hotels . The city extends for 3 M. along a low sandy island (Absecon Beach), 10 m. long by m. wide, separated from the mainland by a narrow strip of salt water and 4 or 5 M. of salt marshes, partly covered with water at highest storm tide . There are good bathing, boating, sailing, fishing and wild-fowl shooting . A " Board Walk " stretches along the beach for about 5 m.—the newest part of it is of concrete—and along or near this walk are the largest hotels, and numerous shops, and places of amusement; from the walk into the ocean extend several long piers . Other features of the place are the broad driveway (Atlantic Avenue) and an auto-mobile boulevard . There are several seaside sanitoriums and hospitals, including the Atlantic City hospital, the Mercer Memorial home, and the Children's Seashore home .

On the

north end of the beach is Absecon Lighthouse, 16o ft. high . The municipality owns the water-works . Oysters are dredged here and are shipped hence in large quantities . There was a settlement of fishermen on the island in the latter part of the 18th century . In 1852 a movement was made to develop it as a seaside resort for Philadelphia, and after the completion of the Camden & Atlantic City railway in 1854 the growth of the place was rapid . A heavy loss occurred by fire on the 3rd of April 1902 .