New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-08
WOOD. STONE, OR IRON PIERS,
To dc Editor Of TAs n. Y. Ty'3s"<.

/ To nt Edifcr ~ TAG n r. I'SS"e-
s,R The subject Of stone piers for this city snow AZ
tracing good deal Of attention, and Comni"ee Oh
the Common Council have under consideration prop
ositisn to inquire into the expectancy Oh reporting
an ordinance providing for the construction Oh ne
wharves and piers Of the city, Of stone IN lieu OF WOOD
Aso the expediency Of making application 70 the Leg
satore Of the State at it's present session. ior authof
ty to fund debt for the purpose OF paying ior inc e0
sruction of such stone wbarves and piers, Iouna W
| be necessary or advantageous"
The presen. mode of building piers h very SIMPLE
long box or crib s placed over the spot Where the
pierhead is TO be- and is kept in position by upng'
poes driven down the four corners stones are 'neh
thrown in and en- fast as il settles the sides OF the co
are built up until il is settled firmly on the bottom OF
the river These cribs are sunk at about l0o yards
dis,snee from each other and bridge built from one
TO tie other Piles are driven down, floor Is LAID ana
shesthed with yellow pine, and the ruoorlng-Poss
erected which comprehensive pier. The nsrro~ness :"
our piers is one great defect Were they twenty feet
wider, It ia believed that nearly one-hah moro WORK
| could be done on them in given time.
Az far az this port is concerned, the subject OF stone
pies is one comparatively new and little understood.
| Even among men whose opportunities would seem
to give them the best for forming correct Judg
ment in the premises, diverse opinions prevail IN re
card 10 the advantages to be attained by this radical
change. We proesed to give some OF the reasons pro
| and con.
On the one hide ii 10 said that while wood piers are
good when new, they soonbegD TO bulge out and need
| repairing. The custom has been when the end OF
ri-r has become dlapidated and unfit for nse TO build
out in front Of it, instead Of tearing it up and building
new one altogether. But in the lower portion OF tne
city this plan cannot be any longer adopted, the harbor
| line preventing further extension.
Some PIERS nearly new, up town, must be rebuilt.
At the foot of Thirty fourth wharf built three
or four years ago by the city Is sunken and warped
that the tide hows over IT. the pier at the foot Of Fifth
street has cayed in; and ut Twenrytbrd street, E. r.,
and Forty seventh street n. r. the condition ID about
| No bad There must, therefore, soon be an entire
reconstruction Of many piers Shall they be OF
wood or Stone The question of durability il OF
| more consequence than it might at first seem aud
though for hundred years the expense OF stone piers
shoud be much greater than that Of rebuilding wooden
pjers several times over still the time thus LOST
in rebuilding the latter would be great draw back in
an economic point Of view. The facilities for the use
If cranes would be greatly increased and ladpg and
unloading Of vessels would be expedited thereby And
"A in the busest season tho wbarves have ore than
they can do-ubis in fact controlling TO great extent
the cost Of doing busness here, vessels sometimes
waiting several Gay for IA berthit follows that what
ever viii increa,e business facilities will increase the
AL cunt of business done Waiting for berth 10 par
tcuary onerous on foreign yerses which cannot die
charge their crews. Delay, also, often makes great
difference m the profits Of merchants to whom wares
are consigned, as foroiby illustrated in the fact that
they often ray employ the Customouse 70 work
over time IN oreer TO get th,ir goods away.
IL In also claimed tha, even though the proposed
change should increa,e the rates Of wharfage, it
would be more than sounierbalanced by the advantages
re,nl,ing from the erection Of warehouses ON the
wlary.s; snd no doubt these would prove of great
value for certain staples. grain tobacco, &c. In
sanitary view il IL said that the rotten wood OF old
piers and the 9th that has tendency TO accumulate
about them, furnish no recommendations plan for
stone pierr, with basins underneath to receive the
contents of sewers with facilities for boats 20 under
near the bulkbesd, and clean them out has been pro-
ieered, which We nay refer to more specifically as
another time Another an is for the to empty
at the END Of ,be pier- that the tide may carry OF
tie ooatents thur discharged Wooden locks for canals
once had strong rdvocatss and the objection urged
.gaint stone pers that the shock Of oo,sofs would
.,raiu and rurr the boats is proved to be unfounde
In reply to the frequent alusiJD 10 the docks Of Liv
errr oil and London by the champions Of stone piers II
ia answered that properly speaking, there are few
ers belonging to either Of tboee cities, the circum-
stance. Of the Gaze preventing their construction. There
the tide has me Of more than 20 feet and when it Is
full pe 20 in at the gates Of the basin, and when the
TIDE turns The gates ar closed ese the ships would be
left completely high and dry. While there, the great
| L.. 4 h,b
building basins instead Of PIERS the recedipg OF the
wafer during PORTION of the twenty -four hours gives
facilities for mnson work erred in this city from
The comparatively email tidal changes experiencsd-
from four 10 SIX feet The foundations therefore, for
piers in this city would have be laid under WATER
neoesststing the employment Of diving bells and Golfer
dams.
Tie piers are at present constructed Of open crib
work, with ample sluiceways between, designed to
give free play " the swift current. Were this
tidal wash prevented as at Coentes slip the riass OF
nth collected IL enormous and It's putridhy most ofen-
ave. II Is seriously alleged that with stone PIERS the
sms dangerous deposits would take place in every
dock in the city.
A " the cost Of stone piers compared with wood fis
stated that the interest the outlay FOR the former
woald renew our wooden piers every hye yearr.
Take Pier No. 4, North River Probably II ia GOO
feet long Il il built OF wood with bukheads up
With rtone. II 10 always dry. Water now soahs
through, which Il would not do In the stone
structure. and valuable merchandise Is always
dry and safe upon IL. The cost Of such q pier
10 from $2 900 to eco 0 aud il is calculated TO last
from 25 to 30 years It pays taIeseven at tie present
exorOitant rate-teeps the pier in repair aud leaves
good per cent neres, on the investment Upon dock