New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-02-10
OUR PIERS AND wHARvEs.
Repor, Of Committee Of the ChapIoer Of
Cemmerce-The New-HoIh Pier and
whatehouse Company.


Commerce was held on Thursday afternoon at the
Rooms Of the Chamber, corner Of William and CEDAR
ats for the purpose Of hearing the report OF commit
tee appointed at the request Of the Commissioners oi
the Sinking Fund Of the city plan for constructing
Docks Piers aid Wharves. The meeting was very
small. barely quorum being present Ar' Jonha'ns'
Sturgis occupied the Char.
The Committee consisted Of three gentlemen and was
Amounted under the following resolution adopted by
the Commissioners OF the Sinking fund Oh Tue ~''n
December, 1865: Ill. n
Re,ord That the Mayor Controller and Chamber ain io
the time being be Committee 70 ascertain VIA. '
present leased rented their value ioT purposes %
lease and confer with any committee that may oe
pointed by the Cbsub Of Commerce IN reference 70 Va
feet (of their sale lease 10 the New ork fieI aug
Tnent of pTs ana 20 prepare and submit the approval
the Commissioner OF the sinking Fuhu, .o rs 20 said
should determined 10 grant lease Of any piers W
Warehouse Company. -, e.. ,bo.
The report opens with statement OF me iaS1 rH
three-fourths OF the whole commerce OF the COUNT
transacted in this city aud OF the mp0rtv;e %
subject involved in the resolution OF the
II then saws the present wharf and dock
are NOT only announcement and Inadequate but danger
and DISGRACE and that commercial convenience NOT
only requires utter change IN the SYSTEM pu. ~ -
imperatiye!y demanded for the protection OF he %
and the health and advancement OF the CITY, Inc
Committee then proceeds TO give the following reasons
The ipresent wooden piers the only dock facilities we
have projecting the shore into the waterway are mere
primitive aud temporary contrivances. They utterly mn
soyered-except in a lew instances where permission mas
been granted by State Legislature to private inaVuu
10 erect weather sheds them-snd must remain So
cause not only the law of the forbds the erection OF
any structures them but they are TOO "eAA ~ onr
any The result therefore h that the vast commerce o. ~
city consisting Of than three-iourtbs OF he eo
Of the whole country T. transacted upon ,c,ia 70 msr
and uncovered piers, which Hhor1 no r., ~;
ehandise nom sun frost, storm and THEFT FROM ths
6o, s nF.ep ,ysen and the Inconvenience
greatly aggravated by the fact that all warehouses; uo %
.ns rom the shipping aud all the OF the port
d subjected TO unnecessary and expensive ca'Sge anu IA
An the Results Of the business which fol
bow from locating warehouses distance from the shipping
spcuousy here in respect carriage demurraee pr
age insurance brokerage sale delivery customs nsPeon
warehousng shipment bonding system, smuggling Pund'f
ing and exposure to the weather. . .,.
BY reason of the present system constitute heavy and se
os charge upon the Of the country which Is porne
BY the consumer and producer. -, 49,
Intervals the shores Of island operate as partial
water in the slips they form and WHICH the
cles 9th surface drainage and sewerage OF the city Iest
cuen deposits consisting decayed animal and vegetable
matter including from the prvy and garbage from
streets which thus empted into the saltwater Of the
slips, and there remain IN ENORMOUS youme hng tDem w
and poisoning tie atmosphere Thus our city grded with
The remedy for the Inconvenience dangers end dsgsces
Of the oonIvsnces in as recommended by the
EewYoTk Pier and Warehouse Company which was moor
porsted last Winter by the Legislature The plan Is thus
proposed TO support the piers upon iron tubular co.
smn filled In with concrete or masonry to the ped OF the
The columns, varying from p to6 feet in diPnete5 and
according 10 the depth OF the TED
Of the and the weight each be. TO support VIII permit
The warehouses be erected upon the piers thus sup
ported proposed be fyestoes high The hrststoy to
unncosed and consist of the floor top Of the pier
which is to provided with csrlways and to be used as
public wharf pier for the discharge OF such are 70
tneo.ed and provided with hoistways elevators where
goods stored Each Of the warehouses is to be pro
sded with engines with which to hoist merchandise
directly from the vessel 10 either the ncof"d stories
warehouse and Which will also serve the purpose Of
Gre engine to protect me structure the shipping IN the haloor
and the dacent buildings BY means OF this machinery aud
disposition Of cargoes vessels be discharged in much
le time and thus the heavy losses by demuHsse now sus
sined greatly diminished
The advantages to be derived from this system and
the arguments in favor Of its adoption, are;
That the vast and constantly growing commerce Of the
City demands large increase in the facilities Of doing s
H. That such increased faciite. ought TO be under the
control of the City authorities rather than those Of the state
Ill Tbs. 1t be dcul. for tie City, with e present
hnrdens responsibilities to meet those facilities 20 the
extent demanded and that therefore private enterprise
~ht 70 be invited undertake it. subject to the City control
Nv The plan proposed by the York Pier and We're
house Company combine all these advantages in this
way: BY erecting warehouses the piers thus greatly in
cresing warehouse room saving great expense Of carriage
This will addition Of much building room which L
not bear the Weight Of warehouses. existing
bd' b1t that company from erecting any buding. %
She piers 2 BY hyng the same done without expense Z
the City. By the Citys acquiring and retaining suitable
sosns the land now belong. to the State and not to the City
v. That plan has these additional advantages:
The de fR Re Which
drainage deposit in the slips and which cost the
city thousands Of dollars annually to remove.
T. Thus improve the he Rthiulness OF the city.
3 will centTaze business and thus reduce the expense
It viii time, which now, by demuIrsge and delsy',
s il viii lessen the crowd n the streets
g. Il win prevent pundeIng and smuggin
= IL will exposure 10 the weather and tho expense o.
g. Ii viii protect from fire and diminish the rates Of insur.
as the warehouses and the supports to the piers are iron
ard stone.
1t will tend prevent extensive coBfser among the
shipping and adjacent buildings
10 II will increase the facilities Of the bonding system.
H. IL will facilitate the sndng end transit pment Of goods
H. And tbGs tend 70 increase the aihc canals and rail
tosds.
II will augment the national revenue by protecting
euSbe goods from damage and loss by fire. exposure theft
before taken out Of bond.
In view Of these facts we came TO the conclusion,
and in that conclusion the Committee Of the Commits
oners Of the Sinking Fund concurred that piers and
slips ought TO be granted 10 the Pier and Warehouse
Company TO test their system provided said Compan
pensaon TO be determined by estimate of the rental
said premises would command at public auction.
The report closes with the following:
ResoTef, That It is the OF this Committee that the
and besthulness Of the city the preservation
Of harboT hnperatively demand the establishment
proper system Of docks and structures
Re,Ored That experience has shown that the city
authorities have utterly failed do their duty toward the city
and its commercial Interests in this particular End that private
enterprise and capital should be invited provide the
D0dations for commerce.
esoIsed That ia judgment Of this Committee the plan
OF dock structures proposed by the New York Pier and Ware
house Company Ut being the only presented u
system.
The consideration of the report was postponed until
be next regular meeting Of the Chamber.
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