New-York tribune., 1867-07-31
HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS IN BROOKLYN
And NEW-JERSEY. sr-o r.--.

IRON Dixie PROJECT IN NEw-JERsEY. IS q
At the last session OF the Legislature Com
missoners appointed TO conduct the work of widen
ing and deeping the Gowanus canal situated In South
Brooklyn and to make 1t accessible for vessels Of II feet
draft, and for various important commercial purposes
Prior to tho action taken by tho Legislature this oanai
Of little value, because private enterprise would not
combine to insure its complete improvement and be-
capitalists did not TO fully realize the great
advantage its character AN inlet for vessels TO the
ton Now the work Of widening and deepening tho canal
and providing it with extensive and substantial doCs
Is coRpeted and the rest viii be pushed forward as rap
idly possible. AS fast as the mainline work s ex-
tended the owners of property each side viii add i'm
portant costly improy Of their own thereby
swelling the whole work TO proportions OF masn
tide These prOpertyowners have taken steps 10
reclaim th9 swamps and use al the s low snss
that situated IN that unsy nteaa
angles the main equal 70 IL In Wldtn ana oeptn
and terminating In largo basins between ,nese csns
be erected They Will receive all KINDS oi nerchan
disc, will be constructed OF iron ana stSne, n
the most substantial manner, ana DO bonded
The mover in the private improvements e Edwin
q. Ltchheld, esq., whose intention Is 70 erect ,wS o.
proceed with others. handsome boulevard extooong
nocadameed ard shaded with trees on each side A
the present me lots 25xlOO located from three 70 fouf
Across the water in the State OF NewJersey, en-
gneer has taken all the levels OF the Newark headows
and made other observations which necessary pre-
minary 10 reclalmng those lands for agricultural and
other purposes This Improvement has something to do
docks and warehouses will be erected there, and consd
cradle business transacted on the Hackensack which
carried at and In the ne9hborhood OF Jersey CITY,
THE TRIBUNE has already noted some Of these pro.
ected improvements upon the Jersey Coast The value
and bordering on the Passao and Rivers w
II is estimated be worth $500 100000 when reclaimed st
sgaEoSt IN 5 and 1855 on the Newark Meadows is about
the only o large scale which has heretofore been
nds Ia sIseS sS IL be- the mpc attempts in Salem and
adjoining counties along the tributaries OF the Deaware
His attempt though futile settled the fact tha tho
Newark marshes could be reclaimed, Perhaps many
Of the readers Of THE % san e sro s az
these lands It Is said by those who were engaged
In the cultivation Of this nursery TN Iaat " tSs & e lev
the best In the United States that there were millions
SS seT sSS sdom O % ySn on the longest
OF transportation from which was Inferred that the
grown gave % them more @ than ordinary visor and
vitality. But this Improvement was OF snov
menced TO gain upon their works. when cultivation be-
came useless, and was finally abandoned The cause Of
would efectuay resist the attacks of "borers" has
lately been calculated that with an iron dixie these ands
The company which Is to reclaim them has over eight
miles OF front its own property The manner IN
hese plates are cast thin and sharp at the bottom
edge the metal will run. and by means CT screw
point OF lowest watermark. They FIVE, ten, and
twelve feet long aud onequarter or one-ha inch thick
very highest and the lowest waternarks OF the tdes
The plates Joined together In such manner as VIII
prevent the ends from passing each other, as In noet
cases the earth ITSELF being forced into the joints. win
make them tight This series of plates forced down OF
placed into the earth in this manner forms wall that
impervious 10 water, and an impossible barrier TO all
aud deep ditch inside inland FROM this iron forms
sufficient embannent TO cover that portion Of tho tro
remaining above the natural surface Of the land"
conception OF the value OF these marsh lands in an
improved state. can be had when their connercia IA
cties are taken into consideration The four impoitant
railroads that this marsh the Morris and Ls-
sex, which some time since sold to the Atlantic
and Great Western Railway Company, ana 70 DC usea
as continuation OF and outlet for the business OF their
Western line: the Eew-Jersey Central, connecting
with all the Western and South Western railroads ths
Phadelphis) Railroad. and the Erie Railroad. Those
roads together with their connections and branches pas
through aud perform the land OF nearly all the
produce tho entire south western portion OF the ooun
aud the direct West They bring annually to the city OF
NewYork fully Oi the prOducts OF the couh
that brough by railroad. "a.
The following estimate has been formed or the pronn
will be realized In the reclamation OF the 5000 acrs
of marsh land:
Cost Of entire tract at rate of 500 per soom
Cost Of iron plates for miles OF dke as per estl-
Cost OF constructing the dixie and large ditch CON-
plete. lo'c.
Cost Of pumping surface drainage &C. @c@
Total cost OF land after being reclaimed $3.50
When this tract OF Is fully and permanently
reclaimed II win probably command ready sale st n
less than $500 per acre, and some well located ios VII
price at $500 Dor acre. tho total amount OF sales would
III deduct total cost S3sS $50 showing net PIoas
OF ST. 100. Gen. Egbert L. Fiele - the Eng1neoIw
chief of the work he receives the rep0rt
the engineer who made the surveys the WorA Oh efeos
tho dixie will commence