The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-10
NEW HERALD MONDAY OCTOBER TO- 1s7u-TR1PLE SHEET

should be Of the most substantial character possible
IL III 10 be laid either piles, hlled between with
cement, or upon cement foundation laid upon tho
bed OF the stream after being excayated TO hard
pan
IRON PILES
Between tho pierhead aud bulkhead It Is proposed
to sink hollow iron piles by the pneumatic process
constructed OF cylindrical sections forced down TO
an unyielding foundation and filled with concrete.
The use OF iron columns for such purposes has
been extensively practised In Europe with complete
success They have the peculiar merit Of giving tho
greatest amount OF strength with the least amount
OF water displacement. Their form secures an I'M
interrupted now OF tides and currents. They ere
economical. possess stability and durability.
would have almost the same effect ns solid construc-
tons, since the s0its or the arches would necessa
my DC below low water, unless the piers were made
very close together, which In the aggregate would
take up an enormous amount Of water.
the piles are to be IL parallel rows and at the
Of the iron Orders which receive the flooring. Tho
pies 10 be thoroughly braced and counter braced,
and In every way 70 be made nrm and substantial.
Iron columns resting on the piers viii support q
second noorlng and railway track. with gu arched
truss roof over covered with corrugated iron.
use OF derrcks are at the sides OF the structure;
ana the railway 10 to he connected by means OF turn
tables. with longitudinal railway extending over
and along the entire bulkhead.
The p,erhead aud the entire pier are sheeted with
hard wood and the mornings are OF the same ma
terisl.
The longitudinal railway along The bulkhead line
furnishes necessary means VI facilitating CONNER
the entire sysem r. sso proyde sa
which has been felt fo. very many years. and
becomes more and more apparent. The peculiarly
BILE extension In every directioa excepting TO the
north and It's Topography defines positively all its
ton almost precIudes the adoption q any plan
which may have been executed IN any Oi
ARR lv.tf0 nf tho In, tpn of,y
OF London for instance there ten main lines OF
railway converging towards the centre OF the me-
them are elevated ana one is underground. But
London hes IN oasn and its geological formation
Is vast clay deposit, while new York lies on a
ridge or upturned primitive rock. London divorces
from centre, while New York extends In a lateral
direction. Hence the great dlticnty IN carrying
out Ia New York system OF communication adapted
TO London. The same comparison viii apply 10
Paris ANY line OF communication selected through
New York, whether underground, elevated, or on
the surface, must Interfere, in some way, with the
property or with the streets, already too limited In
their capacity for the purposes OF trade
A line or communication liz found along which
rapid transit can be established which win not take
away or destroy any available property; which wtl
not Interfere with other means Of loconoton or with
any commercial facilities, AMI which can be operated
with an everreliable and positive power capable OF
removing an unlimited nunber OF passengers at any
moment and at ali hours while offering no engineer.
ing obstacles TO It's construction.
The bulkhead being elevated just dve feet ABOVE
high-water mark establishes the grade Of the rail-
way at nearly perfect level The most important
question In all railway construction Is thus
admirably met The track beng elevated to
SUFFICIENT height 10 admit OF the necessary
buildings used for shipping, ferry or commerciaI
purposes along the pier, the snly possible inter-
ference with property or business IN obvlated. At
the same time, by simple ard obvious combine
ton OF the railway and all such ereettons uniform
1ty OF design ana an architectural completeness,
most desirable In Itself, wi be secured.
| There is no limit to the means OF Transporting
! passengers, and hundreds OF thousands can daily
| known.
II 1t is objected that the line OF tho road IL at dis.
lance from the centre OF the island, and therefore
1nconvenient let 10 be remembered that tho present
location OF the greater proportion OF the population
Of the city is due to tho facilities Of communication
the bulk Of the population would eventually be dis
| trlbuted In proximity to this line.
very important feature IN connection with the
general system proposed, here develops ITSELF There
Is necessity for the use OF large amount OF power
Tor the several purposes OF locomoton for the load
ing and unloading OF vessels and for The discharge
OF the sewerage matter from the low level sewer.
1t Is perfectly feasible TO cause the power be
adapted to all these purposes at once. Whetb 81
tnat power be steam, pneumatic or hydraulic, IL
be readily arranged SO as TO discharge ali these
separate functions at the same time, and thereby
| tage OF which cannot be overestimated.
THE Low LEVEL SEWER.
| Al the nrst glance this proposed construction may
| not seem germane to the duties OF the Depar men
OF Docks. yet 1t forms part and parcel OF the I'm
proyemeat OF the water front and Is inseparabl
connected with 1t. The future health and prosperit
Of New York require this construction. II may b
assumed that TO defective drainage and sewerag
may be attributed most Of the sanitary evils iroI
which the city OF New York SUFFERS we fin
that Of the II 600 acres comprising the super
nciai area OF me city. representing 5000
building lots Is by reason Of the presence In create
| or less Quantities of wafer IN the soil rendere
| for commercial purposes. Yet attempt has eve
| been made to establish a system OF drainage b,
yss eVe HS er
| condition Of $500. 600, can be made suitable
places for residences or Warehouses;. The sewerage
system, imperfect IN Itself, has effect whatever
| upon the drainage
There are many localities where cofrer-dams and
pumps absolutely necessary enable the builders
| to secure proper foundation for the structures
| about to be erected. In previous report upon
the topography and photography of New York
| where the accumulation OF moisture In the
soil from springs and other sources Is
companyng that report the various lines OF sewers
| together with the elevations indicating the estao-
lished grades OF the streets are represented show
ing that nom the ani-clinal axis OF the island the
sewerage descends to the North ana East rivers be-
Ing conveyed directly into those rivers pollutmg
the waters, taintlng the arr creating deposits Of
solid matter the wharves and PIERS and in every
| way fruitful source Of the very evils which their
construction was intended 70 remedy; not the least
OF which ID the foul air, which at low tide and In
| certain directions Of the wind s forced into the
dwellings and more especially Ieit in the chambers
| be found IN the construction along the ex.
ror OF the city OF 'the low lying sewersn which
would receive the contents OF the lateral sewers
conveying them to points where they could be
discharged at ebb tide or transferred to properly
constructed vessels and transported valuable fer
tlizing materials to lands lying waste in close
proximity TO the city. Thus great and positive
| good would be accomplished, the benent OF which
TO the commercial interests alone would be immense
wDne, as sanitary measure and more particularly
as means or thorough drainage, the results will be
| incalculable.
These sewers, lying below the lowest substratum
OF water deposits, would enectually remove all
traces OF moisture from those sections when have
been for 80 many years the residential spots OF the
city.
II the method OF construction adopted should be
That OF coner-dams outside or the bulkncad
lines, the c0frer.dams, by being made per-
nanent In their characfer would srrxe