New-York tribune., 1871-05-30

4 IIIhOr.
mercc and regarding this as the most important point
TO be determined before commencing any work of CON
struCon obtained your permission % avail myself OF
the services Gen A. A. Humphreys, Chief Of Engineers
T. g. A.. consulting engineer 10 assist me in the de-
Termination of this vital question selected Gen. Hum
phreys account of the weigh, attached TO his reputa
on nriver and harbor engineering, and also for the
reason that his position renders hun entirely disinler
escd in the matter The question of the location Of the
river wall and pier head lines of the new arrangement
and myself I'm view of It's effects upon the harbor "
have acted with all the light afforded by the data IN 'e m
possession of the United States Coast Survey rs ~ W. Sr
much new and useful information obtained by the SUI
veying parties Of this department.
NEW RIVER WALL.
We find that the proposed location nowhere Io,
duces the section Of the river to an area ~ Guy
approaching those Of the controlling sections .. Wv
rivers so that the new location will not nniiii' III "
appreeable degree the amount OF the uuai wave no'
consequently the securing effect OF 'ho row"
an entirely different condition OF 'hlnsS nun 'o
BILE results of various proposeaa a CresT Hook on the
Tast River and between Eleventh ana g n sts, t
North River nc 'beeyed that the proposed river street
ga teef in width on the North River and on the i1ase
and thence 175 feet in width, VIII anOru
mIs facilities all future requirenents OF business
R , increase OF that width would materially en-
hance MnS the cost of construction.
ON the North River, from the Battery TO Eleyent-st
a., roposed pier head line has been thrown out so lar
s 10 give the piers the same general engh as tey
have in present arrangement the same rule s i9,
lowed in the lower part of the East River, carefully
avoiding obstruction TO navigation in the vicinity OF
Corlears Hook. on the North River above Eleventh
st. there are no piers proposed until Eigbteenthst is
reached where the piers begin again. and gradually IN
crease in length until Twenty hrd-st Is reached where
hey attain the length of 500 feet and preserve that
length as far sxyirstst., beyond which point the
arrangement has not yet been Ild uown. IN ny, no
will they be extended SO far as To interfere WIN
navigation. -
led to the conclusion that is not desirable to recommend
the construction Of longitudinal sewer adjacent TO INC
river but wherever sewer perces the WALL IL should %
be located that its outlet may be at or near the pier
head instead of at the foot Of The Slip The volume ana
currents of the North and East Rivers are so great th
with outlets on the picrhcads difficulty arise by
the pollution obstruction OF the rivers from the sewer
age matter hence the system 80 ably carried out III
Lnndon finds no application here, did the tOpO
graphy admit of its employment. -, -. -, -,
it is sufficient say that the proposed width of the river
street ai3rds ample space IUr In hne mon w
nothing be done toward the practical
such a railway until considerable portion OF the river
subject at present further than TO say that such road
can he easily built as to afford all desirable iaete M
for the handling and transportation OF frelght anu Me
transportation passengers whenever the proper time
PLAN OF CONSTRUCTION
With reference to the general sections and materials
for the bukhead walls, have, with your permission,
procured the aid OF Cen @ A. Gilmore, United states
Corps of Engineers as Consulting Engineer and, with
his cooperation have made very thorough examination
OF this most important subject The river wall should be
constructed of Beton and masonry or Of masonry alone
as may be best suited for each iocilg' en-, lnt
nature of the bottom along tne river n HUit
varies to such degree that ,npSstinns ipEstDls
applicable TO all cases Along those portions of the
averaee deph Of water should e 70 feet when possible
and the wall should rise about six ieet above mean
to ferry slips and the like none OF the new piers should
be less than GO feet wide except where some leca te @
requres it, There should be reasonable number ~ eeb
The dimensions of each pile, as well the character
of its construction must de decided in each particular
case by the purpose TO which Il TO I've applied ana thc
nature of the bottom II is proposed for instance, 10
t.lan ila
Specially adapted to the grain BUSINESS some OF Wlei
storehouses others for flour others again. in different
parts the waterfront for the coal brck ana uhDtr
business n, s.; DC IL Is aso sTta nnmber v Of piers a
he reserved for the general purposes OF commerce an
ne.sei He. for nnder the existing arrangements
merchants are often subjected TO great or ar.
of finding accommodations for transient vessels near
their warehouses Under the new arrangement seems
obvious that those concerned in the warehouse business
will nd IL most convenient and economical to locate
their buildings along the line of the river streets The
ton Of piers with supports such nature to offer
the least possible TO the water 81 he % wse
Serious defects of the existing ~ stem. H., 4. ,
have examined all the plans submitted 70 You Tor
consideration. The only information which these con,
tain are general ideae, which the projectors THINK Should
wbch Is matter involving the laborious surveys now
IN progress, depTves them OF pracca Vaue except ds
| suggestions loT u general SYSTEM
THE NEW SYSTEM IN BRIEF.
In brief the general system proposed is
First To construct permanent river wall OF Beton
and masonry of masonry alone, so far outside oil he
existing bukhead 10 give river street $50 feet VIDE
along the North River 200 feet wide on the East River
from the Battery to Thirty ana li6 ieet Wue
second To build piers projecting from the river wall
of ample dimensions adequate constructions and 50 ar
possible aording an unoDstTucted passage ior Inc
Third Whenever it is necessary to cover these piers
with substantial sheds, suitable To the requirements o
In carving into execution the proposed improvements
along the water front of NewYOrk, II obvious tha
they should be extended only as the Requirements Vi
commerce demand
THE PRESENT HARBoR FACILITIES.
The commerce of ewYork is now accommodated by
the following extent of wharf facilities viz:
North River from the Battery to sixy-frsst bulk
head with all aggregate length Of 23l63 feet, and an
aggregate length of piers of S229 feet with pier area
Fast River from and to Battery Fify-frsst 2e49i
feet of bulkhead. and an aggregate length OF piers OF
1879 feet, witha pier area OF 1l66i square ee
file bukhead and piers together give wharf line OF
i5O 2g3 feet or 2s5 miles, with pier area of 23266S
square feet BY wharf line Is meant all tat portion OF
portions of This wharf line are practically
less from insufficient depth OF water and other causes
FACILITIES OFFERED BY THE NEW PLAN
The proposed ARRANGEMENT of waterfront, including
the new river wall and far better disposition OF the
pers gives on the North River, from the Battery TO
sixty irstst river wall line of 25,14s fee aud pier
length of 81 500 feet with pier area of 3S26OO square
feet and on the East River from the Battery 10 flI
ST.
OF about 10000 square feet ~ =,
Thus in the proposed system, the piers and river wall
together will give wharf.-the OF about l95!ON 1eel or
abou 3 miles and the piers alone will have an area OF
about 5O5 square feet sufficient is safe TO say 70
accommodate a commerce vastly greater than tlat
which now finds it's way the water front Of
WHERE THE NEW System SHOULD BE FIRST APPLIED
1t would thus appear that, for very long time 10
come will necessary TO extend the new system over
portion only of the water front betweensixtyhst-st
North River, and Fntyfrstst East River Nearly ali
the commerce of New-YOrk is now located be
tween Grandst. on the East River, and the
foot of West Eleventh-st, the North River.