The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-15
,st may 20 or near tne pier mead instead Of = "a

Inc volume and currents of the Norh and Has1
Ilve!s are 20 great that with outlets at the pies
obstruction OF the rivers b. the sewage matter;
hence the system so ably carried our In London nnd
no appncauon mere. even did the topography admit
In regard to railway along the line OF the rivef
OF the river streets afford ample space or the con.
structlon OF any railway tiat NAV the future ba
the practical CONSTRUCTION OF such RAILWAY uni, i
considerable portion of the river wall Is completed
1t would be premature to discuss Inc subject at pre-
sent, further than 10 say that such road can
easily be butt to AFFORD all desirable aciitiea
for the handling ana transp raSon OF freight and
the transportation OF passengers whenever the proc
With reference to the general sections ana mate.
nas for the bulkhead walls have, with your per-
mission procured the AID OF General I. a. GmOrea
United stat Corps OF Engineers. as con sitting eng
gineer. aud with his cooperation nave made very
thorough examination OF this most lmportant
The river wall should DO constructed OF Bdton ana
masonry, or OF masonry alone as may be best
suited Tor each locality. The nature OF the bOttoR
Is impossible to make any pan OF wan or iounda3
lions applicable to all cases. .
Along those portions OF the river wall where piers
slips constructed the average depth Of wase
should be twenty iee.. When possible and WALL
W,,h r rs aoune SIX .ee anove neaa nlsn water
slips and tue Ike, none OF rue piers should 10
less nan SHY iess WIDE except wnen some special
Der elgnly feet and one hundred ieer wide.
Inc dimensions q each per Us weil as the cha
racter Ok lis construction. must be decided in each
particular case by the purpose To which 1t is 10 D0
applied, anu the nature OF me bottom. 1t y pros
posed, Tor instance to provide North river 81
proper number OF PIE specially aiapGei to the
grain business, some OF winch shall permit the erecs
ton OF suitable grain elevators and stvrcnOusos:
others lor -four; others again. In dnerent paris Of
the water front. for tie COAL orick AM umber bust.
ne s. &c.
1t ID also recommended that in every section OF
the wafer front suitable number or piers shall bg
reserved Tor the general purposes o. commerce, and
not confined to the Of parJi lines OF vesseSS
for unoer The existing arrangements merchants ara
often subjected to great difcu W and expense rom
the impOsslhiiity OF 1nling wnarf accUnmodauoM
Tor transient vessels near teir warehouses. Undef
concerned In The warehouse business viii find Il
most convenient and economical 70 locate Jneir
buildings along the line OF the RIVER streets
The general plaus to be adopted must involve the
construction OIL piers with supports OF naturd
The wide practical departure i.om TINS principie il
one OF the most serious defects OF the existing syH
tenn
have examined all the plans Submitted TO you for
consideration. Tne only information which these
contain are general IDEAS which inc protectors thin
tue ground. winch IS matter involving the lab0rfl
Gus SURVEYS now III progress, deprves them OF prac-
cal value, except as suggestions for Z neral syas
TEN.
ln brief. the general system proposed Isl
F7St-IO construct perna lent river wall Of
Beton and masonry or alone, 80 far outside OF tha
existing nulkhead as 70 give river street 25o feet
wide along the North rlvef. 200 eeJ vide on the
East river, nom the Battery 10 Thirty nrst street,
| and 175 feet VIDE north OF tnat polt
Ssc0nd-To build piers projecting from the river
wall, or ample dimensions, adequate constructlonj
and, so far possible, aliordiny al unobssruoted
passage for The water.
ih,sd-Wnenever it is necessary. 70 cover these
piers with snasantai sheds sultabc 10 the cequirel
| In carrying INTO execution the proposed improved
menGs along the water front Of sew aoik !. is OBJ
| quiremeBts Of commerce demand
The commerce OF New York Is now ccOnnOdateQ
by tiis following eAtent OF wnari flcii.ies; VIII
North river rom the Battery 20 SiXiY-Br street1
oulkhead with an agxreg te length OF % l33 eetS
aggregate length OF piers OF 81 299 feet WITH
MOI ~ nf 7.
East river. from tie battery TO FDty.first street2
&c l34 feet OF bugheaG, and aggregate leugth Of
piers Of 10 lo feet, with pier area or 1l6,6l4 square
Thus the buikhead and ters together give WHARF
line OF lou 23S feet or IS u mics, win pier area OF
2,3l,,e6s square ieet. ~ wnarf line ~ meant AIN
that portion OF tho river wall and p ers tnat vessels
can approach. CONSIDERABLE porssnnS OF ihis whar9
! line are practically useless from insufficient depth
| OF water and otner causes. The proposed arranged
wall ANA lar better disposition u the piers, glvess
tue North RIVER from the Battery To SILKY -hrse
length OF $3.50 feet. Win p.er area Of $4,000
square feet: and on the East river iron the BattcrN
ana per length Of about 500 teet, with pied
| area or about /. $4,000 square feet
Thus in the proposed system tho piers and rlvo1
wall together viii give wharf line about 1876 OO0
feet about thirty miles aud The ALONG
win have area Of about ST. 1900 square feet sucS
ioien 1t Is safe 10 say 10 accom- god ATE commerce.
vastly greater thar llat which now nnas Its Way To
the water 'front.' oi New Iofx. j
IL would thu, appear mat for very long time tQ
come II viii be necessary 10 extend the new SYSTEM
portion Ony oil Tue water tween sky
fsi street, Nortn RIVER, AMI FIiy-nrst 81 Get East
river.
Gated between Gr9nd street, "a the East river, ana
the loot o vest Eleventh street North riyerd
From tile insufficient breadth of inc ia OrltJ vi the
PIERS the lack o, width III the rive streets and the
conseqrent fculiy or access THIS quarter OF the
city is entirely too crowded. aad Impossible "a
transact ;C shipping business satisiact rlly an tnd
region where II X mo tnan PROBABLE that the
leavy gencra business OF he port must always be-
conducted. -
II II therefore evident that the new system shoul6
be rst appie'i TO ihis portion o. tic river irvnts IN
order 10 AFFORD reiier A. soon ~ Practicable.
The proposed arrangement VIII give. between
Grand street ana West Eleventh stree, wharf hno
OF "a 1890 mics greater IMAM the wnoc existing
quay line OF Liverpool, including nc CONSTRUCT
tons at Birsenhead, w.lcl amount Ii al 10 abOue
limits OF 20 s-Ioo miles, nom the superiority OG
the arrangement in che increased width OF the plerS
| sips ana rIver streets ano the greater uepth Of
! wpter making every loot available for use, VIII ac-
Coinmodate with ease much gre ater cornmercoi
The cost OF The proposed system between Grams
street and West Eleventh street viii be about a.
follows
$500 miles river wall At $780, 900 mile. slo
fiers ................. S'n"y
Total. xUsOWWV
or, per mile OF wharf line S95Ss7i.
In the above estimate for the cost OF the river wall
the fng Oh the river street Is included bns not the
paving
In the estimate for the piers provision has been
maize Tor lew INTO the construction Of whic1
masonry ami iron VIII enter, bat The great majority
10 he OF preserved wood, bnit IN the best man.
ner. and Jar Superior 10 thc existing systea. ING
question OF building piers or masonry Oi iron IS
amply one az cost, and they can ne applied any
where along tue river 'front.' Whenever 1t IS consid-
cred desirable to 10 80.
but the cost Of building permanent piers IL 50
great that have not thought ~ ADVISABLE to recOm'
mead their general use especially al a time wien
money IL OF snch great value ami when taxation fOc
all purposes IS 50 heavy Dlrden upon the commune
nifty.
Ihave no dOuht as to the immediate necessity OF
widening the river streets and building pcr!naaens
river wall recommended; but think IL sounU
policy content ourselves for the present With cons
STRUGGLING piers that VIII afford oil necessary facilii
ties In the way o. space, general arrangement an1
strength, but mostly oil cheap material leaving II
Tor her generations, rleher nan W. are TO replace
them by permanent structures whenever 1t becomes
proper to do 80.
Ii Is TO understood that the proposed locationa
anu dimensions oi the Peers are lialc to ne changed
when the question comes NJ for solution IN eacn
narfIcular Oasc a.. q nInr la1 do MI esEnlT feen