The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-31
on R DOCK
General McClellan's Report
ON the New System.
Tho System Compared With Those Of London
and Liverpool-rhe Advantages Of Our
Harbor-The New Sea WALL
Tho Cost Of the Work.

The long expected and much sought for report Of
General Mcclellan, Engineer.in-Chief to the Board
of Docks, Will be found below. General Mcclellan,
It will be seen, transmitted his report on the Goth
ult The report was embodied in the report Of the
Department to the Mayor and Will form portion Of
the message of the Mayor to the city councils
DEPARTMENT OF DOCKS, ENGINEER's BUREAU,
NEW YORK, April 90 1871. !
TO THE HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS OF DOCKS
GENTLEMEN-The system OF construction best
adapted to facilitate the rapid and economical hand
ing loading and unloading OF vessels and the
transportation OF f;elght and passengers TO and
from the immediate water front, In any particular
narbor, wil depend upon the nature OF that harbor
and extent OF the commerce to be accommo-
dated. For well sheltered port, where the water
where the bottom shelves rapidly and the daily var-
atoms OF the tide arc not great the simplest and
most appropriate form OF construction Is quay or
river wall, so located that the largest vessels can
hOat alongside Of 1t at extreme low water. Where
the bottom shelves very gradually 1t becomes
necessary to extend piers SO far out that the
water near the ends win be deep enough to
nOat vessels. Piels are also necessary IN cases
where, even when the water deepens very rapidly,
along comparatively limited water front, as well
as when II Is desirable to afford protection against
q rapid current, floating ice, &C In cases where
the rise and fall OF the tide Is very great and where
the water front Is limited in extent, large COM
merce can be advantageOusly accommodated only
BY some such system as tine wet or tidal docks so
extensively used in europe, and Of which the docks
lin arranging system for the city OF New York
1t Is proper to examine the systems that have been
e ye
pool and London constructed by such distin-
gushed engineers as Rennie, Telford, Hartley and
others, accommodate the largest commerce or the
world, and therefore naturally suggest themselves
IS III subjects OF comparison with our own pro-
posed system. such q comparison will point out
the extraordinary advantages which the hydro
graphy or the port OF New York affords for the pur
poses OF commerce and navigation, and will at the
wharf facilities can be obtained In this city by
much more simple and far less expensive system
than that which has been 80 greatly admired In the
cases OF Liverpool and London.
THE DOCKS AND PIERS OF LIVERPOOL.
Liverpool Is situated just within the mouth OF the
river Mersey, deep and navigable stream, which
has, opposite the city, an average width OF about
$500 feet and a depth varying nom u to 90 feet
IL 60 SO feet. The river wall within which
the docks are located, occupies about five miles
variations In the tide render it impossible Nto
load and unload vessels advantageously abreast
OF ordinary quays or piers IN the Mersey; the some
what exposed anchorage too limited for the great
number Of vessels that frequent the port. and
large enough, the heavy expense and DELAYS OF the
lighters have been found uncomfortable by com.
merce. There is, then, but one system appli-
docks, with entrance gates. This system
has been admirably carried out In Liverpool.
at TINS time attained colossal proportions. Omitting
the Brkenhead docks and other additions since
1854, they cover go acres obtained from the shore
OF the Mersey between high ana low water marks;
the river wall projects from 500 to 1900 feet beyond
the original shore line; the length OF quay frontage
within the docks is Ia miles ana lie yards the docks
are bounded on the river side by wall 80 to SO feet
nigh, with an aggregate length OF nearly five miles.
landing sheds.
Tne Time FOR entering and departing from these
docks Is limited to from ~ TO hours each tide, and
as the sls OF the docks are above low water there
are more than 100 days In the year when vessels
drawing Is feet cannot enter them, and many days
yhnnn NV fnnf hn rrtnl
OF difficulty is experienced in keeping these docks
free from mud and SILT
THE DOCKS AND PIERS OF LONDON
The port OF London may be said TO be confined
within that portion OF the Thames which extends
from London Bridge rig to the lover ~, end o. Bugsoys
about LILO feet In Width at nigh water, ana almost
S!l fet at low water leaving fraction over 10 feet
feet, the neaps from Is TO 10 feet. Considerations
similar those winch determine the dock system Of
the port OF London In the latter case, as in the
former, the insufficient river front and anchorage
ground, the great daily variations OF the tide, the
necessity providing for the cheap and rapid hand
ling OF freight have led the able engineers to whom
the problem hos been entrusted, to construct en-
closed wet docks, similar In principle to those OF
Liverpool, but differing In some details OF construc
tone g., as q rule, the London docks are sur
rounded by extensive warehouses, the Sills Of the
gates below the water mark, and the docks have
been excavated inside the shore line.
NATURAL ADVANTAGES OF NEW YORK HARBOR.
Having briefly called attention to the hydro
graphical features and the dock constructions pecu
liar 70 the ports OF Liverpool and IL, London VIII
vantages OF the port Of New York and the general
character Of the system best calculated to develop
these advantages az the least cost Uf time and
money. The city OF New York, perhaps unrivalled
In It's position as great commercial mart, IS
situated upon island formed by three rivers. or
these, the Hudson Is tchef In volume and extent
This river washes thirteen miles OF the shore line OF
made available for the use OF vessels OF the largest
class 1t Is navgabIe for $50 miles above the city,
and by its connecting canals affords water commu.
Uyifh Ia n mr. fha nhotn NJ
the great lakes. Through the upper and lower bays
the Hudson communicates directly with theo cean,
affording q safe. and convenient passage to the
largest ocean steamers as well az to the smaller
COaSting vessels.
YET affords a river frontage OF Ga miles. most OF
which can be made available for the largest ves-
sells; gives agood communcatlon from the Hud-
son to Long Island Sound, and through the latter
brings New York into close communication with
the manufacturing States OF New England, while 1t
The Harlem river would alone, in many parts OF the
world, be regarded SUFFICIENT IN itself for the
qurements OF q respectable commerce. 1t gives AK
miles Of good water front to the city, and presents
the means OF obtaining at reasonable cost, sec
onu ana convenient cnannel vi communicaIlon TOT
son and Long Island Sound.
The area OF the portions OF the Hudson and East
rivers immediately opposite New York, available
for anchorage, amounts to 1917 square miles, and
this area is perfectly SAFE never being rendered
or New YORK presents an available area OF n square
miles OF perfectly safe anchorage. The lower bay
total available water 'front.' OF the city is OAK
miles, The average rise and fall Of the tide
along our water front Is 3-lo feet twin thus be
seen that, emitting, as foreign TO the immediate
purpose OF this report, the great commercial facili
ties OF Brooklyn anu the Jersey shore, localities
which are however, indissolubly connected In In
terest with New York, ana between which and this
city no rvalries ought ever to exist, New York pos
eosses advantages which need only be developed TO
enable IL to accommodate all the commerce that the
future can concentrate here.
II requires no demonstration to prove that CON-
merce Is the very likelihood OF New York. affecting
not only the classes directly engaged IN IT, put all
Others of the population well 10 is evident that
anv money judciousy expended In creating facilities
which Will cheaper, expedite and render secure
the work OF loading and unloading vessels VIII be
well expended, and Will yield such abundant returns
In the general prosperity OF the community as 10
render IL wise to reduce the charges upon CON-
merce, at least to the lowest point compatible with
paying the Interest upon the cost OF the necessary
improvements on the water front and making good
inevitable deterioration. In commercial mart
like TINS, all port and dock charges OF whatever ma
ture upon shipping should be reduced 10 a mini
num- The pre-eIninent advantages OF such port