The New York herald., 1872-08-01


when business Of very important character was
transacted. The following commissioners were pres
ent:-The Mayor I'm the chair, Recorder Hackett,
Comptroller Green, Chamberlain Palmer and As
sistant Alderman Pinckney. There we're also In
attendance Dock Commissioners Agnew and Kane,
and General Mcclellan, Engineer to that Comms-
sion.
ERIE RAILROAD PROPERTY.
The COMPTROLLER announced that he had ap-
pointed Mr.. Ludlow, the auctiOneer, as valuer OF
the Erie Railroad property.
THE EIGHTEENTH WARD MARKET
An application was read from the Street Cleaning
Commissioner, asking that the Eighteenth Ward
Market be granted 10 them as q stOrehouse.
The RECORDER suggested that the market be sold
to the Commission for that purpose.
The COMPTROLLER said that he doubted whether
the perverslon Of the property by its sale for any
purpose other than that OF market would not
enable the property owners to recover their prop
erty again. The question was referred TO the
Comptroller and the Recorder.
THE PLANS OF THE DOCK COMMISSION.
The MAYOR said that the special order at this
meeting was the hearing Of the Comptroller in ref
erence to the plans Of the Dock Commission. The
Comptroller had said at the last meeting that he
labored under the disadvantage Of Knowing some
thing about It,
The COMPTROLLER desired the plans to he un-
folded and laid on the table and then inquired
about what 1t was the Commission was called upon
to approve.
The MAYOR explained that the plans were pre-
| pared by the Department Of Docks, and that, ac-
cOrding to the section Of the laws under which the
Department was constructed, the Sinking Fund
| Commission was made the custodian Of the city
property, and the ir duty to ascertain that the
| city property was not illegally iniringed upon
That was the prevailing sentiment of the Commits.
| sion when the former plans came up, and now the
| remainder OF the plans were submitted for ap-
proval. He (the Mayor was Of the same opinion
now as he was then, and relying upon the integrity
and capability of the experts who submitted the
plans, he should, er cathed,a, give mis- vote
for their approval. The Comptroller had, however,
made very good point at the last meeting, and
took exception to tho present plans because they
initiated against prior idea OF the commissioners
OF the Central Park, the Legislature having gwen
| them some jurisdiction in reference TO Spuyten
| Duyyi creek.
The COMPTROLLER said that some three or four
this very question as to the bukhead, and there
fore he had had some experiences In refer
respectfully, that he dinered With the
Fund Fun Commission. M m As he re read the act Of the Legs
lature that Commission had the responsibility i'm
posed upon them Of examining & the plans and Of ap
os to Construct SniShead line and pierSead ns,
eriy to spuyten Duyvii creek to Hariem River, and
Gr3nd street, on the East River, and also street
feet i vide. He % lad examined the act under which
the Commission was formed, and he saw nothing but
an inferental power to do this This noWer was s
Legislature, and he did not think 1t was wise to
take such large powers under only an inlerentlsl
| permission. The Comptroller explained at length,
With the assistance Of a Central Park map, the
water line that was defined by the engineer OF the
marked on the map. he held that the Dock Com
had nc no ssyaS t S @ mat s
Of the magnificent enterprise Of the Dock tommis.
sIon,. which he knew was In good and
hands, but there Were d tights that would be m
great litigation. He, therefore, did not approve OF
the pier head lines. lie also disapproyed OF the
100 feet street. There was no authority in the law
for any such street.
The MAYOR read q section Of the law which he
| said gave the needful power.
The COMPTROLLER contended that he did not 80
| read 1t. He supposed that the Dock Commission
did not claim any jurisdiction in the grading and
President AGNEw-Yes; we DO not claim 1t.
! The COMPTRoLLER--The plans did not remedy the
Of removing merchandise. There was no city on
| the Continent where the cost of that removal was
the twenty five miles of dangerous navigation IN
the East River could be avoided and the great
ut'''i met by the present plans. There were
number OF properly owners W whose ignus ,,r
nd H9 he ee undersieod that oppositon would come
from them. Mr.. Green here read the opinion OF the
late engineer OF the Park Commission, which was
unfavOrable to the plan Of the Dock Commission.
He concluded by suggesting that, as there was no
Immediate necessity for these works to proceed,
time be taken for further consideration.
General MCCLELLAN, after few preliminary re-
marks, read the following answer:--
The s Hgs p ' D or e
the walk and aordng ample tor railways, he
mainajned is for Other portions Of The city m,n
shed SO much and the existing regimen is more nearly
a%a@fhe location of the river wall should be axsd
s9mn Gay s Hy Sh that
by dredging In such case az th where INC *
sf'sss keep t%e line Of ihe ths
lie e '0i
'has at 'hGis DssSs s '
DOCK Dock SSsS%s!s n, SasS @
ana a pDon Se @ M ha
set Thsrs sa S miles
nstf u
miles win twenty feet depth Of water and about one mile
r5m@For reasons already given the construction of
tho river wall, recommended by the Dock Commits
that . the PARK CommissioneTs r.
o anras ' to ne w sss Ia
possible
H%'1s! ncrianss Pi . sanss y ds.n 'ss' a %
purposes which 1t is devoted rs improbable that this
sSsiy snsiVs nSs % large
fore thought best retain the pierhcad line OF 1851,
which will give maximum length OF pier of about 3T5
feet and provide for vessels larger than that by using
portions of the river wall as quay or landing place BY
this arrangement the carefully considered line of 1851 Is
preserved of the water in the deepest part
Of the affected little possible, and the heads
pressure kept in reasonable and sufficient depth OF
water
E;qhh-Thata a system of long piers will not for many
years required along this portion Of the river 'front.'
will appear the consideration OF the TACT that IN
1854 the harbor OF Liverpool possessed only "a O miles
of quay front. while under our new system we shal
have from Fifty yrs street. East River y tue battery,
10 Sixy-rst street North River about irysevcn miles
of quay Recommendations from Fiftyhrst street, East
River, to Harlem Bridge three and halt miles, from
Harlem Bridge the mouth OF Spuytcn Duyvi six and
half niles and from the mouth & 9f Spuy.
without counting the pers) Z $40 miles, max
ing total OF about 81 $40 miles. Bearing In mind,