New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-28
LONG BRANCH PROJECTS.
A SHIP HARBoR AND CANAL PROPOSED.

BA1-TTS PROBABLE On The VT
LONG BRASCH-DDfESsioss or THE CANAL
LOFTY HOPES or IT'S PROTECTOR.
IRON The SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or THE rRfBusE'
Long BRANCH, Aug z5.-There is a good deal
% interest Just over proposition aa'ah0e"
by B. Drgrz and after tell you who he Is vi" uy
10 tell something OF his proposition. although Cd"
promise beforehand that it viii be very dry readhs Ok
oept t. those who sre Interested in the Improvements
projected al Long Branch and surrounding places 0D
briggs IL a resident possessed Of very large ineshS
hoTid face. bald head Jolly spirits, and very nahus
twin babies, boy and girl, blonde and brunette
very doubtful which ne likes best-his money ms pe'
project or his twins. He great deal OF reA es
here may be remembered az the author on inc
foolish proposition OF building q summer Nblte hou'o
for the President at this place. The plan ne no" P
poses exploit il gigantic in conception and apparently
simple OF executOn-it nothing less than the consuuo
ton harbor and ship canal at Long Branch II II
practicable, which is somewhat doubtful. It VIII DC
great and useful work II in the hands OF money
makers probable need not detraet from H. Tor
there little done adays OF which pront Is not Iuo
object incentive. IL is not therefore, INV purpose W
inquire whether the whole thing e job, but TO Try 10
give you an des Of the canal is to be- for briggs
SAYS IL will surely be constructed withIn the ne1t three
years.
The first that the public knew OF ths proposition was
from a long letter in the local paper signed by Drggs
with these startling headings: Long Branch Ine
Future OF the American Brighton Shall we nave
Harbor outside sandy Hookf-"A New Entrance into
New-York Bay" Ship Canal from the Ocean al
Green's Pleasure Bay A short Cut 10 Deep
sea for Coasters"-" Still Water Ferry between New
York and Long Branch" How it is proposed 10 con-
struct this harbor and canal soon told About midway
between the Presidents cottage aud the west Ehu
Hotel short distance below the point where the coast
takes a bend to the southwest Is Green's Pond whieh
is short of the from zoo to 500 feet IN
width and extending half q mile into the main land.
Its natural depth is probably twenty feet nut II has se-
come partially filed by shifting mud. which could be
easily removed by dredging, or which would be speeay
driven out by strong setting through the pond
The water is sometimes salt and sometimes fresh. AT
low water sand separates the pond from the ocean
but at high tide this by the waves and the sea
water nows into and Ills up the pond The fresh water
is supplied from a brook which empues into the west
end OF the pond aud which receives the drainage OF the
country for miles around. In rainy season large
body Of water is supplied from this brook.
II is held that in reality thus pond half mile long,
500 feet wide and % deep Is Of itself harbor II the
shifting sand and could be kept out. DrigSs says
this can accomplished by piers OF solid masonry car
RED about 500 feet to where the shallow water ends
the piers ABOUT feet apart and 80 at their base
The channel between the walls reaching beyond low
water mark will be 20 feet in DEPTH afording
safe entrance TO the largest vessels Mr. briggs thinks
that the tide Will be sufficiently strong 70 prevent any
ding up OF obstruction OF this channel In connection
with this work. IL contemplated 70 build number OF
ettles running feet from low water-mark
along the Long Branch beach. which will at once be
protection to the Of the harbor aud 70 the Whole
line OF beach The canal spoken OF is to be cut from
Green's Pond to Pleasure Bay which would cut OF that
portion Of the country extending both sides OF sandy
Hook the shore reaching side Pleasure Bay and
on the other Green's Pond thus making 1t an island
Pleasure Bay leads NewYOrk Bay, but will require
some dredging The length OF the canal would be 1900
n fact .Nfh A d feet.
enough 20 oat the largest ships and avoid the danger
GUS passage around the Hook II is proposed TO keep
this channel by the flow Of the tide backward ana
forward What proposed 10 gain the safety Of ships
the saving Of time and distance. the furnishing Of safe
haror for vessels heavy weather aud enabling steam
ers from New-York 70 land freight baggage and pas
sengers al the Branch without change breaking bulk
Mr. briggs holds that cheap, quick, and direct trans
portaton will for Long Branch than anything
else. claimed that lighthouses would be established
by the Governments that the island formed by the canal
would furnish a larger than Manhattan Island
that the island might be used for residences and the
main land warehouses, manufactures, &c, and that
within a short time another city would be formed here
which would few years number its residents by the
hundreds thousands Another object 20 be gained by
the canal Is probably inadvertently referred 10, and
here think is Mr. Driggss interest in the scheme de
saws II VIII raise the price OF real estate which be
a very desirable object 70 who owns so much prop
erty along the route OF the proposed canal as Mr..
Duggs II said the canal will cost only million Of
dollars OF it is proposed 70 charge fee or tax
On all ships goods passing through this canal Mr.
briggs gives some interesting statistics from the
showing the Of population and valuation OF
property during past years, which has doubled
in both cases IN the counties Of Essex. Hudson Mon
mouth, and Union and closes by predicting wonderful
future for the Branch
After reading his letter carefully. sought this great
public benefactor and found him of the pazzas,
aoHh nd frnffr twin
Down the twins in a hurry as soon as mentioned
the subject OF canal and the flies were allowed 20
brush their shoes his unmoested inquired II
he did not think he little bit creduous the sub
ect OF the canal &" Not a particle" he said quickly
No Sir; am not sanguine. Long Branch must
become the greatest waterngpaoe IN the world. and we
must provide facilities for reaching It. so that people
can GET here from NewYOrk in an hour and half Or al
hour and asquarter. It can be done with my canal
How do you know the plan will worki Oh, I
know IL will" he answered. which not a very good
reason am it will 1t can't help but work. and
If YOU were an engineer you would know 1t, too
But do you propose 10 turn Long Branch into snip
ming CITY instead Of Summer resort Do you propose
70 construct wharves the ocean front and have the
rag-tagaud bob-ta Of New York docking IN here do
YOU propose have steamboats, blowing and Whisung
All around U.S. and destroy the peaceness Of repose OF
the place Do you propose 70 make the place 80 com
mon that the best people will avoid Do You propose
% turn Long Branch second Coney Islandf Is 1t
here that you want build Summer retreat for the
Presideutt Do you want to accustOm the ears OF the
chief Magistrate 10 the screeehng Of whistles the toot
ing OF tugboats the ringing Of bells. the yes Of the
newsboys and bootblacksi Do you want the crowd OF
hathers the monte players, the piekpockets aud the
courtezans 20 swarm down here as they do at Coney
Island the most dissolute people in the world =
..Youpg man. said he with less spirit than ne showed
hatore Won talk too much You ask too many ques-
lions AZ a time but I'll answer you directly Wait
minute" he made me repeat my questions and this IS