The New York herald., 1874-07-25
WHARF IMPROVEMENTS.

The New Stone Bulkhsads and the Gem
oral mprovements to the Piers-The
Work 1T the Foot OF Chrtstophcr Street.
The Department OF Docks is apparently deter
mined to show that our stone piers and wharves do
not exist simply in the plans ana specifications
paper OF the engineers. The Battery facing, it is
true, has been completed for long time, and
there Is portion of the new pier near the present
pier No. which Is already above high water mark,
the granite arch work showing OF to considerable
advantage alongside the shaky structure to its
right But 1t is ~ the loot Of Christopher street
that the work OF constructing a stone pier and
bulkhead Is being carried on with the greatest
energy In fact. Christopher street Ut this point
has been Of late completely transformed ana the
old Ice boat men and oyster men, who used 10
consider II q sacred locality in the long ago Tor
their particular purposes, NO longer see any
beauties In 1t. Indeed once upon time this
pier foot was the grand rendezvous OF all sorts Of
organized and dsorganized boat cuns and there
the coors OF the Atatantas Tor years haunted de.
farce to their Hoboken foes across the muddy
waters. OF course the ferryooat then its usual
trips but 1t had to start from rickety wharf, and
ali Its surroundings were such as to attract all the
water rats OF the two legged and four legged
order OF the neignporhood by day and by night.
But
THE IMPROVEMENTS CONTEMPLATED
by the Dock Department have changed all this, and
the two magnificent piers that extend out into the
river TO the new line. parallel to which 1t is said
ali the rev piers are to be run, have had saiu.
tsry erect upon the ferry people, who have built
new ferrybouse on new wharf. Added
to this change for the better, which the
travelling public who live up town and across
the Jersey side Of The FLYER can fully appreciate.
and whO up TO q short time ago, had no other way
Of reaching the pier than by the tedious practice
Kallroa1 runs from the Terry across town to the
foot OF tenth street, East River. There are ifty
now IN use on the Twenty-third street nne small,
ciean, bright and cosey and drawn Dy one horse
shaky houses, the car company has erected a
splendid depot ol orck, four stories IN height,
whicn adds greatly to the new face OF things III the
vicinity.
fnere was q time. and very brief time ago
too. when anybody prophesying that any Of the
Christopher street would have been heartily
laughed at; but one OF the companies which has
for years had lis pier headquarters IN Hooosen
has taken possession o! the new piers there.
paying an snuna! rental to the city OF
100000. Indeed another company "iocated''
up as high as Morton street, and yet
another twin 1t be believed by the Oldest inhaD.
liant, who stu mas an idea tnat Canal street is
the neghporhood c thirty fourth street And II hs Is
new departure was gwen lie TO, 1t Is SAID by the
promise OF the Dock Department to prosecute The
ERECTING sroNR PIERS
wherever they are most needed, all the time
keeping in mind the original plan OF the pier sys-
TEN, so that piers built here and there will in the
long run, whom there shall be wooden ones In
existence, coaitTni 10 the general whole The
work at tne fcot Of Christopher street Is being
prosecuted with yigor and the dredglng machines
are doing good service Ia rendering the berths of
the steamers SAFE at the same time that the stone
work near the shore Is being carried on. The way
the stone piers are being constructed Is appar-
entity tedious work, nut it nevertheiess neces-
sarY. Between the two new piers, and for tile dts
tance OF twenty-five feet from the line OF the Old
huikhead, plies are driven INTO TIE bed Of the
stream untL trey reacn the Lowell OF low water aud
between them tons upon tons OF broken stone are
thrown In and wedged down by the rams This Is
TO form solid basis tor what Is called the granite,
which Is placed IN hnge blocks upon the strata
thus formed. These blocks, by the way, are not
granite, put are Manufactured BY some patent
process out OF a material when when soft is some
what like concrete. II is said that these blocks
resist
rHg ACTION OF THE WATER
better than the ordinary granite, and will not chip
on she surface by the wear and tear which the sur
lace OF the bulkhead must needs be subject to.
When the WORK at this pier front shall have been
competed people will be able 10 have q pretty
good idea OF the great improvements IN st0re for
our water ronts on both rivers, and il Ia more
than certain that as last new piers are con.
struc,ec and the new plans are carried out at
otoer wharve5 the various steamship lines that
now prefer the Hoboken side OF the Hudson to our
old rckety wharves VIII be only too glad to se-
cure snug berth on the CONAN size,