The New York herald., 1877-09-24
LIGHTS ON THE PIERS.
The Waters That Lave Them No
Longer in Darkness.
GAS-GIRDLED GOTHAM.
Beneficial Results Of the Common
Councils Ordinance.

The material con dton OF the New York docks has
always been the occasion for sneer on the part OF
foreign visitors who have seen better docks, more
substantially built ana better lighted 10 other lands
1t has gotten to be gradually understood tnai the Ne"
York piers tue worst IN the world ana ai'hougn
patriotism would suggest hot-ncaded deniai OF TINS
statement calm investigation shows that IL Is Wen
founded. When the proposed magnificent stope oui
warK OF tho city completed We may DO enabled 10
plume ourselves the condition OF our water ironts
unt that time II be confessed that the arrows or
criticism have come home TO an appropriate target
THE NECESSITY OF LIGHT.
Not the least fault found with the docks has been
he insufficient manner in which they have been
ishtcd. This mas been mistake municipality, but
& has also been q grievous error when wo
lake the individual citizen into consideration.
II - quite q trite paragraph IN The pa.
psrs nowadays, and has been for some time
past, that speaks in the graphic treatment OF
few lines Of the men and women who stumble of the
sud Of gloomy and lost to life in the whir
ing waters has gotten TO be commonplace TO record
rash suicides who eagerly take advantage OF the
reigning condition of affairs to find that surcease Of
sorrow the acquisition o! which might have been pre-
vented had officers In charge Of tho river district
been enabled to zoe their duty This last summers
history will show many instances where accidental
deaths by drowning havo happened through the piers
being lighted Particularly has this been so IN the
case OF crowded excursion steamers, over whose mar
row gangpanks men, women and children are sup
posed TO crowd and surge IN wild search
for the shadowy terra Jirmd There have
been many casualties OF this nature, and
they will always occur If some better regulation OF the
piers is not brought about. Luckily the hour oil
dawn-or gas lamps--is near at hand. On July D,
1877, there introduced into the Board OF Alder
men ordinance which provides for the lighting OF
all open piers In such mannor that deaths by mis-
lake, by intention, will DO rendered less pos
sble. This ordinance framed by Alderman Nor.
rs, adopted and received the sanction OF Mayor
Ely. In August Of last year Alderman Morris, whose
attention had been drawn TO the appalling number OF
accidental deaths and suicides that included among
her chances for the gloomy character OF our
water fronts brought similar resolution before the
Aldermanic Board. II was carried but was vetoed by
Mayor Wckham who probably thought that the ex-
penso too great The Alderman wanted the piers
and buKhcads lighted with gas under the direction Of
,he Department Of Public Works and with the co-ope
ration Of the Department OF Docks
INCREASING NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS.
This sum 1t was noticed that the accidents and
suicides increased. 1t that nearly every
night some intoxicated man or woman walked of the
end OF wharf to "muddy DEATH" it was that
in many instances, men and women who not
intoxicated came to the dismal end through
lack OF light when searching for ferry; it was seen
that many suicides took place that need not
happe ned had the policemen been enabled to notice
the despairpg upon the wharf or see them strug
CLING in the water Several tragic deaths occurred on
the occasion OF the landing of pleasure steamers.
With these facts in his mind Alderman Morris went to
work again aud hammered away at bis idea until II be-
came municipal iact
He might have included also the numerous cases Of
robbery and violence that are constantly occurring on
the and west sides. Not so very long ago an at
tempt at catching midnight boat at the Roosevelt
street ferry Tor instance akin to tho daring that
IN old English times spurred q man on to Drawing
Hounslow Heath rldc with a hundred guineas in MS
pocket. There have been murders done on the DARK
east side that viii; never sec the light any more
than their victims saw It while struggling in the
hands Of midnight marauders. The safest city 10 one
reaching Flood New York London or Paris with
cent and Il would be the most dangerous classes OF
crime that would be subjected TO this heathiul re-
the susve shopliiter exercise their peculiar vocatons,
but It Is at night that the burglar, with his sandbsg,
the assassin io0tpad skuk places where the ray
the lamp peDetrateth not
WORK
In the early part OF June OF this year Commissioner
Campbell, OF the Department OF Public Works, I'M
pressed with the necessity Tor such reform
municated with the Departmen MT OF Docks asking II
that department would bo willing to cooperate. Tho
reply was most satisfactory the Dock Department
expressed willingness TO aid. which seemed to show
that had come to the conclusion that the subject
inary TO the move made by Alderman Morris. Even.
tuay the superintendent OF the Bureau OF Lamps and
Gas was directed TO proceed in the purchase OF posts
and lanterns. Work oegun about months ago
aud is now IN progress or course all good works
nance. 1t reads only contempa,es lighting the
piers on the North River to pier No. ~ and on the
East River to pior No. 81. This is but germ, now.
ever, OF the grand intention. In time Is intended TO
extend the lamps all about tho island until Manahaa
shall bc bucked with belt OF lre There is another
point to noticed here. The Adermanic resolution
ouIy contcmpiates the lighting OF uncovered piers;
thosc belonging TO steamboat companies or special
shipping organizations will be lighted at the expense OF
the lessecs.
Undoubtedly the people who most opposed 10
the lighting Of the piers are the tn.eves
Thanks to a careless municipal government these gcn.
uy OF the yawl aud Whitehall boats nave been enabled
To flourish IN the shadows OF the wherves drive
successful disreputabe business by pulling u quick
into the ready obscurity OF river tnat relied
for light upon the ashed plims In ancnored vessels
and the shifting, butterfly CLEANS OF the lerryDoat
lhey knew that thore was many ''sip" between the
Police patrol and their craft and they awaited them
selves ui that knowledge. Tho tragedies apropos OF
The river thieves that have occurred past
Ing. They have been bloody in many Instances, aud
there have been those hanged Ia the fombs Court
yard might have come to that tragic end had
the piers ooen sufficiently lgbteu 10 admit OF their
capture before violence had been done. On ,hcm
however there Is no particular sympathy TO be wasted
The reporter must limit himself to The living present,
and dismiss lhe thioves with the remark that II
The piers wero mol sufficiently lighted FOR Their accom-
modaon, the nastrous results to them dld not shake
society TO its foundation depths
a. SHEEN LIGHT
Independent OF the pirates altogether there need
on the rivers about New York OF sheen OF light that
snail particularly help steamboats,, anu especially the
map, excursion steamboats, In making their landings
We all know what an excursion crowd out Of New
YORK is, and there are plenty VINO know what an ex.
surslou crowd INTO New York is also. Women aud
children get drawn into these affairs, and on Tho re-
turn trip, wnen there other lights those OF
the boat a lsnding-helped along by the surging
movement OF drunken crowds something thai
quircs both the nerve and icxcrity OF Biond.n
Many people have been drowned such occasons and
la vsou ha drnvn cd 4 ~.
tne .ity Fathers have last sncided bcstlr them
selves. Their action Is someyhat antagonistic to the
profitable running OF the Aorgue, but 1t Is tho
less commendabe TOR tnat. 10 may be many years bc.
fore have wharves 10 equal those OF Lverp0o but
if the expressed command In the Adermanic resolu-
tJou IS carried out IL viii! not DO many years before
New Workers will have well lighted wafer fronts that
will he Y credit to the city
PROGRESS or woRK.
on the North River the piers which have been lighted
90 The following Pliers - aud -, per foot OF
West Tenth street anu piers foot OF Franklin and Har-