The New York herald., 1877-02-07
THE NEW DOCKS.
How the Merchants Have Talked
While Nothing Was Done.
HISTORY OF OUR BULEnEAD BUILDING.
The Way the Task May Be
Accomplished.

change that has place the OF tho discus
sions. In the earlier days--the days when Potter
Cooper's Citizens Association in tull blast-the
work OF "rcorm" was In the control OF society to
promote rhetoric well integrity, and there were
very grandiloquent utterances on the most mat
tcrof-i TACT questions .'The American MARINE" said
one OF Mr. Coopcr's orators (Which carries noblc
Gag through all the seas showing everywhere tho per-
fection of naval architecture the skill OF ship
masters the bravery OF our sailors and the enterprise
Of our merchants surveys the noble docks OF foreign
countries, but returns to the cold welcome OF
wooden piers OF an interior and to encounter
the annoyanoes OF crowded quays and cramped pas
sages, full OF mpediments where everything should
be convenient" THIS, It must be confessed, is
rather poetic view OF what has become terribly
prosac SUBJECT but that time the pros,rason
OF American shpbuiding and the American merchant
service was not painfully apparent, and the COM
mcrce OF New York had begun 10 be attracted 10
other cities 'rhere was no question:" said one OF
the Speakers at the meeting referred to, rhat New
York was to be the commercial centre OF the world
Even the resolution which adopted tho
occasion declared that tho city OF Now York
is rapidly absorbing tho foreign trade OF
country which IN 1865 amounted TO $571, ,036, 933
of which the metropolis had $420 900, C2a change
has come tho spirit OF our dream, ana
these warnings were uttered by the lips which
gave OK preston the highest hopes. "Ths island"
said one OF the eloquent merchants who talked SO
gbly in those days. n the midst Of deep rivers with
spacious and secure harbors with a double outlet 10
the ocean, at the mouth OF q river, canal and lake
navigation Of uncqualed extent and value, in the tenn
pcrate zone ard at tho latitude Of temperature
OF the inhabited world, has commercial destiny for
SURPRISING the present and future OF any point On
earth unless 1t shall be marred by msmanagement
aud neglect; but the greatest natural ndvan-
be used, and Other cities which literally
provide for the convenicnces Of and
watch them assiduously, may take away from
New York the inheritance which 1t and should
ru-c.' We arc face to face with these very
gers and all the brilliant promises OF ony ten years
ago arc last becoming ashes IN our mouths.
BEGINNING OF THE MOVEMENT FOR NEW DOCKS.
AT meeting OF The Citizens' Association at which
these sentiments wero uttered, held ON The STU OF
November, 1867, IL may be said the movement Tor
new dock system had It's beginning A hundred OF our
best known citizens appointed committee TO ex-
anime the whole subject and report the best
OF naugurating wharf and pier system In this
port pcnsurate with the present and iuure wants
O our commerce. II does not appear how.
was, ever did anything of amy practical
value, year later we ind the Citizens Association
Com planning TO tho street Commissioners OF the
orbtant charges incurred by the Street Department
IN repairing the wharves and pers II was alleged
that during previous twelve months 1S9, so ieot
OF lumber was purchased for such REPAIRS while only
81 500 teet used, and that tho price pad Tor the
900 feet additional Tor delivery, while the market
price Of lumber during the whole period was only $50
pcr 900 feet delivered Tree Of CARRIAGE TINS extrava-
CANT outlay was MAINTAIN an old and w0rnout sys-
wharves and piers, and II was contracted In the
very year when the most eminent merchants and
business men OF New York werc supposed
to be maturing the plans tor new system
This fact shows how ittlo influence our COIN
mcrcial classes have at any had In
authorities either State municipal and, to
homey word how utterly dolesslour merchants in
providing for their own They began talk
org nal n
and after ten years, during which very little real
progress has been inade, they are taking s as the
reports OF the conferences Of the commercial bodies
THE DEMAND FOR WOODEN BuLKmEAps.
1t is not u little singular that the talk OF the mcr-
chants and business has, after lapse Of many
years. taken the form of u demand Tor wooden bulk
heads. Evdcny the merchants have forgotten the
history OF the movement ior a dock system
which they helped 1867 but II they desire
an illustration Of 'hs folly 'nsy can and
Mclean to the charges of the C'tzcn's Asso-
cation, which nIed iour columns OF tho HERALD. Ac-
rording report in the year above referred
pier No. East River patched IN fourteen places
requiring H. 100 feet OF lumber; pier No East River
In nineteen paccs requiring $50 iccr pier No East
River IN twenty places requiring 10000 eet;
pier NO East River In hity-thrce places, requiring
a;y.Sshs ' places, requiring I7as iec,; per no IL
Fast River almost rebuilt requiring ~ 20 ieci VI
which 1000 feet was new lumber; on pier No ~ East
River much work dono %, 35 feet Of lumber be-
ing used pier No 30 East River consumed los feet Of
lumber; pY No 81 East River, lsS leet; pier No 40
1cct pier No. Al East River 1881 ect per No. 81 East
RIVER s32 oct; pier the foot OF Twcnysxh street
FIN stree, Eas. river 600 ccl; Pier NO is North
River 1915 icet PIER No. o3 North Itivcr IL 900 eet;
Pier No %, loot Of vesey street 59,S ieet The dump
Ing board foot Of Laigbt street, 0l0o cet, and the
christopher street head 1000 feet With wooden
picrs necessity OF just such repairs as these con.
santly rscurs and there the possibility oi an ex-
trayagant outlay not unlike that charged by the
CiIzens' Association at that tme Indeed, the very
figures with winch the Street Commissioner repelled
tiip charr Is n
stead OF would have been the truth OF the
allegations.
1t may we'll be inquired why movement SO import
ant the outset champoned by all tho leading busl-
ness men Of the city and all the necessary be-
cause Of such those detailed by Mr. Mclean,
should bo controlled 10 such limited extent as this
has been by the class which inaugurated II. The
answer is plain. There lndirectncss In all Class
movements this city which soon destroy them rom
inaniton, what is evcrybcdys business beng no.
budy's Besides, committee was large as 10 be
uuwiedy, and every interest being represented none
was able to control with US community oi interests
generally destroys the purpose which all have In view
While the merchants talking tho politicians se,zcd
upon their theories and attempted TO put them
into practice alter the political fashion, For nearly
three years the Citizcns Association talked about tho
hew dock system, but the talk was without aim or
purpose. IL was, in tho old phrase, all talk and no
r,arr suddenly the business community awoke from
Tho lcthargy into which rhetorical activity mad ruled
II, find that there was department OF JOCKS. Win
expcnsive commissioners and a more expensive
engineer Plans at once projected, not only COM
mcnsuratc with the needs but with he greatness and
vra of a great city. Visionary people saw sub
stnnt,nJ buIkbcad wall rising out Of the waters all
round Manhattan Island. sea captains who started
out ON voyages OF any length almost expected TO run
Into the most splendid IN the world upon their
return For a year two the new Commissioners at
intervals reported the progress OF The work
on the new docks, ana the new system seemed 10
promise everything tnat everybody wanted. Az pier
No n stone bu head showed itself above the water
ike a coral sland i'll mid ocean The work was gong
forward with great rapidity everybody believed
but The exact locality wherc IL beng done grew
10 tho Whereabouts OF the sea SER
npnt wh bcCa u u
however. stood out as beacon OF all the greatness
ana glory winch to bc. ono day sbip came up
the bay and struck the new bulkhcad, knocking IL
almost of It's foundations. All the dreams OF the
now docks tottcrcd with it, ami now people are pc
ginning TO fear that the now system, win al us
vauntcd benefits, IS as substantial as the projects
which went before IL; and Is PLAIN 10 every one that
tho "aIl talk and cidcr' policy continues.
OUR DREAMS IN THE FAST.
still, we cannot altogether forget those brilliant