The New York herald., 1878-09-15
THE NEW BARGE OFFICE.
A Site on the Battery Granted
by the City.
PLAN OF THE BUILDING
Steamship Mems Views on the Proposed
System of Landing Passengers

In this city, baggage of all passengers arriv
ing from foreign ports may be examined by the proper
authorizes more conveniently than Is now the case
The project has frequently been alluded 10 In tho
HERALD On Monday last Mayor Ely affixed his sigma
ture to an ordinance OF the Board oi Aldermen, by
which certain piece ol land tho Battery csded TO
the United States for use in carrying out
tho proposed plan. The idea, which finds great favor
with the Custom House ofciais Is 10 establish
ra Office depot where all baggage subject to
ton may be examined and duties paid and where pos
sengers shall land, instead of, as heretofore. at
the docks of the various steamship companies
BY the Custom House authorities II Is claimed that
the business OF inspection will be carried on with
greater simplicity, thoroughness and despatch, and
that the convenience OF all who have any dealings
with tho Office will be more fully assured by tho pro-
posed arrangement than any other way. The
steamship companies, however, whlo willing to in.
she space their docks for purposes of dis
charging the cargoes, generally complain of the
noyance and expense to which they will be put in
transferring and baggage to another part
oi The river. They say that, In anchoring In the
stream to mako the transfer by means OF q tugboat,
they will lose much time, while the transfer is
the vessel Is moored at tho oock the passen
gers will be the losers. They look upon the proposed
Office merely Castle Garden for cabin passengers,
and sec no way which 1t benefit any one but
the government officers
THE ORIGINAL BARGE OFFICE.
The idea OF such office that described 10 by
means Many years ago inspectors from
Custom House used TO be sont out to examine
coming vessels in uroared boats. called bargcs ana
Tor tho accommodation OF these officers aud OF the
man who had charge OF all the boats small building
about ton feet square, was erected at Whitehall slip
on The southeastern Of the Battery. This
popularly known as tho "Barge Once" and the name
still lves, though tho circumstance which gave It
birth Is remembered only by lew. About the
year ls46 the government Obtained a lease of what
was then known as pier East River at annual
rental OF $700 Tho building was then the head
quarters of the Inspectors, the night inspectors In
particular passing the greater part OF their time
within its walls. Near this Office passengers fre
quenty landed from vessels lying In the stream by
means OF the Official barge, and tnor baggage
was examined on the spot. Finally, somo ten or
twelve years ago, The lease expired and was not
newcd, chiefly ewing to the small dim ensions and
dilapdated condition OF the building II was then
proposed 10 secure another ste and erect proper
structure Tor the office. In fact 1865 letter
tho Board OF Commerce expressing It's approval OF the
proposal through The late Mr.. George W. Blunt Tho
project Endorsed by the Department, ana on the
30tn OF April, 1865 act passed by the Legisix
authorizing Inc city to convey to the
three and uai acres OF land lying oulsas Of the old
Battery wall but within the limits OF the Battery ex
tension, together with perpetual right OF way
the old Battery. In tho following December the cor
poTatlon empowered the Commls OF the Sink
ing Fund make the designate conveyance, wnion
accordingly done, the government paying $4,000
tor ,he land aud rignt OF way. The ground ~ tuat
time lay under water, and during two years
the OF $l65, 900 was expended In 6iing up with
sand from tho site Of Tho now Post OMco, and building
q granite sea wall ten fcet at the base
ana Ave Mt the top Tho city meanwhile continued
s share OF the wall TO with that Of the
government The latter stands on the bed rock, at
considerable distance below the water while the
cty's portion of the wall IL buiit on what Is known
as rip-rap founuation, loose rocks bong employe
as a oase for the wall proper In ttis way shslv-
Ing formed beneath the surface OF tho water
and get r,d OF this us we'll rs to secure wider
water front and a symmetrical site tne pro-
posed building the government has been desirous 0
Sn tns,r The sin Of Ing ns os
sired BIT OF ground s ABOUT 5000 square ieot With
the Land already Ia the possession or the govern
this would give u clear bulkhead OF 1876 fee,
and thore is convenient basin Tor tho accommoaa-
OF tho cutters IL was ior the purchase
this land ana the erection OF barge Office on
grand scale that the $4,000 appropriation
the last session O Congress, the bill haviug
been introduced by Congressman aulier OF tnis city.
The present barge office, which would to quito
Quae to the demands oil sucn extensive pusi-
ness as Is proposed 10 DO carried on IN the new build
ing, hus been located Tor some time past In State
street, adjoining The Battery. The idea Of inspec
tors oce grand scale has Tor long time been
favorite one with Mr. James L. Benedict, ut present
Auditor, aud Tor twenty tour years Special Deputy
Surveyor. who has had as nuch any elso 10 do
with It's Developments and from whom the above facts
In the history OF the ofico obtained Mr.. Ben
edict SAID yesterday that he had always been under
tho land cedod TO the government III 1856; but he
had ablo TO lind record OF any appropriation
ior that purpose exceeding sl75.0O0.
THE SURVEYORS OPINION
To obtain the views vi the Surveyor OF tho Port on
the proposed new departure the transaction Of Gus
tom House business reporter Of the HERALD called
yesterday GU General y. X. Graham ana found hun
decidedly In iavor OF the project "it will sinpniy
the work OF the inspectors" he sad, 'and allow bus
to De despatched win greater rapidly and
venicnce 10 passengers. the necessity Of landing
hero Will not, think, be a disad vantage but the rs.
ver A OF
inc stream, and thsr friends instead oi having 10
cross TO Hoboken or Jcrsey city, or go up or down
the river, Will como directly here. Every attention
will DO paid 10 the accom- mediation OF passengers and
visitors IN tho waiting rooms, aud there VIII DO
greater facilities Ia tue handing OF baggage and its
Conveyance about town. Then tho work OF Inspection
DO done more efficiently and tue opportunities OF
smuggling Will DO diminished. believe that
Will be disposed 10 nnd FAULT with the thing alter u s
once started"
Ex-C,icctor Arthur Is Understood 70 have favored
the plan wniie IN oice aud II seems TO meet tue ap
proval oil every ono connected With tue Custom
house.
Congressman Nicholas Muller, who secured the
passage OF the last appropriation, s earnest IN be-
hall OF tho new office. "having been many years
connected with the ansportstion business readily
It's advantages" he said IL don't think IL viii
cause any delay or nconvenieDco to passengers, aud
will certainly prove economicai measure 10 tho
government haven { spoken TO tho steamship CON-
panics, 0at am sure they win like II when they SEQ
now II WORKS"
VIEWS OF rHE STEAMSHIP COMPANIES.
Tho various stcamshp companies expressed some
diversity oi op'nion. Mr. 5. j. Corus, oil the White
Star Lane, SAID That he had not thought much on the
subject. He do not think, however, that the pro-
posod arrangement would bs of particular advaatago
10 the steamship companies or tneir patrons, the
travelling public, but cDIeny 10 the custom House
officers. Ho thought, too, tnat IL would lead TO
more thorough oversight Of tne inspectors them
serves 1T would DO very neouven for tho long
s"nmers o the ine 70 anchor IA tho stream, and We
would anyway nave 10 go to tho expense OF employing
tug to transfer passengers aud baggage from their
dock 10 the barge olce."
ME Undernil, Of the Williams h Guion line, said
that the anang OF passengers the barge office had
once been great conveuIencs, whom tho COMPANY
had not such costly aud cvmmodious covered dock
us at present. But now Instead OF paying $40 day.
they nave 10 pay some 900 or $4,000 for the
erection oi buiidngs aud annual rental OF $30,00U
II was aoubtiul, Mr. Underhil thought, II tho gov
crnment cvud compel pas engers 10 iand ~ any par
teuiar dock, asa state Law vi 1883 gives them The
riRnt 10 land whenever ana In any way they prefer.
Uilcers OF the French Iiue thought that tho new
arrangement would prove OF special inconvenienco
to themselves, as Que tug would DO Sufficient TO carry
cabin aud stcersge passcu e from