New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-12
HARLEM RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
MR. sroUGHTON GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF HIS con
NECTION WITH TIE PROJECT.

MR. sTOUGHTON GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF HIS cox
NECTIoN WITH THE PROJECT
TO the Editor Of The Tribune
SIR: | have read with considerable personal
interest, an article THE TRIBUNE OF January IS,
entitled Urging Harlem River improvements" III
which my name is freely used True. my name has been
associated Intimately and trust hOnOrably with the
Harlem River project for have given six years incessan
labor without compensation, TO tie enterprise. came
in the work after twenty-five years of general travel
then eight years of thoughtful reflection, seeing
end in the beginning The only man cOunselled and
advised with the late Hon. Horace Greeley who
saw clearly aud cOmprehended fully the Importance OF
the measure and promptly proered his support to the
enterprise. met with opposition, that is true but not
from the railroad men, but from the engineer himself,
who intent this pet scheme at He'll Gate that
he could not the Harlem until there was money to
spend With large support from the Eastern Northern
Western States also the cordial support of the State
and City OF New-York, entered the XLVth Congress
and obtained grant for 100000 for said work. wisely
conditioned which conditions the Secretary of War has
been wholly unable 10 comply WITH but which condition
comply with. Again, when the engineers esti-
mate of the cost of the work including the lower Harlem
officially reported TO Congress- February 1879 was
s2777,57I Al, throw out the lower Harlem, because
having no terminus IL therefore was OF no avail making
reduction of S242 2O3 % not $500 5000 600 as
With the last item S242 2O3 20 out the engineers es
in good faith, and ability to execute, also 10 comply
said conditions OF the grant, Oh October %,
1873 rendered proposal 10 the secretary OF war TO do
the precisely ia length, breadth and depth as
called in the engineers plan and report and TO be
under the supervision OF the secretary OF WAR for
the sum OF 100000 Would it not have been manly in
the engineer 20 said, Give the work TO Slough
ton"i But he Uhe engineer commenced and resur-
Seyed his officially reported survey wdened the pro-
posed channel " 400 feet requiring S72 acres OF Ndu
able land the proposed waterway aud thus brought
down his estimate OF cost some million OF dollars, adj
uniting thereby nat he was wrong and that was
right.
Again, during and since the year 1927, the Harlem has
been egslated upOn surveyed and resuryeyed, and es
upon Others and three times by the said
gineer, bul not dollar raised 10 carry the work
until raised IL myself Seemingly S75O,000 should be
enough the engineer handle year, without
striving Harlem pittauce also The joint resou
ton pending before Congress Is in fun accord with
the Secretary Wars letter of January 81 1880 where
~ he authority from Congress TO contract Tor
tie whole The price OO,OOOl Is reason
able 10 be unquesOned 10 it's fairness. and tue
WORK Is 10 he completed by July 4, 1884.
The voice OF the people is that the WORK should at
once go TO completion. Very respectfully,
Net- York, Feb. 3, 1882. CHARLES SIOUGHION.