New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-27
THE COMMERCE. OF ARTHUR KILL.
ARGUMENTS SHOWING THAT II WOULD AND "oCl-p
NOT BE IyJCEED by A B@IpGK.


THE COMMERCE OF ARTHUR KILL.
ARGUMENTS SHOWING THAT II WOULD AND WOULD
NOT BE IyJCEED by BRIDGE.
WAsuINGToN, Jan. 26.-Sub- committees OF
the Senate and House Committees on Commerce were
addressed to-day by representatives. OF the parties
ested in the construction of railroad bridge across the
Arthur XIII from the NcwJersey shore to tat OF htsteh
Island The opponents OF the plans or the Ba'lhoie
and Ohio Company were first heard. Ex-Mayor Bonnet
OF Elizabeth " j.. representing the manuacturlns III
terest, of that vicinity said that the expenditure OF ~
much time and money as other roads haa eAPoh"ou
would give the Baltimore and Ohio ample terminal In
curos IN the Nrw-Jersey shore at the precise spot
where tho commerce OF NewYork required them IL
was no answer to that that deep water was mile ana
half from the shore in Hudson County NJ De- Tor other
roads had overcome this obstruction by DudnS iruNSeS
The people The speaker represented ala not OBJECT 10 I'VE
building Of railwa bridge TO Staten Island but they
did object TO drawbrdge OF openings only 200 feet IN
width placed in the very naIrowest waters OF staten
Island sound There other locations where bridges
Of tie proper "a constructed Nhchwoud
not so seriously interfere With the present enormous
traffic passing through the sound lie Indicated point
where there was width CT more than l,2oO Feel as
proper place the construction Of composite bridge
The objections to the proposed bridge were five in mum
her, namely the interference with free sailing rights
the Impairment Of towing facilities the Increase IN the
cost OF frelcn;; the bockadng OF the stream by ice
snd the Interference the tide ow which depends
the depth OF the Sound channel.
Captain Isaac L. Fisher, Of NewYork, said
he appeared in the interests OF navigation only.
His reasons for obcctng to tho loca
ton aDd plan OF the proposed bridge were
first 81 the narrowne-s Of the channel at the
selected spo It being less than GOO feet In width, with
croas-curronis bOtn food ana ebb TIDES running at
the rate Of miles an hour second because OF it,
proximity to bend IN the third, because Of the
cur
crease tho shoals aud, fourth account OF the ice
block AIDES which would result from Judgement against
tue piers causing Tor the tim" an absolute st"pPage OF
all commerce. The projectors OF the enterprise were
asking permission to do Morso's Cre just what tie
Government had spent millions 20 undo at He'll Gate,
whore the tonnage less. lie asked that tie bridge be
built at Il point only $500 feet distant from that
ieciod that 1t 10 seventy feet above highwater, tie
centre abutment being placed on Buckwheat Island :;
that the south side he spAnned that tugs and their
toy-, ordinary sailing, market aud steam vessels can
pass under t and that there should 10 draw Tor high
masted vessels the north side
State senator d. {, Chase, OF New-JcrscT. said the
amount expended and 10 be expended by the Govern
cnt for the Improvement Of the tributaries OF Staten
Island ound, or Arhurs XIII was SsiS.ooo The lro-
posed bridge world 10 OF greater dcinent 90 the CON-
nercia and navigation interests u those waters than all
the DISTRACTIONS which tho Government Lad removed
proposed to remove. Ninety-e!sht thou.aud vessel,
passed through the sound per annum having an Rgcre
gate tonnage Of 10000 which Is much greater than
tine commerce o. He'll Gate sandy lIook tie Mississippi
the Detroit. the Hudson, any other water In the
United states except TIE XIII Won Kull.
Congressman Lehlbach. OF Neville rsey and Mr.. James
Parker state Pilot Commissioner also spoke briefly IL
opposition to the plans Of the Baltimore and ONO Com
pany.
John X Cowen general solicitor OF tho Baltimore and
Ohio Company made the closing argument OF the hear
Ing lie sal the bill before tho committee did not
Of g1to lt-fH all
bridge WAS 10 be at or near Ezabethport Tho purpose
OF the bill IN regard t.o location Of til" bridge, to
sub.u tho matter To- the engineer officers Of tAr Army
lees thirty feet hgn and WIN draw that should
.iyc noI lees than 200 feet in the clear.
Mt Frye asked what Wa to he said ahoHt the prnctc-
AFFINITY OF n higher bridge. say bridge seventy or
seventy live feet nigh.
Nj Cow.h REPLIED that the compluys engineers re
ghrded u iupracrabs because Uf the enormous cost.
lou bark nrariv three miles ana ali the commerce
would have to be hauled MP that h.A seventy icot
si.t.ncs pi ~ w.. I,ti.rVl ma 81 coursc w.s
serious problem. IL proposed 10 put at least two.
ana the traffic Increases, 81 the fastest steamer,
IN tue world upon this roGte. II American naval skill
could construct thcm OF which he had no doubt Prou
ncut Officers the Navy had told thcu THAI trro was
not particle dinruy In constructing 'tcamers that
won d run at the rate OF twenty i've niles an hour
The Trip could he made ~ twelve minutes.
what the character Of the commerce Of the XII AMI
It's ettenti There are three sources 81 com
merce. The INST Il south AmDoJ. Ih" second. Perth
Amboy - the coal terminus o. inc ulGh N''y lhe
commerce OF the Delaware Hartan Canal comes through
Bay there 10 the Local tOuHeIre gain
cred around by brick manufacturers. clay uauuiact
urcrs there. and lew manufacturers OF different
sorts Between Perth AmbOy and tho bridge, n located
below EuIabethpOu the Jerary side, are six small
manufacturing Institutions. II II enc drrary waste
with miles Of swamp on each SIDE all the way down II
/, a narrow stream which nothing has been collected
80 far except fertilizer factory ANA chemical Work or
two. extent Of tho commerce along there T. six
anufActHriug estHb ishmeEts outside of those that lie
on stream that already bridget and have draws
MI Cowen submitted statistics showing the shipments
from SOuth AinbOy he 23O9, gGl year OF which
2UOO 900 HE outside channel There was not
"A stream bel This city and Boston hut had draw
TO IT, as 10 that. not one.
Along the Peuusy lNania Depot" said Mr. COwon I'm
conclusion, " In NeW-NOIk pier marked kOtter
dAt aud Amsterdam. Royal Mall steamship every Satur
day. Did these geutlrtIrn who talk abppt the Inability
10 get through 2OO-ioot draw think OF the fact
that the vessel lies alougsd there ia order to get
not 200 Wide. that they Rotterdam
without going through canal Of that Kind, and " they
20 to Antwerp the Scheldt. they had tho same
dtion % things Dd they to think that the
whole OF Of TIE last that passes through
the Canal passes through space lea than 200 feet
wide
Senator Sewell said that NewJersey was opposed 10
the bridge % the Injury 20 the
ncrce the Arthur XIII, which her citizens In
great part There present necessity
for the bridge and he believed tbs schsne had It's origin
In Mr. Wimaas belief that, he had the bridge, lie could
sell II 10 advantage.
The committee determined to receive briefs from
parties In interest until Thursday OF next week.
EVERY MEMBER WANTS A CLERK