The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-17
THE DOCKAGE SCHEME.
1t Will Help to Build Up the West
Section Of the City.

A good many people on the Hill, who
have interested themselves in the move
ment for the building of public docks,
were partly amused at the inaccuracies,
and partly annoyed by the bias and unfair
ness of the treatment the Journal ac-
corded to the subject yesterday.
''The Journals objections to the loca-
ting of the dock at the foot of Broadway"
said one gentleman, ''are puerile. All
public improvements benefit some parties
more than others; this should not weigh
with city or cause it to delay any needed
Improvement.
sents or otherwise Is not correctly In
formed" he went on, lin regard to the
depth of meadow soil. George II.
Cook, State Geologist's soundings show
the depth along the line of Broadway to
be 5, 10, 13, Is feet, an average of IL u feet,
and the average depth of the entire tract
between the Pennsylvania Railroad and
the Newark Plank road is only II feet.
The Journal states that the depth varies
from 10 to AZ feet.
1.-The meadow land on Broadway was
filled in by the Marion Building Com
pany over fifteen years ago, to a point be-
tween Wilmot and Marcy avenues, q dis
tance of about eight hundred feet, and
the street is in as good condition to day
as fifteen years ago; there has not been
any perceptible settling of the filings.
A CASE IN POINT.
"The driving park at Duncan avenue
was filed in about twelve years ago with
sand removed from the upland at West
Side avenue, and no filling has been
added in the meantime, and the condition
OF the track, which has been in constant
use, is as good now as when first graded.
Messrs. Thomas E. Bray, Francis p
Gautier and John McKiernan own the
lands in the track and will certify to the
correctness of this statement Both the
track and Broadway can be inspected by
any one interested in the proposed inn
that the meadow land ON Broadway has
not been filled in at all is not correct.
''The fact is, that about eight hundred
feet of the distance has been filed in,
leaving about eight hundred and fifty feet
to be filed to Hackensack avenue"
THE ESTIMATES OF COST.
"The Journals estimate of cost is
simply absurd. 1t is estimated by COM
petent and experienced persons that the
entire cost of land. docks and filling
would not exceed $25, 900, or less than
one-tenth the ridiculous sum stated by
the Journal.
Lots 26 to 80, both inclusive. on block
anu 90, DUU Ie6U Oh Iue ftaCk6nSaCk
River and 200 feet front on Hackensack
avenue, foot of Broadway, are owned by
the estate of Hamilton Wallis and Enos
Richardson, and are all that.isirequired for
a dock for the city at present.
"The act authorizes the Board Of
Finance to issue bonds to an amount not
exceeding 500, 900 when petitioned by not
less that fifty residents and freeholders.
''The petition presented is signed by
over eighty property-ownerS, residents,
except William H. Corbin, of Elizabeth,
and Jerome ID. Gillette andEnos E. Jones,
of New Yorkcity
MEADOW IMPROVEMENTS.
''Nor is it true" this gentleman con-
tinued, ''that the meadows are dead
waste, presenting no sign of progress.
The longJ abandoned watch works build
ing at Marion Is now in active use by the
Daft Electric Company. On the river
front, above the three bridges, is Dodge &
Co.'s lumber yard, purchased within the
last eighteen months for $33, 900, and with
$50 feet of bulkhead put up on it, valued
now at 100000.
s'Hall & Co., masons and material men,
have, within year, bought 200 feet of
water front above the turnpike bridge,
and secured the riparian rights and are
now building an imposing bulkhead
George w. Hard, president of the Chat
ham National Bank, of New York, has
purchased the large lllingworth tract, be-
tween West Side avenue and the Haeken-
sack River-probably fifty acres of land
discounting the boom the new elevated
railroad will give to property there"