The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-30
A FIGHT In BAYONNE.
A Pile Driving outfit Put to- Eight
By a Mud Dcedger.

A lively battle between forces OF men
employed by the Bergen Neck Railway
Company and the American Dredging
Company took place yesterday afternoon
at the latter concerns plant on New York
Bay shore, at the foot of Avenue G, Bay
onne. The conflict ended in the utter
rout of the railroad company's forces. IL
was precipitated by an attempt on the
part of the railroad company to take pos
session of their right of way across the
dredging compaDy's property. lB
The railroad company is one yQf half a
dozen similar corporations that have
planned to girdiron Bayonne with steel
rails. Its route runs exterior to and par
alell with the New Jersey Central Rail
road tracks for a couple of miles. 1t
crosses the Morris canal with the pro-
posed route OF the Jersey City and Bay
onne Railroad Company, which skirts
the Bayonne shore of New York Bay in
closer proximity. AT the foot of East
Thirty-sixth street the roads diyerge and
the Bergen Neck's route, after skirting
the shore of the Bayonne cove extends
across the lower part Of Constable Hook
to n terminus adjoining the Oxford Cop
per and Sulphur Company's plant on the
Kill Won Kull shore.
The dredging company for a couple of
years past has been working to construct,
Ill COuJuuCtlOQ Will bH6 OUlUu Of6uXtu8
Company and another similar concern, a
large ship canal across the shallow cove
and to locate a big basin just back Of the
present shore line. Several months ago
the railroad company had a commission
appointed to condemn its right of way
across the dredging company's plant.
The commission made an award to which
the railroad officials acquiesced, Ralph
G. Packard, the head of the dredging
company, was dissatisfied with the award
and he entered an appeal for a larger
mount of damages. The litigation is
now pending.
Yesterday the railroad officials resolved
to carry out a bold stroke concerning
their right of way across the disputed ter
ritory. During the afternoon they dis
patched three tug boats and a large force
of men to the proposed ship basin. One
of the tugs had a pile driver In tow. Be
fore o dozen of the dedging company's
employees were aware OF the import of
the intrusion the tugs had steamed up
the canal and into the basin. The few
who were on the premises soon raj
lied to their assistance all of their fellow
EMPLOYEES who were in the vicinity.
They opened hostilities by endeayoring to
prevent the railroad company's forces
from driving piles for the foundation for
the railroad, The railroad men retaliated
with several streams of hot water from
Cne DOllefS OF Inc tugs. 10 aVOlu Delng
the dredging company's employees
retreated and held a council of war.
When they renewed the conflict they
were attired in heavy oil skins as a pro-
lection against the hot water. With
considerable difficulty they brought
TO bear upon the pile driver
and tugs a giant arm of their big mud
digger, having hoisted to the end of the
arm the immense iron scoop. Then they
notified the railroads forces that if they
did not desist at driving piles the big
scoop would be allowed to go by the run
the apparatus of the pile driver.
The threat had the desired effect, and
after some further parleying hostilities
A few minutes later the railroad
forces withdrew.
A writ of certiorari was this morning
served on Mayor Newman, of Bayonne.
by the American Dredging Company, to
prevent the police from interfering with
the building of a draw bridge by the COM
pany, at East Twenty-eighth street and
Avenue Il, over their proposed course.
Mayor Newman notified the Bergen
Neck Railroad this morning not to drive
any more piles in the basin of the Ameri-
can Dredging Company. The driving of
piles ceased Immediately upon the noti-
flcation being received. Thirteen piles
have been driven.