New-York tribune., 1891-08-27
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
THE HARLEM DaAWBRIDGES.
Mr.. sToUGHToN RENEws HIS PROTEST AGAINST
STRUCTURES THAT NAY IMPEDE
RIVER COMMERCE.


To tho Editor of The Tribune
Sir In q communication which appeared IN The
Tribune Of August IL I stated that BY the New York
state Legislature enactments all bridges over the
Harlem River to be twentyfour feet the clear
above high tides that lenghwisc commerce
have It's right OF way on tdewatr Tubs the Second
and Madison bridges built, under which most
Of tho river commerce pass without n15esststng
tho opening of the draws. II tlat is statute law why
are not the Third and Fourth lve bridges made to
conform TO statute law?" Iy remarks extended
further taking general view Of the interests involved
A certain correspondent calyg himself "a north
side resident" takes exception tOthcse general remarks
| ignoring however, any referere to the question cf
law involved. This leads me say in reference 70
the importance of the Harlem Rter for that
ii is a wellknown fact that tie builder OF the Eio
! Canal De Witt Clinton inteded II 10 have an
| eastern outlet by the Harlem Liver and Long Island
! Sound and for this intent legislation was had upon
! IL I'm 1926, Immediately after the opening Of the
Eric Canal, but the early dealt of Clinton, In 1923,
| left the Harlem work undonc legislation however,
continued on it from time TO tine Surveys ard re-
surveys were made of the river charters for the work
| were granted and anhulled. In 1857 bill for an ap
preparation on the proposed work placed before
Congress- supported by the New York State Legislature
but nothing came of IT, no person being wiling TO
give the personal attention to 1t which such an en-
terprsc requires to meet with In 1874 Con-
gress instructed the Secretary Of War TO have the
Harlem River surveyed but until this time, not dollar
| had been appropriated for the work by the city or
state of NewYOrk or by the General Government; nor
was tie writer when he entered the Harlem arena, cog
infant Of tho general interest that had been manifested
| n the enterprise. He saw, from much general
travel ami reflection upon the movements Of commerce,
that the great outlet for the products Of the West for
mails and passengers must of necessity be through the
| state of New-YOr by the Harlem Valley and the
deep-sea water Of Long Island Sound.
The project was considered Of such National I'm
portance that thlrtyeight citizens forward and
| signed n call for another meeting which was held
November %, 1876. ThcncefOrh the writer. as De
Witt Clinton had done with the Erie Canal mado the
| Harlem Canal enterprise personal matter. There
| came to his support many private citizens OF inc
city Of NewYor, the sgneEs OF one memorial repre-
senting more tan 750,0O0,O00 Of active commercial
capital this memorial being presented by the Hon.
A. S. Hewitt In the House OF Representatives. also the
Common Council OF tho city, by various acts; the Cham
| Der OF Commerce. the Board of Trade and Board Of
Transportation the state pf Ncw-York by It's legis-
ative act the City OF Buffalo by its Board OF Trade.
| and many slgneTs Of memorials from Detroit, Mch
Chicago H.; indianapolis Fort Wayne and Logans-
! port Ind. Cleveland and Toledo Ohio: Massachu-
setts by the City OF Worcester. and Connecticut
| bv The cities of Hartford Ncwlaven and bridgeport; {;
whose commercial interests rendered q navigable
Harlem desirable: who not only asked Congress to
appropriate money for it, but also requested Congress
to authorize the Secretary OF War to contract with the
writer for doing tho entire work Of the Harlem Canal
These mem0rlasts lsrsciy represented the commercial
interests of the United states and IL by general con-
sent, the enterprise was committed into the WrleTs
| hands, for his atteIt.on
on June 1s, 1873, Congress appropriated 100000
for the work, and on March supplemental this with
800 OOO more SO conditioned, however, that the United
states Engineer Department cUild not then apply 1t
for lack of the right OF way. The writer was thus
| Now Norr nd
work relating ID the Harlem River Improvement had
been laid aside Therefore, at the request OF large
bodies of commercial men. the writer bargancd for
the requisite land for the right OF way for the sum OF
$4,000 and OF October oS, 1873, rendered 1t ms
c TO the United States Government, with proposal
to build the Harlem Canal in It's entirety in strict ac-
cordance with the United states Engineers survey
ronor+ officially sent TO Congress February 90, 1879
for the sum of s07O,OO0 to have been completed In
1880 The United states Engineer in his survey re-
mort had declared that this work would cost S2o3o-
3G8 10 aside from the right Of way, which has since
been made to cost S239, 900. II ii IS asked why tho
writer did not receive the contract for this improve
mept the answer 5 simply that the United states
Engineer Department succeeded in preventing this
pr9posal from being considered BIZ the committees oi
Congress The writer presented his proposals WIN
veiphv support before the XLvIh Congress also and
then before the XLVIIth, XLVIllth NLlHth anu
Lh Congresses and with fifteen additional memorials
Congress was prompted to appoint committee to mako
another nspecton of the Harlem Canal work, ns re-
mort resulting I'm an appropriation OF Se50OOO Ths'
with an intermediate grant OF $4,000 made the total
| appropratons for the work $4,000. In gathering
th&e results the writer has acted IN represch'aNo
| capacity for large constituencies, Now WIN 'his
amount already being spent for the improvement. ana
with the right Of way safely IN the hands OF tho oV
ernment at a cost Of 200, the river being tde-
water and connecting two important highways OF com
merce, what right has the city Of Ncw-fork to close
! the draws OF the bridges for a month day or even
hour when such closing implies tho total s,oppase
Of river traffic. should not the sacTcduess OF pubic
property alone determine this question. Again, no"
long does the NewYort Central Railroad propose 70
yioate the statute law with bridge but few ieeo @
above the water, which entirely prohibits river Irio W.
| show willingness TO obey the law regulating INC
height Of bridges and their length OF draw Does % ~
road intend 10 run anucR against the Government Ot
Inc United Statel Some readers VIII remember that
when South Carolina proposed to nui5 Some Oa lie lie
statutes, Andrew Jackson, then President letting his
ire up, had his Attorney General read the statute %
the leader and with sharp twinkle IN ms eye He ~ @ car
Is not the commerce OF every civilized Nation in
terested in the Sue1 Canal and woud not si1esiRo 4 -
the sea affect all Of the interests which nc served by
the saving ot . the an ana expense In fne ne Of the
sea might be stopped with impunlty BY bridges main
tained contrary to law is utterly on. OF .e nhiCb
would pass through the Harlem River when II ,.od "a
rendered naYigahle. The Improvement mas been VIZ.
for too long and too anxolsly 10 be thus repna'cu,
The commerce Of these times wants no detentOhs nD
waiting for tides. no uncertainties no unneces1 10
friction. Mails. passengers and frerhts VIII go De
fire least expensive and shortest routes. and IL these
routes cannot be had in Nev-York. they win be sought
elsewhere With the changes that would result f0ia ON
The Harlem River improvement with the use OF .no @
deep waters OF Long Isnnd Sound for ocean scneerG @ e
which could enter ana leave port independent oi uG @
Influences and with the establishment OF daiN Iie
OF American European steamers like the Malesto
and Tentonc, leaving Port Morris regularly at p. m Vii
how quickly commerce would be benefited VINO WI ~
presume 10 limit the effects That would come IRON tao
Unrestricted opening Of this email winter way 4roy
New -YorlI, Aug. 1s, 1891.
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