The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-24
HUDSON BIG BRIDGE
Andrew H. Green Turns
the First Sod in
the Rain.
The Home Directors on a Quest
for Their New York
Colleagues.
WHERE THE DINNER WAS EATEN,
President Green's Speech of Con-
gratulatl0n-Work Will
Begin Monday.
WHERE THE DINNER WAS EATEN.

Begin Monday.
The New York and New Jersey Bridge
Company today turned the first sod for
the foundation of the abutments for the
bridge on this side of the river. The site
located is the Coseet Estate, on Bergen
line Road, near Gutenberg. and just
opposite Seventeeth street, New York.
The ceremony took place in pouring
rain. Andrew H. Green, President of
the Consolidated Companies, with an UNI
brella over his head, seized brand new
spade, and pushing it into the
ground, turned the sod in the
presence of Directors Charles M.
Vail Evner Thomas, George w. Greene,
Charles H. Swan, Secretary and Treas
urer; Thomas G. Clarke. Chief Engineer;
Charles B. Brushbinstand, Engineer, and
James L. Sparkman. Q
The last named director was the only
one of the New Jersey directors present.
AS soon as the sod was turned the
party jumped into coaches and were
driven to the Water Tower of the Hack
ensack Water Company, where the di-
rectors held meeting.
Several speeches were made. and while
these speeches were being enjoyed, the
New Jersey directors. who had arrived
after the party drove away from the
turned sod. drove through the binding
rain in search of the New York men.
Concluding that President Green and
and the others had gone to the town hall
the home directors drove there. The
New York directors were not dis
covered until after they had adjourned the
meeting at the Water Tower The next
meeting will be held in New York
NnA odary xuhnn ROT yuflI ha
turned there.
PRESIDENT GREEN'S SPEECH.
This is in part President Green's ad-
dress:-
"Having paid our friend and ally, the
great State of New Jersey which fronts
the Atlantic on the east and the boundless
continent on the west, the compliment of
first breaking ground within her terri
tory, for this undertaking, unprecedented
in the annals of human ingenuity, it be-
comes nv pleasing duty. as Chairman of
the Commission by the appointment of
tie Legislature of the State of New York
to determine the locat tion and plan of the
proposed bridge across the Hudson River
which is to unite the City of New York
with the continent. to ofiiciate In the
ceremonies which constitute the initial
step in the practical forwarding OF this
enterprise.
"The port of New Pork is easily first Of
all of our continental ports in the value,
bulk and variety of foreign productions
landed at her docks, and first in the value
of exports, and to this circumstance is
supposed to be due the fact that we are
the chief of our manufacturing cities and
the chief domestic market.
properly construed, however. the re-
lation of forces is actually reversed, and
we are made the chief emporium of for
eign commerce for the reason that we
control by virtue of our routes to the in
terror the domestic market. 1t is we'll
that we should appreciate this. SO that in
our eager effort to secure the secondary
advantage we may not be led TO sacrifice
the primary. Defined by the character
of the greater portion of her production
and exchange, New York may be said to
be an interior city.
.New York was once situate at the
single point of convergence of superior
routes, from many regions upon which
interior trade and travel was compelled
to concentrate, but these conditions exist
no longer. The business of transporting
freight and passengers is progressive
Notwithstanding natural advantages,
New York cannot afford to neglect the
equipment of her routes. or allow them
to be inferior to other routes laid upon
lines independent of her, upon
lines which do not touch her posi-
tion, upon lines constructed for the ex-
press purpose of diverting her trade-yet
that is exactly what we do allow, and is
just what many champions of public well
fare strenuously advocate When the
route now constructed between Boston
and Philadelphia and their relating
regions by way of Poughk eepsie bridge
shall be in full operation, and the route
now under construction between districts
heretofore tributary to us, shall be COM
pleted by bridge crossing at Peekskill,
the unbridged line by New York will be
Disseminated against to the extent of
fifty cents of passenger fare and an hour g
dispatch, thirty cents per ton on freight,
and possibly days in dispatch. The en-
tire relation of the city to some of the
most aff1uent tributaries changed.
AN ALTERNATIvE.
'Whether we shall have the best or
worst roads to our sources OF supply de-
pends upon the view we take of the con-
struction of bridge across the Hudson
River at this point. Apart from the i'm
portance of such structure as perfect
ing communication with remote tribu-
tares, it is indispensable as local con-
venience Further, in an area in New
Jersey, comprised in circuit drawn
twenty-five miles from our City
Hall, is population equal to
that of Kings County, of which $4,000
persons go and come daily to and from
the metropolis In every relation but in
that of political jurisdiction, this area is
suburb of New York. There are,
moreover, so many enterprises of re-
modelling the business OF the city, and its
deepening of Harlem River for the accom-
mediation of the canal boat fleet, the
concurrent improvement OF the ship pas
sage through the Sound and He'll Gate,
With view of max ing the upper portion
of the city resort for foreign ships com.
ng in by way of the Sound and the com.
pletion of the Baltimore and Ohio route.
which opens new route south for Brook.
lyn and New York, that strong guard
must be thrown out to protect
against disturbance the old line OF
freight and travel dispatch upon which
many hundreds of millions of dollars
have been expended. and which consti-
tutes an immense share of our wealth and
business.
NEW YoRK's POSITION.
1.-THE position of New York is still more
commanding if Its relations be lntelli'
gently examined and maintained. This
Is the line of shortest communication be-
tween our northern and southern regions
md the line directed through this
nojut passes in all It's exten
sion over surfaces most easily re
dneible TO economic Transports
tion and travel. These conditions are
not. however, so strong by nature thai
Ihey may not be fanked and turned
Neglect to develop and improve natura
facilities of transport may prompt, al