The Jersey City news., 1892-02-20
old STREETS EXTENDING
Morris and Sussex Streets
to Run Through South
Cove.
PRESENT STATE OF THE GRANT
Conferences Looking to the Utili-
zation of the Prop
erty.
PRESENT STATE OF THE GRANT

are 10th to discuss the future of South
Cove. The members of the Board are
happy that the Cove belongs to the city,
and they are generous in their congratu-
lations to Corporation Counsel Edwards
and ex-Mayor Collins. Day after day
recently columns have been written and
published about the great South Cove
grant, its value and its future. The esti-
mate of Corporation Counsel Edwards as
to the value of the Cose-viz, 800 900, is
considered by tine Street and Water Com
missioners extremely low. That body
fixes the value at 50 100000 as it stands,
with the prospect of doubling its value
by i'm proving it.
From the Henderson street bridge,
crossing the Morris Canal, good view of
the South Cove grant may be had. From
this point OF observation nothing can be
seen but freight cars, deserted canal
boats, coal pockets and mud.
HEMMED IN BY TRACKS.
The grant is at present hemmed in by
railroad tracks whic h are operated by the
Central or Lehigh Valley Railroads.
This condition of affairs has existed for
years, though it was not until recently
that the railroads began laying tracks on
the disputed territory. The Central
Railroad Company has four distinct sets
of tracks in South Cove which it is at
present operating.
On crossing Henderson street bridge a
person finds himself confronted by an i'm
mense coal dock, which has a storage
capacity of about $1,000 tons. This dock
is operated by the Central Railroad Com
pany, through Hugh Mclaughlin, the
latter being the agent for the Honey
Brook Coal Company, which is virtually
jo 10, ba
one the company made such hard fight
to reach, endeavoring, in its efforts, to
lay across Henderson street.
These efforts were stopped, but subse-
quentiy the company was permitted to
proceed under an agreement entered into
by Corporation Counsel Edwards, OH the
part of the city. and ex-Chancellor Will
hanson on the part of the Central Rail-
road. This dock stands on city property
and the tracks leading to it are also laid
on what is now city property. On the
opposite side of the street, the Central
Railroad Company has erected freight
station, and from this point is doing an
enormous amount of shipping. A single
track leads to the freight house from the
main track. To the north of the freight
house is another single track which runs
upon a coal dock built by the company
for the use of Henry SGeinbruck, another
retail coal dealer.
COAL AND FREIGHT.
The two coal docks ana freight station
omprise the only buildings and property
on the South Cove grant, at present
operated by the railroad company. The
docks, tracks and freight station are all
constructed on made ground. The Cen
tral Railroad Company, realizing what an
immense trade they could command II
they secured coal docks almost in the
heart of the city, determined to fill in and
ovtan6 HanHarGnD STRAIT if9 nrOD-
erty. This was done at considerable ex-
pense, and now Henderson street cuts
through the centre of the great basin,
ROTTEN HULKs.
To the left of the street there is nothiu
on the property included within the
grant but water, which at high tide at
tains a depth of five or six feet. This
section of the grant has been and is now
used by boat owners who run old canal
boats in there and then abandon them.
AS result the southern end of the grant
is filled with rotten hulks. On the north
side of Henderson street rests the great
body of water, which is at all times from
prior to the fiiling-in or Henderson street,
used this section of the grant for dump
Ing ground, and towed old canal boats in
there also and abandoned them.
sQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY.
Within The last two years squatters
have erected shantles on the edge of the
basin and have remained there undsturb-
ed. The appearance of the property in
general is that iu is valueless, and as il
stands it is virtually useless. Several
hundred thousand of dollars will have TO
be spent by some one in improving it.
The very latest rumor afloat is that the
Street and Water Commissioners will fill
in portion of the grant, dredge the
remainder of it and construct immense
warehouses and WharVes.
Henderson street is to be opened to its
proper width and paved, and then will
follow the extension of Morris street
NJ orris street begins at the Hudson River
front and extends as far west as the Nor.
ris Canal, which adjoins the South Cove
grant. A bridge IS to be constructed
across the canal and the street then ex
tended directly across the South Cove
property to Pacific avenue, Lafayette, and,
according to the ideas of merchants in
that section, Morris street will develop
into one of the greatest thoroughfares iu
the city.
Following the extension of Morris street
will come the extension of Sussex street.
aud the rest of the property will be util
ized as stated for the operation of ware
houses and wharves.
To gain access to the cove from the
river the s"Gap" will be utilized, with
slip connections at the warehouses and
Wharves.
MATTERS YET UNDECIDED.
The Street and Water Commissioners
have not yet decided just what they will
do to enhance the value or usefulness OF
the property, but it is known that already
conferences have been held and the mat
ter thoroughly discussed.
Skillful utilization of the property
means an enormous revenue to the city,
and it is the intention of the Street aud
Water Commissioners TO get all they pos
IDLY can out of it. Surrounded as the
property is by Railroad lines. with nu-
merous freight stations and coal docks, ii
promises to become the greatest shipping g
point in Hudson county.
The Central Railroad officials. when in
terviewed this morning by a JERSEY CITY
NEWS reporter as to what move the com
pany would make next, replied that moth
ing definite had been decided upon. The
gentlemen intimated, however, that the
decision of Justice Beasley would be ap'
pealed from. In the meantime the COM
pany will keep possession OF the property
ana operate its tracks under the agree
ment drawn up by Corporation Counsel
Edwards.