The evening world., 1894-07-13
DEF|ES The n. Y. c.
Secretary Swan, of the New Hud.
son Bridge, Answers Depew.
Will Have the Landing Pier on Land
Now Und r Water.
And Run the Approach 100 Feet
Above the Railroad Tracks.

The statement of President Chauncey
NJ. Depew, of the New York Central
that as his road controlled the
entire North River water front between
and Seventy-second streets.
1t would be impossible for the $4,000, 900
New York and New Jersey Bridge to
secure pier landing within those points
and advising the Bridge Company to so
up to Riverside Park and land there. is
pooh poohed by Secretary Swan, of the
Bridge Company.
Secretary Swan says the bridge can
cross the Central Railroad tracks and
property $50 feet in the air and do 1t
legally at anyv point on the Hudson
River front between Fifty-ninth and
SiXtieth streets.
This is now. he explains, the situation.
In 1890 Andrew II. Green, Col. Hahn,
Evan Thomas. Charles M. Vail and
Isdor Straus, the Commissioner APP
pointed by the State OF New York to
determine the location OF the bridge ap-
proaches in New York City, chose the
block bounded by west OF Eleventh
avenue SEVENTEEN and Seventy-first
streets and on to the river They
located our pier outside OF all property
controlled by the Central Railroad.
The water pier landing is on under
water land belonging to the city of New
York, and not to Depew or Vanderbilt.
Our plans showed that We went $50 feet
in the air over all the railroad or pri-
vate property intervening.
NOV. in 1884,. the United States Con-
gress decides that the bridge landing
must be located between Fifty-n!nth
and Sixtieth streets. Therefore we are
bound to build between these points.
AT SiXey-ninth street, up to tn ex-
terror pier-head line our landing would
be outside of the Central Railroad prop
erty, and on lands unCtr water owned
by the city. There are no piers or any
thing else to interfere with us there.
AT Fifty-ninth street. upon the block
between Fifty-ninth and SiXtieth streets,
ais. and then the landing could be made
under water also on city lands within
The exterior pier-head line, just as at
SiXty-nith street. The land suitable for
the landing pier on the uplands. be-
tween Fifty-nith and SiStieth streets
west of Eleventh avenue, belongs to prl-
Nate Individuals.
1t is, however, true that tle New York
Central railroad owns part OF the land
ana leases the balance from the city OF
New York between Sixtieth and Seven
litlN SllCt,S, nut lUcy uOn tease OF own
the air b. the law Of eminent domain
We cAn go overhead over the railroad
tracks OF condemn private property for
our use.
I'VE had jus. the same Identical fight
with the Central road when We built
the Poughkeepsie Bridge, but we built
il just the same and carried our APP
proachcs over the railroad tracks. just
as We propose TO do now.
The New York and New Jersey Bridge
Company was organized with private
capital in 1890. The States Of New York
and New Jersey have given us all the
rights that laid within their powers to
Government has approved the action OF
the two States.
at would be distinctly understood
that all plans and details OF the bridge
are subject to approval by the Board
of Expert Engineers as to the length
of span and by the State Commission
er r;a as TO the frame !aa powers Of the
may demand carriage and foot ways
and we would have to provide them II
they so elected, though at present 1,
is only as railroad bridge that our
plans have been made, Finally. every.
thing must be approved by the Score
and whatever he says should be done
must be done.
II think that we can only Ind a suit,
| able landing either at Fifty-ninth stree,
OF at SiXtieth street. and at one Of those
two points, Chauncey NJ. Depew or nc
| will be located.
Until we know which OF the two To-
cations Is finally selected. we canno,
take any action towards securing the
| land either by lease or purchase from
private owners or by direct lease from