The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-08
BRIDGE BILL SIGNED
President Cleveland, by His
Signature, Makes 1t
a Law.
ITS BENEFIT TO HUDSON COUNTY
Work to be Begun on 1t as Soon
as Possible-Its Location
Here.

WASHINGTON, June s, 1S94.-The Presi-
dent signed the New York and New Jersey
Bridge bill at late hour last night
The bill which has just become law was
revised to meet the objections of the Presi-
dent, who last January vetoed the original
measure. Mr.. Fry was the most vigorous
opponent of the original bill in the Senate.
His opposition was based on the fact that
It permitted the construction of pier on the
New Jersey side of the river, though provis-
ion was made for a clear waterway of not
less than 2,0o0 feet from the New York shore.
The President vetoed the first bill because
the proposed pier was. in his opinion, a
menace to navigation. He held that it was
possible to bridge the stream with structure
not requiring the use of piers.
The bridge people then drafted a measure
which calls for a bridge at some point be-
tween Fifty-ninth and Sixty-ninth streets,
in New York City, and directly opposite ON
the Jersey side, with such length of span
and at such elevation as the Secretary of
War shall approve and require" The head
way above high water shall be not less than
$50 feet.
The President is empowered to appoint a
board of five bridge experts, who shall rec
ommend what length Of span, not less than
1900 feet, shall be practicable.
The provisions of the former bill relating
to railroad tracks on the structure were in
corporated In the new bill.
Work must be begun on the bridge inside
of year, and in each year thereafter until
it is finished the expenditure must not be
less than S1,000,000
WILL BEGIN WORK AT ONCE.
EdIow Harrison, the civil engineer who is
infareSfal in tha bridra c0u1panV yyhar in
formed of the favorable action of President
Cleveland, said:-"The company will prob
ably begin work at once. They have an
abundance of money, and, as the scheme will
undoubtedly be successful financially, the
construction of the bridge will be pushed
rapidly to completion. 1t will be similar to
but several times the magnitude of the
Poughkeepsie bridge. 1t is three or four
times greater than the Brooklyn Bridge and
will cost with approaches almost S20
the same as that of the Brooklyn
bridge. Inventions and cheaper materials
viii enable the company to build larger
structure than the Brooklyn bridge for less
money than it cost The amount of capital
invested is not large when comparisons are
made. There is S10.0G0,000 invested in the
Newark and Jersey City trolly cars. 1t cost
$4,000, 900 to buy the Jersey City and Ber-
gen Railroad. 1t costs a vast sum to main
tain the trolley roads while the bulk of the
income of the bridge must be applied to
paying off interest. The bridge will strike
the east side of the Hill. about half
a mile above the West Shore
tunnel. Its terminus at the west side of the
hill will be near the west end of the West
Shore tunnel The company will have to
cut through the hill for its railway tracks so
as to be under all improvements. For the
passenger traffic the grade will have to be
brought up to join the surface. The hill at
this point is on the average twenty-five feet
higher than the grade required for the
bridge. Ground was broken for the bridge
on this side two years ago.
BENEFIT THE COUNTY.
''My idea in regard to the effect is that it
will be beneficial to this county. A great
deal has been said and written to the effect
that it will not benefit this city. This is
mistake. All the water front has been
taken up for business, and we cannot spare
any more front for ferry houses. Every
passenger ferry takes up from five to six
hundred feet of water front. The bridge
will obviate the establishment of adj
ditional ferries to accommodate the
rapidly increasing traffic and
will develop the upper section of the county.
1t will prevent the delays and avoid the
danger as the river is now crowded with
boats and the ferry boats are run about as
rapidly as they can be moved Look at
Exchange place or Ferry street. Hoboken,
when there is storm OF fog how they are
to get across. Storms and fog will not
seriously impede traffic by the bridge, where
passenger will not interfere with freight or
freight with passenger traffic. The craft on
the river is increasing annually and the
ferryboats will necessarily move slower.
The erection of the bridge means rapid
transit on this side, and many in the
upper section of the county will, instead
of going to New York, patronize stores on
this side. Rapid transit connections will be
made. and people will be enabled to reach
New York from the Heights in much less
time than by travelling over the ferry and
by the elevated road up town. 1t will bring
the west side of the Hill close to all parts Of
New York
INCREASED POPULATION.
'The object is to provide for the rapidly
increasing population. | do not think that
much freight traffic will go over the bridge,
except perisnable freight, milk and beef. All
the heavy freight will be handled as at pres
ent. Limited or Pullman trains will
probably be run over the bridge.
Passengers would prefer being landed
in New York city in central and
convenient location and would prefer paying
small extra fee, say twenty-five or fifty
cents. to embark on train in the city and
avoid the loss of time by L road and ferry.
1t will enable them to stay at home from half
an hour to an hour; The bridge com
pany will have all it can do to
take care of the passenger traffic if
only the great increase in population is to be
provided for. Business demands bridge.
The ferry companies are building double
deck boats and have put a bridge over West
street to ava the block of teams. North
Hudson is rapidly growing and manu-
factories are driving out the population from
lower Jersey City to the Heights.
FAST TRAINS.
'sFast trains will be run from the bridge to
the end of the county, and people wlll in a
erhf
and landed in New York It will certainly
not be detriment to this city and county.
My opinion is that it will be only one of a
series of bridges. The river must be given
up to commerce. Even now an available
sitefor ferry cannot be had on the New
York side.n
AN EXPLORER DROWNED.