The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 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 Under Water.
Aud Run the Approach 100 Feet
Above the Railroad Tracks.

The statement OF President Chauncey
NJ. Depew. OF the New York Central
Railroad. that as his road controlled the
entire North River water front between
i'ifty-ninth and Seventy-second streets,
it 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 go
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 any point on the Hudson
River font between FIFTY ninth and
SiXtieth streets.
This is how he explains the situation:
In 1890 Andrew II. Green, Col. Hahn,
Evan Thomas, Charles NJ Vail ana
lsdor Straus, the Commissioners ap-
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-hr
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 ALI the railroad or pri-
vate property intervening.
Now, in 1894, the United States Con-
gress decides that the bridse landing
must be located between Fifty-ninth
| ~ StNt ,, yfra.. InR f.-A ira.
bound to build between these points.
AT Sixty-ninth street up to the ex-
terror pier-head line, our landing. would
| be outside of the Central Railroad prop
| 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 SiNtieth streets,
| the property is held by private indiVidu-
ais, and there the landing could be made
| under water also on city lands within
SiXty-ninth street. The land suitable for
| the landing pier on the uplands, be-
| tween tifty-ninth and SiXtieth streets.
west of Eleventh avenue, belongs to pri-
| Vate individuals.
at is. however true that the New York
| Central Railroad owns part of the land
AMI leases the palance from the city of
! New York between SiXticth and Seven
| ticth streets, but ii don't lease or own
| he air. by the law of eminent domain
| HC can go overhead over the railroad
tracks or condemn private property for
| our use.
We had just the same identical fight
with the Central road when We built
! The PouBhkeepSie Bridge. but, We built
| II just the same and carried our APP
! proaches over the railroad tracks just
as We propose TO do now.
THE New Nuri; 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 lay within, their powers "a
Government has approved the action OF
| the two States.
ut should be distinctly understood
that al 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
Grs as 10 the traffic powers Of the
! bridge. These latter commissioners
may demand carriage and foot ways,
and We would have To provide them II
they so elected, though at present it
plans have been made. Finally. every
thing must he approved by the Secre-
tary of War lie is the final arbitrator,
and whatever he says should be done
~ think that we can only ind suit
! able landing either at Fifty-ninth sire ct
two points. thauncey NJ. Depaw or no
, Ihauncey NJ. bepew, the ridge building
! Will be located
Until we know which of the two To-
cations is finally selected we cannot
take any action towards securing the
land either by lease or purchase from
! private owners or by direct lease from
| the city"
! The BOARD OF Expert Engineers H. ct
! again this morning ana Immediately
| went into executive session to consider
| further horinEs and statistics OF resist
ant strains for the bridge llers. The
| Board adjourned this afternoon until
! next Monday morning, wnen the session
will again be private
on Tuesday the meeting will be o; en-,
| and partial report OF the B1arIs work
so far probably made public