The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-07
DOWN TOWN.

| Starting at the ferry one sees at a glance
Exchange place needs repaving. 1t will
be only a short time when many of the old
rooReries on that thoroughfare will give way
to magnificent office buildings. The Trac-
! tion Company, it is understood, is anxious
to erect at the ferry, on the site of Taylor's
| Hotel a magnificent depot The Improve
| ment would be followed by others. But
while waiting for these, the neighborhood
would be improved by the repaving of Ex-
change place. Montgomery street, from
| Exchange place to Newark avenue is next
on the list. 1t needs repairing Newark
| avenue is in horrible condition, when one
| considers that it is the business thorough
! fare of the city. Business men are anxious
! to have the small blocks with which it is
paved replaced with regulation blocks
| Merchants complain that the smaller blocks
cannot stand the heavy traffic, and, as re-
| suit, there are always unsightly rutS and
holes Not much fault is being found with
Hudson or Greene streets as they are quite
well paved
In both Green and Hudson streets, how
ever, the board will sooner or later be COM
PEELED to lay larger water mains. The
present ones are too small to I'll the require
menus What water runs through them is
consumed by the manufacturing concerns
and during the day it is almost impossible in
tenements and flats to secure a drop of water
above the first story. As a result fats and
dwellings are continually idle An illustra-
ton of the scarcity of water in the lower
section was given at the big Heidi fire in
which instance thousands of dollars worth of
property would have been destroyed and
hundreds of families rendered homeless had
it not been for the aid given the fire depart
ment by fire tugs. The sewers in that
locality are also in deplorable condition.
All need repairing.
Washington street will have to be attended
to or the city is likely to have big damage
suit on it's hands When the street was
lowered under the Pennsylvania trestle it
was understood that drains were to be pro-
vided to carry off the surface water. That
agreement has never been carried out and
it remains for the city to make the necessary
repairs.
TIE MORGAN STREET DOCKS.
The Morgan street dock IS in a dangerous
condition. 1t is the only bit Of water front
the city owns, but for ali that the dock has
been allowed to go to pieces. No one has
deemed it necessary to keep it in repair. By
putting it in a safe condition the revenue
may easily be made to exceed the salary paid
the wharnnger.
In that locality another important matter
that needs attention is Pearl street. Prop
erty owners wonder it it IS not possible to
get obstructions removed therefrom. Neglect
against the old board
Henderson street will have to be looked
after The pavements are wholly unfit for
the heavy traffic of the street. The sewer,
too. will have to be repaired or an entirely
new one built.
The Morgan and Bay street sewers are so
constructed that water is expected to run up
hill.
Property owners are continually crying
that overfowed Easements create disease
and cause tenaptless houses. Railroad ave-
nue. below Henderson street might be put in
a condition fit to live in by little effort
To be in keeping with the new City Hall,
Henderson street, from Newark avenue
south might at least be paved in such a
manner that light wagon might be driven
through it in safety. OF Grove street not
much fault is to be found. Barrow street is
soon to have asphalt pavement. York
street property owners from Jersey avenue
to Warren street want to know if it is really
an engineering impossibility to make it pass
able
NORTH OF THE ERIE TRACKS.
Erie street is another street which needs
attention. By opening it through to Hobo
ken a territory would be developed which
would by the increased valuations pay for
the cost of the work. Considerable building
is being done on Erie street north of Pavonia
avenue, and in justice to these people the
street should be made to extend to Hoboken
the same as Henderson and Grove.
An urgent necessity for the development
of neglected portion of the city is the
opening of Seventeenth, Sixteenth, Fifteenth,
Fourteenth and Thirteenth streets to the
Hill. The outlay would perhaps be a half
million, but street openings and improve
ments are made by assessing property bene-
fited the city bearing only its pro rata share.
Every dollar expended would in the course
of few years find its way back into the
citys treasury and there would be created
for taxable purposes millions of valuations.
1t is a locality which would be much sought
after because of its splendid railroad facil-
tiles. but, as it stands at present, nobody
wants it, and the property owners are even
beginning to refuse to pay the small taxes
levied upon it. The locality would spring
into prominence as business centre if some
of the streets mentioned, if not all of them,
were opened to the Hill.
The northern section of the city needs
many things in the way of water, sewers
and street improvements. Its swamps would
soon be covered with manufacturing pur-
poses if the city will give a helping hand
MERCER STREET TO THE HILL.
Returning TO the heart OF the city, similar
improvements are required. Mercer street
should be extended to the Hill. The New
jersey junction Railroad, in being allowed
to cross Railroad avenue, agreed to con-
struct q ninety-foot spar bridge at Mercer
street. Now is the time to get that bridge.
Railroads make great promises, but when
they once fasten themselves on a spot dyna-
mite is useless. The opening of Mercer
street to the Hill is an absolute necessity to
insure the future growth of the city. The
filing in of Mill Greek will in very short
order dry up those foul smelling swamps,
and then the only thing which will be re-
quired to build the entire swamp up is COM
munication with the Hill by way of Mercer
street.
York and Bright streets should be ex-
tended to the Hill. The closing of Mill
Creek is the opening wedge to all these much
needed improvements. To sewer these streets,
lay water and gas mains will cost but little
as no excayating will be required. An ex-
ceilent sewage system could be laid in those
swamps in the very heart of the city which
would drain the Hill property, and also take
care of down town sewage.
With the economical government promised
by Mayor Wanser, and the Water Depart
rnent made self sustaining as promised by
President Macarthur, the needs mentioned
will take but small part Of the money there
will be on hand for the Improvement of the
city's condition and appearance.
SOUTH COVE.
When the city acquires its right to South
Cove, it should be converted in all haste into
basin similar to the Erie basin
The revenue to be derived from basin, |
such as South Cove would make, would not
only give the city ample funds for improve
ments. but aid greatly in the redemption Of
maturing bonds.
Fremont and Merseles streets should be |
opened through the swamps to Grand street |
The cost would be trifing and of no import