The sun., 1895-02-17
THE FREE PoRr At rom POND nay.
Facts About the Hsrbor Proposed 20 ne
f'rentrd on IsonE Isinnd.


Fact. About the Iarbor Proposed 10 ne
Created On LonE Island.
Tho scheme for the establishment Of a FREQ
port almost at tue doors Of New York, which
was Auryested about year ago. seems now TO
bo in a fair way Of receiving legal sanction and
being carried into effect Tho project was
started by Austin Corbn OF the Long Island
Railroad. Charles VI. Pratt. Watson u. Dickin-
son, George l.. Edgell, and others, and II was
first put into form when on April 30 OF last
year bill was introduced into the United states
Senate by Senator Chandler authorizing the es-
tablshment OF n free port at Fort Pond Bag or
elsewhere on Long Island.
According to the provisions Of this bill. the
projectors named and their associates. either MS
partners or as q corporation. are authorized to
establish the port In such Of the waters Of Long
Island ns shall meet with the approval of the
Secretary of the Treasury. The projectors are
to proceed to acquire lands bordering upon tho
waters so selected, and they are then to sur
round these lands with walls, and within this
enclosure erect piers and warehouses, and they
may also erect factories.
When all is complete and approved by tho
Secretary of the Treasury the port shall he open
for the admission of vessels from any part Of the
world, free from all the expensive and annoying
regulations which are necessarily enforced In u
port uf entry Instead Of having to enter the
goods ms imports. the whole establishments, ships
and warehouses and factories are designated rs
United States bonded warehouses in the bill.
and are to be treated rs such. All vessels which
enicr or leave the port Will be free from tonnage
also from any llarbor Masters fees under the
state law; and all charges for dockage and Tor
the use OF piers or warehouses; for merchandise
are to be- subject TO the regulations OF the Secre-
tary ot the Treasury.
then referred TO the Senate Committee on Conn
merce On "wednesday, Feb; IL; the Commerce
Committee reported the bill back to the Senate,
with Two amendments. The amendments are as
foOws:
SIC. 6, That the prcpretors aforesaid shall incur
the whole expense uf opening aud OF suitably main
tainng at All times said port ncluIns the c6nstryc-
Ing OF the channel and all other fariiltes Tor
merce that may be deemed necessary 10y said setro
SIC. 4. That the Secretary, Of the Treasury, urop
ike conditions, shall allow the csaplIshnIcnt OF ad
IN S fTsG Gs m II my hs sSr na ad PdpGfs h wn
pricors OF such ports shall bc entitled To- a.! the
spons6iites @ provided by this act n connection with
he free port III this act provided for.
In this form the projectors believe that It will
become a law, and they are ready when this
happens to begin the work OF building the new
port. Two or three million dollars will have to
be expended al once to fit the proposed spot for
Fort Pond Bay. tie place mentioned in the
bill, is a harbor situated almost at the extreme
eastern point of Long Island. Recall to your
mind the shape of that end Of the island, You
will remember that it resembles in n rough way
an animal with an, open mouth, with the under
jew much longer than the upper. Between the
jaws lie Gardeners Island and Shelter lslano, in
the waters of GARDENERS Bay and peconic Bay.
The end OF the long uhder jaw Is Montauk
Point. Five miles west from Montauk Point, on
Point, and II milc-and-G- hal lf-deep notch behind
Gull9den Point forms the harbor OF Fort
city. The bay has an area Of about one square
mile, ana all around and under its waters lie
Quogue and the Shiunecock reservation. Right
within the har6or is coating OF about three
gravel. which forms strong anchorage ground.
The bay is Y shape, and is protected by its
from within the segment of tho compass from
northwest TO northeast. A small breakwater
will give i all the further proeGton it needs
sea. oneof these is the strait between Montauk
Point and Block Island. This is fourteen miles
fathom=. The other is to the nor: h of Block Isl
and, between there and Point Judith. This is
steamers it is ten miles les wide and has an mex eS-
trcme depth OF TWENTY-FIVE fathons. A few
a Fort Pond ay and
NRs then conceded that it would make an admi.
rabe harhor, Al present visitor to Fort Pond
tramp for twenty miles over the sands from the |
nearest railroad station, but it is proposed to
spur would bo about twenty miles long. and
would lead from Bridgehampton station on the
south SIDE road, h'e miles or SO frcm sag liar-
Hamburg, Bremen. and Copenhagen have
lheif Tree ports, the eStaDHSnlnent or which !
has contributed greatly to the prosperity of /,
those cities. or course. any goods which pass |
from the Tree port into the country back OF it |
have to be entered in the Custom House and pay
duty. Within such port as it is proposed to |
build AT the eastern end OF Long Island would |
be little section OF an international world. |
Vessels could come and 90, bringing and taking |
the products o: all peoples and cimes. There |
would be nothing for them To nay except the |
charges for wharfage and for the handling OF |.
the goods. Within the factories to be built |
manufactures could be carried on with free ma |
Culcery, Tree nlR.erlQlS, ana cheap fregntS and !
the goods produced could he made and sold un- |
der the best terms for competition in the mar |
Eets of the world. or course s;.ch goods would |
pay their proper rates OF duty wien brought |
into the home markets.