New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-24

. 49,. ronosed mark. says: There can be no
aouht ~ the strategic value OF the Pahsaoes anu
.ha adjoining plateau as a means OF Pro'e'''0''
.. sh,nn;np not only In the Hudson RIVER ou'
ays, IN the Lower Bay. In the last tweh'! yeas,
the range of large guns has almost oouo'eu' a
~ improvements in ordnance commune a. '
same rate In the next quarter OF cen'''! -
nil, he utterly Impossible for an invadirg meet
to do any damage to New-York'
.,n ease the defending fleet should retreat
into the Hudson, the heavy batteries OF TIC
Palisades would be able TO keep the pursueis
a, bay until the fleet was well out OF marin
way. | consider 1t not only advisable ou' even
necessary that a series Of heavy batteries shou'u
he located along the Palisades for seVerai i'i'e'
above Fort Lee
The Palisades Commission advances o'he' a"
puments for the preservation OF the Pahsaoes'
however than the unitarian feature. III w.
first place there is no National PARK IN elthe 81
of the States interested. while other states III
the South and West have immense reserVa'io V
National parks and forest prese1V ,ho West ~
than a quarter the population. In the west 49,
54S 500 acres have been set apart tor these pun
poses at a cost Of nearly S4oooo;oVo. Inc mia ,
manga Park, which was opened last year cUse
the Government approximately $4o0Ooo, WINE liie
National park on the battlefield or gettysburg
cost nearly much more. Neither Oh tnese are
within easy distance OF any OF rne od form
a great pleasure ground for three millions or
people ,., -. ,
The bill provides for an appropriation OF ol,iy
$500 600 a mea gre sum when compared with the
va Of number of people who would be benented
This amount is considered ample TO pay for the
land to be purchased and also all expenditures
for condemnation and other legal steps ME
the Commission has been assured by most OF tHe
property-owners of their willingness TO sell their
land they anticipate hard night with the
ouarrymen who have done so much damage 10
the beauty Of the cliffs. In fact. a number OF
these have asserted that they Will have lobby
to fight the bill before Congress and In the state
Legislatures of New-Jersey and New fork III
contrast with the intentions Of the quarrynen
is the action of a gentleman who owns fourteen
acres near the largest quarry on the water 'front.'.
When this gentleman learned what the commas
SIGN proposed to do he wrote TO Waldo IL Morse,
the secretary of the Commission and offered TO
present his land to the Government for nothing.
He purchased the property for $4,000 for the
sole purpose Of saving the cliffs and he declared
that when the bill is passed he VIII make deco
N fee for the entire tract without reservation.
The proposed park, as shown In the accom-
panying map, is about twelve miles In length
and varies in width from 300 yards to three
quarters of q mile. In the entire distance there
are about twenty houses, the greater part. how
eyer being a dense forest. In case any or the
residents desire to remain in their houses the
bill allows them to do so free Of cost.
The bill is In the hands Of the Military Com
mittee on which IL already has several friends.
who will do everything possible to push 1t along.
Congressman Ben l.. Fairchid Is the main cham
pion of the measure. and he Is backed by the
entire New-Jersey delegation. The first hearing
In committee will take place shortly after the
holidays.