New-York tribune., 1896-09-01

THE THANSF
facturers to get the work completed. as there
is a forfeit Of 500 day for every day that
elapses after to-day until the bridge Is down.
The constructor is the Elmira Bridge Company
and its men claim that any overtime that may
accrue is due to the fact that the warehouse
company's work not sufficiently forward
and SO delayed tho work of the bridge COM
pany four or five days.
The work Of hauling the big steel bridge from
Furman-st. to the slip was tedious one. Two
windlasses each worked by six men, were risseu
on the outward end of the bridge ana iouriou
tackles led outward to the sides or the shp anu
so a purchase obtained poWeriui ehous"
10 move the 100 tons Of steel along the tei"po
rary rails no rollers being used in the rats"'
The getting of the bridge overheard VIII pc
task hut Foreman Wilkinson thinks there WI"
he uttIe trouble about 1t. The structure VIII be
hauled as far forward as possible ana 'ne" ''ie
rortoor will be foated beneath the outward end
THE rising tide will lift all but the extreme Ell"
-, tho dock. and this. Mr. Wilkinson says, can
be easily handled.
rho trnsses and other materials for similar
hridse with its pontoon. have arrived al the
south pier. Atlantic dock and the work OF
Il will be exactly similar to the one here de-
scrihed and both will he ready for use by the
middle of September. when it is expected that
tho whole Of the dock railroad system. 50 far as
II has been constructed will be in working ordef'
SIMILAR WORK AT THE ATLANTIC DOCKS
similar transfer bridge will be started on
September T. at North Fourth-st' IL ls pe'"s
built by the Emra company Tor LoWeH NJ
Palmer and will be used at North Ninth-s''
where it will he foated on pontoons from North
Fourth-st as soon as it is completed This mas
no connection with the dock railroad system
whatever
In the Atlantic dock there is hard hustling to
get the railroad finished along Commercial wharf,
where there is about one and half blocks of it
still unbuilt between Nye and Mccormick
elevators. A small army of men is at work put
ting down the ties and tracks. In each twelve
feet four spiles are driven across the wharf. and
as trenches have to be cut down four feet In
order to cut these off the work is heavy and
costly one Under the elevator towers huge steel
trusses had to be put in below the rails to sup
port The towers.
When the gap mentioned is built in the At
lantic dock will be encompassed by double line
of rails from the intersection of India and Com
mercial wharfs around the Clinton wharf. to
and around the end OF the south pier. where the
transfer slip is located. SO far no attempt has
been made to lay tracks along the India wharf,
which is frontcd by the private property Of the In
dia Wharf Brewery and the Sonoma Wine Com
pany Unless this is laid Pntos elevators will
he cut off from the system and so VIII the ele-
vators and piers between Atlantic and Highland
ferries, and ii is hardly likely that the city
would allow freight railroad to run from Wood
runs stores along Furman-st.. to and across
Atlantic-ave, in front OF the ferry and then
to Columbia-st and SO to Dow's and the CO.
lumbia elevators. Roblnsons and the Union
stores and the iron elevator at Degraw-st. 1t
is far more feasible to build the line along the
India wharf and take in Pntos elevators.
then along the north pier across Ferry Place.
to the meat inspection warehouse. and so con-
meet with the warehous. cOmpanys property
again
GAINING COMPLETE; CONTROL.
The Warehouse Company has also. it is said.
purchased the dilapidated property known as
the Baltic Stores. between Robinson's and Union
Stores. This. with the old ice yard near Full
tor Ferry. gives the big combination the alb
solute control of the entire waterfront from
Catherine Ferry to the Erie Basin. the ferries
only excepted.
The cost Of the railroad and terminals alone
must be enormous as it meant rebuilding much
of the Wharves. The object OF II. no doubt. Is TO
avoid the double transfer of grain from some
OF the railroads. notably the Lehigh Valley.
This company has no termiral elevator in the
port and it's grail. had To be transferred from
the ears to canalboats and thence to the ele-
vators in this city for storage. This meant an
extra cost OF about two cents a bushel. IN
der the new system the cars will be loaded on
ooats and run of at the transfer bridges and
so taken direct to the elevators. saving the in
termedate expense OF the cana-poats ana e'e-
vator charges IL will also largely do away
with the cost of lighterage, as goods can be
sent direct from the railroads to the Brooklyn
piers in the cars The coffee nghterage VIII be
largely affected the great bulk OF these
imnorts is shipped West The cars can be
inadcd AT The coffee warehouses in this city.
transferred t. floats and retransferred at Jer-
soy CITY in transit for the West
lust what kind Of propulsion VIII b- used on
,ha dock railroad Is not apparent yet. An ex-
tensive electric plant has been put IN IN the
,uan,ic Dock but SO far none but electric
light poles have been erected From this fact
!, iooks AZ II steam would he used for the
present. at least.
Notwithstanding all these great outlays, bust
nesa was never worse on the waterfront, espe
ciaI,y In lain Freghts are high. 3& pence