New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-09

.b-, ,oula remain two miles available for ocean
steamers This would provide th'ry 70
date All the steamships now landing on both SIDES
MARGIN FOR the growth Of commerce 1t appears TO
this Board that the first thing TO consi tbs rssTlt
,.h ,,orrhers OF the Board believe that the rail-
o,ds could get along with much less water front
than they now use, which Is about ssSs Feet NO
material changes in the piers are desrao'' anu aS
Wv. huilt they serve their purpose admirably says
the report.
The ,vo-story piers. such as pier No "A. are rec
omuenlei &c..
The question Of the streets along the water front
ooctples good part OF the report. OF which me io1-
lowing Is an important paragraph:
The original width OF West-st: was geneF1aiiyy
seventy feet Inc qGt hbnad line was establshed
While this broad marginal street ms 80 49, 70
,h'rcG that the water front OF the city Is for
u-. rather than ior ornament anu t il,,,s
"b..b ~, increase the commerce u the c4ty, ana
Mt t. ornament IT, The IIoer u.s., o. fter res.rv
Inc =, ulu,n Of the eastern part OF the mafshe1
street a. is necessary for ordinary su.v. Pu' I',S
,n ren,,ini,r should be treated in that way WnicA
,,N ha-f facilitate the landing OF oceah-p oine
freight, In other words the greater baTt s OF be 1e
TO accomplish this result n the pest manner ,me
suggestion already made o. +, tSs arst re-
qurement WIN the .1ssgnFS av H be- dyiea INTO
"NNN'0-'
use QUESTION OF THE DRYDOCKs.
IN REGARD to drydocks the consulting engineers
thus express themselves;
There b, one other subject matter to which it
seems right to cal attention. The port OF New
York is not only in competition Win otner amer s.
be soon an important competitor with hnslish ana
other European ports i 6ber IA" fo,esn co1nries II
nIr country Is 10 compete with England IN these
,ra1,s our ports must furnish the same facilities
.tt. caro- 81
provide If We are AGAIN TO deEe.oP go ~
the ships handling that trade , 49,, r,
While weli.coppered wooden ships remain clean Tor
~ barnaccs and other organic life, 50 that It has
TO be locked and cleaned at least every SIX months.
been recognized In England. and extensive ana con-
venient facilities for docking and cleaning ships are
provdd rrsnR t locks and these are not
grouped together but scattered through me COCK
o. c as B pc osRed n and cleaned with the
possib,e delay. returned to her berth. ana loaded.
The port Of Southampton secona-rae PGrt IN IN
business, has i've craving docks. one OF when IS
80 feet long the floor Furthermore these COCKS
not private property. but part OF me por,
The contrast between this and the condition OF the
port OF New-York is very marked, there are a num-
Der Of floating docks the East River but the only
fixed craving docks available for general commercial
Basin In Brooklyn which remote from the
steamship piers and neither OF which Is large enough
10 take in a modern Atlantic liner. There two
craving docks in the Brooklyn Navy fard-one Of
stone and one of tlmber-while a third. now under
construction. when completed. Will be just large
enough TO take IN the steamship Lucanla, but more
empton dock Furtnernore these Navy yard docks
are built primarily for the use OF the Navy; they
inconvenienty situated for merchant vessels
and merchant vessels must always walt for naval
vessels. The steamers OF the American Line when
they are laid off for their annual overhauling have
now to be taken from their pier the North River
about three hundred miles. 10 Newport News. where
they are locked and are then either brought back
10 New-York or taken 20 the Cramps yard. IN Phila
delphia for such other work as may be needed At
steamers length OF the loading berth.
PROPER FUNCTION.
II appears TO this Board that the provision OF
.uitabl craving docks IS proper function OF the
Department OF Docks, and that facilities similar
10 those furnished In Liverpool and SouthamR,oh
should be furnished I'm the port or New ork uI-
thermore. these docks should not pe p,Ishe 80,
nrises but a part OF the New fork doCk z ~
under the control OF the Department OF JOINS ,,.e
charges belng made with reference 10 the en-
arnment OF the commerce OF the port. rather IMAM
10 the profit OF their owners
A good site they think. can be FOUND along the
~or,h pvar between Forty-nnth and Fifty-third
s,s whore the docks could be excavated entirely
from solid rock
The members OF the Board have not yet been
obi. 70 reach favorable conclusions upon the propo-
s,,,o, for building warehouses upon piers. The re-
mort ends In this way:
w. Roard recognizes that, while the suggestions
| r,ade do not involve any changes in the methods
~ construction In use they mean some radical
changes in the and development OF the North
River front. especially 20 regards the aocommoda-