Evening journal., 1897-08-02
AVE THE PALISADES
. House Military Committee
Favors a Reservation.
" BE TAKEN UP At NEXT SESSION.
Ompt Action Is Necessary, as Blasting
Is Being Constantly Done and the
Beauty of tho Scenery.
Marred.


Beauty of tho Scenery.
Marred.
New York Aug 2.-The joint COM
ssion appointed by New York and
hw Jersey TO protect the palisades has
eeived substantial encouragement
bm Washington. Stories have been
I'D from time to time of the vicissi-
des Of the bill prepared by the COM
ssion for Introduction into congress
cause Of the opposition Of property
gners along the palisades.
rhe military committee of the house
Commissioner Waldo G. Morse was re-
ntly informed. has determined 10 re-
~ rt the bill favorably and so authorize
e establishment Of a military reser-
tion on the western shore Of the Hud-
n. The matter could not be taken up
the special session of congress just
hded. for that was called to effect
rtain specified things, but the dlsposi-
on of members Of congress who have
Ven sounded is very favorable to the
IN.
Must Depend on the Government.
I'VE have now on our side" said Mr..
orse, "the members Of congress from
ew York and New Jersey, and there
eems to be a disposition on all sides
assist US. 1 think at the convening
the next session the matter will be
tken up with an earnest desire to for
ard 1t.
Il think we will have TO depend en-
rely on the government. New Jersey
not rich. and the palisades lie largely
thin her boundaries. She could not
cquire them without an expenditure
{ a sum Of money which would make
big showing in her tax levies. She al
eady has declared that she will not tax
ne property included in the proposed
slisade reservation and that she will
urrender all her claims to the water
ront. These concessions are consider
BILE and are all. / am afraid. that New
ersey can be induced to make. The
overnment may acquire the property
With little expense and preserve the
alisades from the destruction which
ow seems TO be almost inevitable un-
ess a strong hand is put upon the van
ais who are destroying the base Of the
lifts"
The joint commission keeps constant
surveillance over the work Of the stone
trushers and auarries which line the
lase of the cliffs. Instead Of diminu-
ion In the destruction during the last
;ix months there has been more work
lone by the stone men than for two
years.
The work Is still confined to the accu-
mutations Of rock at the base of the
,liffs The face Of the magnificent
rocks will be preserved. because of their
comparative inaccessibility, for a time
at least The desire of the contractors
who hold leases Of the property along
the river seems thus far to be the ac-
cumulation of rock for the crushers &c
supply upper dressing for macadam
roads. II is possible that at any time
there will be a demand for the rock OF
the cliffs for building purposes, wher
the beauty of the cliffs would b'
doomed.
Action Must BE Prompt.
The blasting which north New Yorl
hears every morning is doing its work
steadily. and the great bank of faller
rocks at the base Of the palisades i'm
mediately north of Fort Lee is begin
ming TO show the effect Of the constan
raids upon it. II Is feared that before
4 congress acts the constant destruction
4 Of the soil along the river viii preven
the possibility Of ever restoring tn
clothing of trees and shrubbery whiel
. formerly made the base of the cliff
so beautiful. Already patches Of bar
soil, sometimes 500 or 600 yards in ex
tent, show where the crushers hav
f. been at work with their unsightly build
ings, and these are constantly increas
ing in extent Injunctions have bee'
issued against these men. but they hol
leases from estates and have been vic
torious in the courts.