The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-19
BETTER WATERWAYS.
Plans to Improve the Passaie,
Raritan Bay and Other New
Jersey Channels.
Especial to .aThe Jersey city News."-

loP@$@AA ~'
NEWARK, Nov. 10, 1S97.-A report of
what is considered necessary for the de-
| velopment of New Jersey waterways, in
Guiding the Passaic River, Newark Bay,
Kill Won Kull, Arthur Kill and Raritan
Bay, was submitted at the Board of Trade
rooms last night. The meeting was that
of the joint Ways Committee of the New
ark. Elizabeth II Perth Amboy Boards
of Trade and the Staten Island Chamber
of Commerce. 1t was held at this city
by invitation of the Passaic River Pro
teetive Association, and was attended by
representative business men of this city,
Elizabeth, Passaic, New Brunswick,
Perth Amboy, South Amboy and Staten
Island.
The movement which was furthered by
last nights meeting was begun at Staten
Island some months ago., the representa-
tiyeS of the local Board of Trade being
George w. Tompkins, George B. Swain,
c. Edwin Young, James Butterworth and
Edward Balbach, Jr. A subcommittee,
consisting of Peter Bennett of Elizabeth,
w. Parker Runyon of Perth Amboy, c.. e.
Young of this city, Washington Halves
and Cornelius G.. kolff OF Staten Island,
and James Manchester OF Elizabeth, was
appointed to prepare a report
beginning by calling attention to the i'm
portance OF the harbor of New York and
its tributary communities, the report
states that the vast commerce has out
grown the narrow limits of Manhatta
Island, n has expanded until its COM
mon centre embraces New York, Brook
Ign, Jersey City, Hoboken, Yonkers
Staten Island, Bayonne, Newark and
other cities. Toward this centre, with its
commercial, industrial and shipping inter-
ests, gravitate the commercial highways
of the country by land and water, says
the report, and among the most important
waterways connecting the various parts
of the great centre with each other are
Sound, with their tributaries, the Passaic,
Hackensack and Raritan Rivers.
Attention was called to the Importance
of the waterways from the fact hat in
addition to the tremendous commercial
and industrial interests located along the
shores are the great railway trunk lines
seeking terminals on the harbor of New
York. Various mammoth wharves along
the Jersey shore are referred to in the re-
port.
In reciting the history of improvements
made during past years to the waterways
IN question:, attention is called to the re-
port made by Major H. M. Adams of the
Corps OF Engineers; and officer in charge
OF the work Tor the Government, during
the fiscal year 1896. According to Major
Adams, the channel from Perth Ambov to
Constable Hook is seventeen miles long
adm is generally narrow, it's least width
being about 50 feet at Elizabethport. It's
natural depth is about fifteen feet ex-
cept for about one and three-fourths miles
at the mouth of Newark Bay, where the
depth is nine and a half feet
A of the improvements made
to the channels since 1873 is given In the
report. The present project is said to be
to dredge and maintain a channel he
tween Arthur Kill and Kill Won Kull to
be 400 feet wide and about fourteen feet
deep. Major Adams's report is quoted to
the effect that an expenditure of s32. 000 is
recommended to continue the work, dur
ing the year ending June 80, 1898. The same
report says that 1855, 064 tons of merchans
disc valued at ST., $50, 1902 were carried over.
this waterway in 1895, an increase over
1891 of 645, 583 tons.
(Nnnanrpfno fhn Doccnt1 Dfxx1 l--I.
quotes Major Adams as saying that the
tidal part of the stream extends thirteen
and a quarter miles from Newark Bay ia
the city. OF Passaic, The mean rise and
fall of tides is said to be Az feet at New
ark n about 33 feet at Passaic. The
work done in widening and deepening The
channel of the river is summarized in the
report, and it is stated that to complete
the work already under way there remain
to be done the widening of the channel at
Rutherford Park bar and the extension of
the dixie at the head of Newark Bay from
2,237 feet to 1000 feet. The total Of appro-
priations made by Congress from 1872 to
June 3, 1896, is $453, $50, against an esti-
mated cost of $547, 697. The amount that
could protitably be expended during the
s $500 ooo. s''''i's '1Ae = 80 : Sa'' = %
Considerable attention is given in the
committees report to needed improve
ments for Raritan Bay. The estimated
foreign of Raritan Bay is &C, 533
tons, valued at 81, 9S3, 285, and the domestic
ommerce amounts to 1882, ASP tons, val
ued at $3S, 800, 1856. This commerce is car
ried in SC, 1854 vessels, said to be valued at
$153, 800, 600.
According to the report, this traffic
owes its existence to the commercial and
industrial interests along Raritan Bay,
Staten Island Sound, the Passaic River
and Kill Won Kull. Another large factor is
the transporting of the products OF the
farms Of the West and the mines of Penn
s~ylvania from the terminals of the rail-
road lines to points OF consumption in
New York and New England. It should
also be remembered, says the report, that
a deep interior waterway, such as Staten
Island Sound and Kill Won KuD could be
made tofbe, would form an important link
TO coastwise traffic tive Boston and
North Cafelina-