New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-21
CONVERGE AND CRITICISM

Imnroycment of the commercial facilities OF
New-York is so important matter that all in
tellcent discussion and suggestions thereon are
10 he welcomed Il is largely because too little
has been said about ii that the state Of the lar-
Dor has become 80 unsatisfactory. Nothing Dnt
n general realization of the needs Of the ease Is
required TO secure the meeting OF those needs.
But The uttcrance Of words without knowledge
must merely darken counsel. Amid the multi
tude of expressions of opinion and statements
of fact which have been provoked by The Irib-
INES publications on this subject are some
which must be regarded as. TO put 1t mildly,
grlevously mistaken: so much so as TO oHer
actual menace of mischief If uncontradicted.
One for example dsmisses as little more than
chimercal the scheme OF building bridge
across the North River costing $1OO.OOO,OOO
The intmation is that such a bridge cannot
be built for less than that sum, and that such
an expenditure Is contemplated by the pro-
iectors Of the scheme. The fact is that no ra-
tional engineer has vcntured 10 estimate the
cost Of the bridge at onehalf that sum. One
third Is a high estimate One-fourth would be
a fair one. To speak Of ''SlOO0O0000 bridge
is as foolish or as dsingenuous as ii would be
to speak of steamships drawing hundred feet
of water or of the entrance to New-YOrk Bay
being only ten feet deep. Such reckless exag-
gcrations merely cause the whole utterance TO
he regarded with suspicion and as unworthy OF
further consideration.
Others argue that to adopt the Staten Island
terminal scheme would solve the whole problem
What If the Sandy Hook channel Is too shall
low? they say: the water at Staten Island Is
deep enough for any ship afoat. Yes: but that
is an evasion of the point at issue. For Staten
Island Is inside Sandy Hook. and ships cannot
reach the formers deep-water anchorage with
out first passing over the latter's bars and
shoals. No one complains of lack Of water in
the Upper Bay and the two rivers The trouble
is at the ocean gate and that trouble affects
Staten Island as much as any other part of the
harbor Vessels sailing from and to st. George
would be just as dependent upon high tide as
those now sailing from Manhattan Island are.
Perhaps the Sandy Hook channel or channels
can be deepened and widened sufficiently to meet
all the needs Of commerce, and be kept so.
That is most earnestly to be hoped. Yet 1t is a
fact that they have been filled up to an alarming
extent within the memory of the present gen.
Grafton. The whole tendency Of tidal action
seems to be to fill them up, and to build bars
and shoals and beaches in that region. The
old East Channel, the most direct and con-
venient. has been sOrely choked up, and so have
all the passageways in that direction. The
Main Channel, now the only available one for
big ships. makes tortuous course. miles longer
than 1t should be. actually going down some dis
lance behind the point Of Sandy Hook before
1t gets out into the open sea. And then. for
miles outside the Hook. the ocean Is so shallow
that ships must proceed slowly and cautiously;
and It is growing shallower These are the
considerations that must be dealt with before
the problem is solved at Staten Island or else
where in the southern part Of New-Yorl1 Har-