New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-09
NEW.YORK As 4 TERMINAL.


man. the other day, should have three cond-
..tions-facilries for receipt. for storage and
for shipment" lie was speaking before the
State Commission which L. investigating the
causes Of The decline of the commerce of the
port of Ncw-York If for should we read
must" his statement will express the precise
truth. and will exactly accord with what Inc
Tribune has been urging. in season and out of
season. for many years.
From that unimpeachable point of view New
York is not at present a pr.fcct terminal 1t
ought to be- II might he. Nature has done
much To make il one-morc than for any rival
port. But men have neglected to do their share
of the work. OF course. the port has some IA
cilitics for receipt. storage and shipment. But
they are 80 Inadequate as hy no means to meet
the requirements of perfect terminal In not
one Of the three particulars. or for one OF the
three purposes are they anything like what
they should he and might he.
First. for receipt There are roads enough
leading hiher, both land and wafer But where
do they end? Two great railroads enter the
citv bringing in both passengers and freight
with reasonable directneSs. All others stop at
the further side of 4 broad river. neccSSitating
ferriage and lighterage at much cost. delay ana
labor The canal route. in some respects the
most important Of all. has practically no entry
facilities. It has remained for two generations
unfinished and end> unfortunately in the
midst of an overcrowded harbor
Next. for storage. such facilities are almost
nil There are some good warehouses over on
the Brooklyn shore some miles from the rail
road terminals. Manhattan has practically
none. The grain elevator service is inadequate
and almost prohibitivey costly. The rule is
cart or ferry your goods AT great cost clear
across the city for storage and then earl or
ferry them clca' across the city. back again
for shipment.
Finally for shipment Some improvements
IN docks and waterfront have been effected in
recent years But there is still lack of room
Shipping lines are crowded or driven over 10
the New-IerScy shore. The harbor also Is over
crowded. And navigation of the exit channel
leading TO the ocean is slow and perilous TO
large and heavily laden vessels. II Is not easy
to get goods into the city. II il not easy to
find storage for them here. 1t is not easy 10
ship them hence New-Yorl; is lacking in all
three classes Of facilities. II j. not a perfect
terminal
Yet the very statement of the evils suggests
their remedies. single bridge would bring
all The railroads into tho heart Of the city.
terminal belt railroad would conduct them 10
all parts Of the water front. The completion
Of ClintonS plans of seventy-hvc years ago as
urged upon the Commission by Mr.. StOughton.
would give the canal service proper ter
minal Enterprise equal 10 that OF smaller and
less wealthy cities would give lis free Gle
vator service and ample warehouses and docks.
Propcr treatment of the Sandy Hook channel
and rational conduct toward Port Morris and
the head of Long Island Sound would give us
two suncrb exits 10 all the Seven Seas. through
the latter of which ocean liners might depart
daily. at a fixed hour, regardless of the tides
an Tho shortest and safest route for England
WHY are not these things done: Manchester
is a small place compared with New-lork. and
Nature made il an inland place; but II has
made itself a seaport for The largest vessels
Berlin is scarcely half a. large A. New-Iork
and is far inland. yet il j. planning To cut q
shin canal across country 10 Stettln. 50 that
th- biggest ocean liners can steam right up 10
Inter den Linden. l. not this imperial capital
of the Western Hemisphere able 10 Keep The
mace of Tive worlif can il not >cral- out the
lille channel from the Hudson to the Sound
Luild n luidg. and some warehouses. and pui
u.olf in line at least with Kenncbnnkporl and
Raruccat ~ a centre Of world->cekine com
mrrcpt