New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-22
THE MORRIS CANAL ISSUE,
PERTINENT FACTS IN THE HISTORY OF
THE WATERWAY.

EFFORTS OF THE OWNERS TO ABANDON NAVE
CATION AND PUT THEIR WATER RIGHTS AND
OTHER PRIVILEGES TO PROFITABLE USE
The Morris Canal was built by the MOTT"
Canal and Banking Company. and was completed
in August. 1881. It is I02 miles in length. begin
ming at Jersey City and connecting at Philips
burg with the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com
panys canal 1t runs through Jersey CITY,
Newark Bloomfield Passaic, Paterson, Boon
ton Dover Hackettstown and Washington. The
summit level Is at Lake Hopatcong, which Is bio
feet above mean tide, while at Philllpsburg the
Delaware River is l56 feet above mean tide, In
the ascent from Jersey City TO Lake Hopateong
there are twelve inclined planes and sixteen
locks while in the descent thence TO PhiliipsDurg
there are eleven inclined planes and seven locks
The principal feeders OF the canal are Lake
Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake but the water
rights appertanng to the charter are sufhcient
TO supply two canals. The width OF the Morris
Canal at the surface is generally ABOUT
30 feet and % feet at the bottom. Inc
canal crosses the Passaic. Pompton ana ROCK
away rivers by aqueducts. The boats navigat-
ing the canal have length over all OF ABOUT
81 feet and a width OF 10 feet inches. Their
loads average II tons.
AIDED BY THE STATE AND LANDOWNERS
When the Morris Canal was projected the rail-
road was hardly thought Of as means OF con-
yeyance of iron ore and coal from the miheS'
The enterprise was ambitious one anu INC
state and the sections through when the Canal
was 70 mass lent all possible aid. The charter
gave the company the power TO 90 pahh,"s
business. and il conferred extraordinary pf'Vi-
lagos The right OF way was obtained cheapiy'
and the State gave the use OF valuable water
front On the Hudson River out OF the STATES
riparian domain. About thirty years ago TINS
land was granted to the company. conditional
unon continued navigation OF the canal. Inc
ter frontage alone is worth probably S2,ooooVo
or So 100000.
The authorized capital stock OF the motifs
Canal and Banking Company was sl'o'o'''''
with power to increase 1t by Soooooo iho'0'
Ont OF the stock subscribed the directors "efe
empowered to take 100000 for banking pul-
poses Each year the company was oonseu
expend 100000 until the canal was cofnpie.eu'
II was provided that at the end OF ninety -hin'
years the State might buy the canal at iAf
valuation and II this option was not exercised
tbon At the end OF another fifty years the state
could acquire possession for nothlhs ., about
In 1880 the company got loah y. &C.,.
s5 300 600 at : per cent from HoHand 10 coii'-
nIete the canal on November H. lsoo. SUI
cessful trial was made OF the locks ana liletns r
nlanes between Dover and Newark TWO Years
pt s "a ~ canal was open for navigation.
and on May 20 the canal boats rom Ma 1ar
Chunk. laden with Lehigh coal, arrived a, 'e'
sey City, and other boats were on theii ma'. ,.,
canal racket boat drawn by horses, was aiS'
run between Jersey City and Passaic
SUCCESS OF THE ENTERPRISE.
The cost OF the canal about S2'oVV'oVV
from Phillipsburg to Newark and from Newark
TO Jersey City over S250,000. The canal pursues
circuitous route and in its course mas d .o,"'
rise and fall Of 1614 feet. The success OF the
enterprise sent it's stock up to l4o IN van 0tiee'
The legislature afterward authorized an IN
crease of S1OO0000 in the capital Stock oh
October q, 1914. the whole canal properly was
sold in Newark by Ira c. Whitehead Master IN
Chancery, under, decree OF the Noui' oA
Chancery. at the suit of Wilhelm Willihk' Jr''
representing the Holland bondhoders.s rdho
nronertv was bought by Asa Whiteneaa,, 2 2on
I Rrvant and Benjamin Williamson tor gI,ooo
ono A new company was organized on No'en
her 30 1914, with itwenty-three drectoIs ~
Danie, W,,liannson The Holland debt OF
$4,000 was compromised for soVo,oSv an
$50 900 was paid to cancel dept 10 'he ''"'' -
Indiana.
DEPRECATED BY ITS LESSEEs.
The sequel to this change was the suosequens
lease of the canal company 10 the Lehigh VaIiey
poiroad COMPANY. It's competitor with the Dell
yrechts Thereafter the canal was operated
WITH an eve single to railroad interests and the
+raflc necessarily declined. The property be-
came an annual charge on the railroad company.
T,ventv-0ve years ago It offered outrighe
N the CITY OF Newark for $2OOOOoO and ths
offer was declined Long headed men IKE inc
late Judge John McGregor. or Newark 1855 ,
the value 10 the city OF the water rlghts an.
right Of way. and 1t is fact that the cry pun
sum demanded simply for water rlght 80 So nc
that then could have been acquired IN 1909 eno
Legislature passed an act authorizing the cana,
company to sell water rights TOT tnuhlcIpa.
water supply. and giving the company nVe yea,s
I'm which IL could abandon navigation ana retain
most OF the valuable assets Thls leSsia'ioh
,ras Intended to aid the carrying out OF the
East Jersey Water Companys contracts Win
municipalities, and the nve years EXPIRED VIM
out the company taking advantage OF H.
EFFORT TO ABANDON NAVIGATIoN
Toward the close Of the legislative session last
winter a bill was introduced by Mr.. Hail. OK
Hudson County. at the instance OF william u.
Edwards of Jersey City. 1t provided Tor the
abandonment of navigation on the canal WITHIN
four months the lessees or canal company 10
retain all the property appertaining to the char-
ter. including the right of way. the terminal
property on the Hudson. and to sell OF use the
waters belonging to the canal. The lease OF the
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company for the use
OF the tracks OF the Pennsylvania Railroad In
entering Jersey City and Of terminal facilities
on the Hudson expires in 1900. and the COM
pany wants the canals terminal property. IL IS
also proposed to use the canal bed Tor raii-
road The water rights are needed by the East
Jersey Water Company. which Is an outgrowth
Of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. inc
bill as reported last winter was sent TO com
,nittee hut the Legislature refused TO give II a
hearing 1t was said at the time that the oil.
was only "feeler," and that the real WORK OK
next year ,,., 49, ..,.,
Just prior 20 the election this month the canal
Iessees advertised their intention to introduce
The hill in the next Legislature This aroused a
storm OF opposition in Essex and Morris coun-
ties and both political parties in these counties
embodied in their platforms strong planks