The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-17
SOUTH COVE WON
City Authorities Porcibly
Gust the Central Rail
road Company.
FIFTY COAL CARS SEIZED
Cheeky Railroadmen Vainly
Try to Deceive Street and
Water Commissioners

el the narrow strip of property i"hie'
outs the South Cove through. to prevent
the Central Railroad of New Jersey from
relavins. the tracks which the Street ana
water Commissioners tore up yesterday
afternoon.
This morning things are much in the
same position as they were lett yester-
day.
The Central Railroad had not sueceed-
ed in putting down its tracks again a''u
the city still has the upper hand.
When the city's lahorers quit WORK
sast night they had section of the track
nm either side of the roadway, and a
trench which is designed to cut the road
IN two and let in the water of the basin
nartially dug. This trench when COM
nIfstad viii not only cut off the cars Of
the Railroad Company, but it Will also
c,t off communication with all buildings,
including several lumber and brick yards
south of the Cove. No wagons were per-
mitted to pass this dead line this MORN
ing.
At six o'clock a gang of men were at
work on the trench and by night it IS
hoped to have it deep enough to run
canal boat through.
The fight between the Street and wa
ter Commissioners and the Central Rall-
road of New Jersey FOR the strip across
The south Cove promises to be long
and bitter one. The city authorities mean
business. and intend to drive either the
last vesttge Of the railroad off the city's
land or force the Central Company 70
nav a rental. which will give the city
a big nuisance.
The ,aud N dispute was originally
,.o7,- ~ water Several years ago the
Rinarian Commissioners granted II 70
Jersey city for 81 900. The Aldermen ac-
canted the grant and passed resolution
annronriating the $1,000. Charles b.
o,Neju then Mayor of the city, vetoed
tho resolution on the ground that lhe
nropertv was useless to the city uiiiess
there was spent upon it for improve
ments a large sum of money, whlcn tie
city could not afford. Some time later
,bi,a John ]. Toffey was State Treas
,,rer the city paid the $1,000. which Mr.
rroffev accepted and claimed the prop
erty
IN the meantime the Riparian Com
,,issianers seeing that the city evinced
no disposition TO take the properly
leased II to the Central Railroad Com
many long litigation was then begun
which went through the courts OF lhls
state and finally reached the uhltsa
States Supreme Court. In eacn ihstahce
The city won. each court holding that ne
Commissioners first grant to the city was
valid. 1t was about two years ago #aeh
the city finally won the case anu tooh
possession of the land
The central Railroad Company entered
into negotiations with the city for the
nse of the land. which negotiations nave
baen, going on since without any end ap-
nearing in sight The city became tlre1
of that resolved to forcibly eject the COM
many which was done yesterday
while the matter was in dispute the
railroad Company was not idle 1t filled
in the Cove wherever it could and rem
dered it useless for navigable purposes, or
rather placed 1t in such condition thal II
will take thousands of dollars ana
months of labor to restore to its former
condition A suit is now pending IN me
courts to compel the railroad company 10
remove the illing it put In. The worst
damage the railroad company did to the
cove was to build a broad roadway from
the foot of Henderson street to its prop
.ertv south of the Cove.
ON either side of this road track was
laid Near the northern end or at tie
foot of Henderson street, the company
built coal pockets and a huge cattle pen
for which it has received large revenue
for years. Two years ago the Street ara
water Commissioners decided it was fair
for the railroad company to derive d
largo income from city property while the
cItv received nothing for it. and they
asked for a consultation with the railroad
ofrictals so that a proper rate of compen-
Ga zion to the city could be decided upon.
The railroad company ignored the re-
cnast for a conference and paid no atten-
tson to similar requests which were sent
from time to time. Finally on Tuesday
rasta committee representing over 2oJ
bnsiness men waited upon the Street and
Water Commissioners and demanded that
they do something at once to gain pos
session of the South Cove property, whieh
rightfully belonged to the city.
The Commissioners asked Corporation
Counsel McDermott for an opinion as =
their power to take forcible possession Of
the land The opinion was rendered yes
terday. Mr. McDermott advised the
Commissioners that they had full power
to fake immediate possession OF the land-
to tear down any buildings, rip up any
rails. or seize any property found there
on.
The Commissioners held a special meet
ing and decided to take immediate ac-
tion against the railroad the chief tres
passer Two hours after the necessary
resolution was passed Commissioners
lanes Nolan and Anthony Hauck and
Chief Engineer Charles Van Keuren
were on the ground with gang OF nifty
laborers. who were set to work without
delay to tear up the tracks.
TO prevent the railroad company from
rdilling an engine up and down the
tracks, thereby blocking the work OF oe-
struction, pile of ties was placed on the
boundary line between the city and the
railroads property. and to further pre-
vent engines from further occupying the
tracks horse and wagon was placed
between the rails of each track
Police Captain Cody and dozen POI
l;cemen were on hand toprevent the
cffv's laborers from being interfered with
bv railroad employees The whole matter
was done SO quickly, however, that the
railroad officials were hardly awake to
fse fact that their property was being
destroyed until the tracks were up ana
the work of digging the trench begun.
rr-,,.-.. II noe roo late three engines ar