The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-07
The SITE OPPOSED
William G. Burke Attacks
the Harrison Estate at
Finance Board Meeting.
SURROUNDED BY NUISANCES
Proximity of Railroads,
Swamps and Factories
a Menace to Teach
ers and Pupils

Just as the Board of Finance was about
to adjourn last night after a long session,
William G. Burke a resident of Fair
view avenue, rose from a seat in the
rear of the room and made a vigorous at
| tack on the Harrison estate as a site for
a new High School
This is the site recommended by the
Board of Education to the Board of FL
nance for purchase; but that body. which
| jealousy guards the public purse. doesn't
| see ft to accept the site, or indeed any
| site at present, for the excellent reason
| that the city can't stand any additional
| financial burdens at present. Mr. Burke
| plunged at once into his subject by say
| ing
| In asking permission to address you on
| the question Of the High School site,
| fully appreciate the Importance of the
| subject, and the fact that as a business
man have not the time to devote to the
investigation of all it's features, but
| wish to lay before you my views and ask
you to consider the points I may bring
out My object is not to recommend any
particular site but to protest against the
purchase of what I consider to be an un-
usually Objectionable site, namely, the So
called Harrison Estate site.
| First, 1 would call your attention to
| the city map on which / have marked
| with blue pencil the railroad lines which
| are so close to this proposed site, that not
alone the noise and smoke hut also the
| Jar of the trains would cause annoyance
| to the pupils and teachers You viii
[ notice that on the north and adjoining
/ this property is the Erie Railroad; on the
east, also adjoining, is the Junction Rail-
road and on the south the Pennsylvania
Railroad is so close that 1t cannot help
being nuisance to a school erected ON
| this proposed site. AS to the noise of rail-
roads it is unnecessary for me to explain
| Wnat they are to you gentlemen, or to any
person living in Jersey City. but I would
ask you to consider what they would be
| IN pocket formed by three railroads
| with one hundred or more trains passing
| each hour. If there is any one objection
able thing In connection with railroad
it is the smoke and cinders, particularly
so It the smoke carries what appears to
| be the fumes of burning rease.
"A lady who lives within one hundred
feet of the corner of Newark and Palisade
| avenues, told me that she had many times
been forced to close the windows in order
to stop the smoke from the railroad going
through the house, and 1 would call at
tention to the fact that this proposed site
is on the brow of a hill facing southeast
! and that most of the breezes during the
! summer when the windows would be open
| come from the southeast and across the
| Pennsylvania roundhouse. AS you well
know the jar from railroad can be felt
a considerable distance and 1 ask you to
imagine for moment, the effect 1t would
have on the nerves of many Of the pupils
and teachers of large school,
Separated from this proposed site by
the railroads named is a large swamp
ground now being filled in with foul SMELL
| ing refuse and Is ground which is not.
and probably never will be, useful for any
purpose except factory sites, and 1 ask
you If 1t is fair to the taxpayers of this
city, or to the pupils and teachers who
will attend this school, to place 1t near
lot of factories. now in operation or to be
built, and l would respectfully urge each
member of this board to again visit this
| site and try to do SO when the wind is
| blowing from the southeast.
Gentlemen, my opinion is that the tax
payers of Jersey City are justly proud
teachers and Of their schools, and are
| willing to pay for the best that can be
| secured, and when the new school is
finished the only question that you will be
asked will be Is it the best that could be
procured?
THE only argument that has been offer
! ed in favor of this site which to me seems
| to be worthy of consideration is that this
site can be reached from any part of the
| city on the payment of one car fare, and
| this point Is of comparatively minor inn
| portance as only small number of pu-
| pills would need to pay the second fare.
| 1t also shows that the city should insist
| that the two street car companies shall
! exchange transfers or that a franchise
| be offered to some other company that
win break the division now being main
| tanned which carries away from jersey
/ City merchants the trade of the Hudson
City section now going to New York by
| payer and citizen / would respectfully
| protest against the purchase OF the So
called Harrison Estate size for High
| School" Continuing Burke advocated
/ some site btween CommunipaW and New
1 ark avenues.
/ Have you any. site to oHer! asked
/ President Lembeck
Burke replied that he had not.
you speak about factories near the
| Harrison site, where are they?
Mr. Burke managed to unearth cne
| small building In the neighborhood. A.
/ brief talk ensued and the matter was re-
ferred to the Committee OF the Whole"