The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-06-15
James B. Vredenburgh
Speaks Against the
Cragin Grant.
INJURIOUS TO ROADS PLANS
One Indignant Citizen Warn
ed by Board to Be
Careful.


Line Board which is composed of en-
gineers of the United States Army, to
consider the application of the New Jer-
sey Riparian Commissioners to change
the pier lines on the New Jersey side of
the river so that Edward F. Cragin can
erect an artificial island between Ellis and
Bedloes Islands. Mr.. James Vredenburgh,
of this city, in behalf of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, vigorously opposed the
application
Mr.. Vredenburgh began by stating that
the application sought to obtain the con-
sent of the board to modification by the
Secretary of War of the harbor lines on
the westerly side of New York Bay.
''The Pennsylvania Railroad Company"
he continued, most earnestly protests
against such consent being given by this
Board. The company believes, after care
full consideration, that such modification
will seriously injure its terminal property
on New York Bay and especially its prop
erty opposite that part Of Jersey City
known as Greenville. 1t owns there a
front of 2.350 1eet on the exterior line of
solid filling, upon which it is about to ex-
pend several millions of dollars in making
it available for foreign commerce. 1t an
ticipates erecting in the near future not
only piers and wharves, which have now
been contracted for, but large warehouses
and other instruments of commerce. The
Pennsylvania people propose to connect
these warehouses with the deep waters
of the Hudson River by channels dredged
to depth of thirty-five feet at least, so
that the largest of ocean vessels may
come to, load and unload at these piers.
''They allege that the modification of
the harbor lines involves the destruction
of property which has been created by
reliance upon the previous action of
this Board and of the State of New Ter
sey. They fear that the creation of an
island here will be followed by the crea-
ton of two or more islands to the south
of Bedloe's Island along the same ridge
of shallow water which is claimed TO
exist where the present island is to be
created.
1.-THE company also insists that the Gre
alton of this island is breach of the
covenant contained in the grant from the
State Of New Jersey for the lands under
water in front of their said lands and the
company also insists that the creation of
this island will seriously affect the ebb
and flow of the tide in the channel TO be
excavated by it in front of its property.
The method of the improvement OF the
land so purchased by US from the State
necessarily includes the access to deep
water. The company must have some
method by which vessels requiring
greater depth of water than is now avail
able may reach the piers and lie by them
to be loaded and unloaded.
.sWhat is needed, we respectfully in
sist. is more room for large vessels, and
therefore what ought to be done is the
gradual deepening of that part of the har-
bor which adjoins these lands. These
lands are all that is left of the harbor on
which to build proper facilities for the
loading and unloading Of large vessels
and the necessary storing and holding
of the freight carried by them 1t hap
mems that it is the best locration in the
harbor for that purpose. There is am
ple room for the growth of commerce
for many years. if properly utilized, and
for all the necessary appurtenances of
commerce in the way of wet basins, piers
and the other facilities. 1t is too shallow
for such use at present, but this COM
pany believes it to be justifiable to ex-
land under water between the line for
solid filing and the deep water, and
thereby to increase the capacity of the
harbor for large vessels to that extent.
call your attention to the fact that the
exterior line for piers fixed by this Board
| crosses the place where 1t was proposed
| to excavate a channel of q feet. A chan
| mel of 81 feet would be of comparatively
| little value to the business to be carried
| on by the Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany They want a depth of 35 feet at
| least and probably in the near future
| depth of 40 feet. Chief Engineer Fry, OF
| the United States Treasury Department,
| said that his department was satisfied
| with a 800 foot channel between Ellis
Island and the proposed island. The ac-
| ton of the Riparian Commissioners in
| practically making the grant was de
| nounced by P. Sanford Ross, and he said
| that he was surprised to find that the sole
| object of the commissions existence was
| to secure revenue for the State. The
whole scheme of the Cragin grant, he de-
| clared, was speculative scheme. There
| was no demand for the wharves, ware
house and other improvements which Mr.
Cragin said he was going to make.
| A representative of the Brooklyn Ware
| house Company spoke much in the same
| line He declared emphatically that
| there was no demand for the
proposed improvements ash is company
could not find business enough to keep
| all it's wharves and elevators going now.
| Mr.. James F. Leary, who owns the
! grant adjoining that of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, was SO bitter in his
denunciation of the scheme that the pre-
siding officer of the Board was obliged
| to mildly rebuke him. He declared it was
backed by men who never earned a doll
| lar in their lives by honest work and who
expected to make great profit out of it,.
| It was at this point that Colonel Roberts
warned Mr.. Leary to be careful what he
| said, and Mr.. Leary replied that he was
| responsible for what hes aid.
| Mr.. Mungo ]. Currie also opposed the
| application.
| The Board adjourned the hearing sub
| ject to the call of the chair