The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-29
SAVING THE PALISADES.
Blaxtin~ stopped On the Famous
Rocks of the Hadsez River


Rocks Of the Hudson River
NEW YORK. Dec 2s-The Palisades
Commission. created BY resolutions which
were passed last winter by the Legisla-
lures OF New York and New Jersey. has
reported the eesssfion Of blasting opera
TORS which threatened 20 destroy the
Beauty Of the Palisades Tt may be reneIn-
bered that each Legislature provided for
| separate commission. the two combined to
form one IN a report whch was made
public yesterday. the commission says IN
par.:
Through the ideas and suggestions OF
ex-Mayos Hewitt the organization Of TIE
two commissions were brought together n
most harmonious working body, and 10
| him Is due much OF the credit for the ra-
pidity with which the commissions des-
patched the work IN hand.
Under the New York act $1,000 was
/ appropriated for the expenses Of the New
/ York Commission. Under the New Jersey
Ret 5000 was appropriated fer the *
penses Of the New Jersey commission. The
commission found that there was no cor
rect survey of the territory and no ecu
rate list Of property owners Early IN the
summer contract vas entered into with
/ g C. Ferme1le TO make a complete surrey
I Of all the territory under the joint com
inissiea's Jurisdiction. namely, from Fort
Lee Ferry. opposite 125th Street, to Sne-
dea's Landing, a distsnee OF about fifteen
miles north Of Fort Lee, or the vest bank
Of tbs Hudson.
The commission also made an arrange
ment with a title guarantee company to
furnish it with a list CT the property own
ers. This has been a tedious and difficult
matter. fae cS1a.f ssion,s aim frof.4 the
/ beginning has beecto stop the blasting on
( the Palisades at the earliest possible mo-
meBt- The commission soon discovered
/ that ;he blasting could not be stopped BY
/ legal methods, and that there we're only
! two courses left open for the commission
I 10 pursue, namely, wait until engineers
could make a survey Of the Palisades and
make maps and then begin condemnation
/ proceedings or negotiate direct with the
people who we're blasting, with view 70
l.acqairing their property by purchase
Naturally great many schemes pre-
scented themselves fnr raising the money
/. TO acquire such property. The one finally
ADOPTED was that the money appropriated
/ by New Jersey should be used 10 pay for
surveys, title searches. and the Ike. and
the $4,000 appropriated By New York
should De kept intact and used as the nu-
c3eus CT 3 fund to acquire properly where
blaetIsIg was g0iBg on after months OF
negotiation. carried on almost every day,
the commission found that 1t could ac-
quire the property where blasting was be-
missions judgment, was q fairly reason
able figure
The scheme proposed by the commits
sion has met with complete success. \
contract has been entered into with the
! owners OF property where blasting was
going on 10 sell the property TO the com
mission Tor sigZ. $50 The so. eco spPropri-
ated by New York State last winter for
the use Of the commission has been paid
down 10 bind the bargain. Blasting ceas-
ed on Christmas Eve not 70 be resumed
before June I next Certain men in New
York city have agreed With the couElis-
sian 70 privately contribute Si22,5s5, the
balaaoe OF the purchase price OF the quar-
Is properties. provided the Legislatures CT
New York and New Jersey viii this win
ter appropriate enough money 70 enable
the commission 10 acquire all the other
property On which it has options between
Fort Lee and HuyIer's Landing, and SUI
fcieBt sum to construct driveway at the
base Of the Palisades
On this connection negotiations we're
conducted with the larger property own
ers along the Palisades which proved
very successful. a majority Of the largest
and most influential owners entered into
an agreement with the commissioners 10
give the commission the face OF the Pal
isades and sell Them the land between
the base Of The cliffs and the Hudson
rfan rights as may have been acquired
By individuals al $40 running fo6t the
commission. il turn. agreeing to endeav-
or 20 establish an interstate park run
ming from Fort Lee ferry TO some Ifoint
in New York State below SHedens
Landing. to embrace all the land from the
top Of the steep edgs Of the ellis down
70 me waters edge; to construct q drive-
way at the base Of the cliffs as speedily
as possible, and to use its influence TO
have ferries connect this drivewag- with
the driveways on the New York side Of
the river
The members of the Palisades Commits
sion are George " Perkins, Abram 5
Hewitt and Ralph Trautmann, NeEv York
city. J. Du Pratt White. Nyack; Nathan
F. Barrett. New Rochelle; D. MeNeeIy
Stauffer. Ycnkers; Colonel Edwin A.
Seveas- Heboken: Franklin ". Hopkins.
Alpine, y J.; Abram De RoRde, Eagle
wood, \ J., and II. a. Linn. HaekeDsaek.
y. J.