The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-05-10
P. R. R. IMPROVEMENT
Opposed Because Tt May
Make Channels
Shallow.

Tracks have been laid for mile on the
branch line of the Pennsylvania Railroad
which is to connect the main tracks of the
New York division at Waverly with the
great new pier to be constructed in the
upper bay. It is evident that the impor-
tant Improvement is to be pushed for
ward to completion as rapidly as possibly
1t was learned from General Superin-
tendent Sheppard, of the Pennsylvania,
yesterday, that the branch is to parallel
the tracks of the Lehigh Valley for some
distance The two railroads may use the
same bridge across Newark Bay, and the
Lehigh will, for time at least, have priv
:seges on the pier. Solid construction is to
be carried out as far as the government
bulkhead line.
The Pennsylvania wants this line moved
out two thousand feet further, because,
unless it is, there will not be room enough
on the new made ground to handle trains
of the length that may be accommodated
on the pier proper.
This matter of moving the bulkhead line
is, therefore, of great Importance to the
railroad. The early construction OF the
ferry to Bay Ridge, connecting with the
Long Island Railroad, depends in part on
the settlement of this question about the
location of the bulkhead line. There Is
prospect, too, that the line may not be
moved out, since vigorous protest may
be made by the shipping interests.
Nearly a hundred acres of the upper
pay will be given up if the request of the
railroad is granted. That this is OF con-
sequence may be understood from a mere
computation of the quantity of water that
may be kept out of the bay. A hundred
acres of water, six feet deep-that being
the height of the average tide--is more
than eight hundred thousand tons. That
much less water would pass over the
chanels at Sandy Hook on the incoming
and outgoing tide. 1t has always been
held by the government harbor engineers
that the Jersey flats are necessary to
secure the securing out of the channels
by the tides.
In the very place where the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad has asked for a change OF
the harbor line the engineers have taken
extraordinary precautions to prevent any
estoppage of the todal flow. Usually the
inspection Of the construction of OPEN
work piers within the pierhead line is left
In this case, however, the engineers
have ruled that no structures shall be
built between the bulkhead and pierhead
lines without the approval of the Secre-
tary of War. Colonel Robert, of the Har-
Dor Line Board, has notified the principa
steamship men and many others to attenc
the hearing next Monday morning on tht
| Pennsylvania petition to have the bulk
head line moved out.
.'There is too little water in the channels
| of the lower bay now" said Gustav H
Schwab, of the North German Lloyd line
yesterday. "lf what the railroad purposes
is to put in solid filling to the bulkhea6
line and have that line put out two thou
sand feet farther, or any farther into the
bay, l have no hesitation in saying il
ought to be stopped However, 1 wish tc
say that I have every confidence that the
government engineers will guard the ship
ping interests and forbid this improve
ment if in any sense it may jeopardize the
harbOr."