New-York tribune., 1901-07-21
A WASTE OF DIRT.
1T MIGHT HAVE HELPED TO EXTEND ELLIS ISL,
AND. BUT WAS DUMPED INTO THE SEA.

IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED TO EXTEND ELLIS ISL
AND. BUT WAS DUMPED INTO THE SEA.
Since Ellis Island will have be much extended
TO accommodate the new marine hospital that the
government intends establish there It is diff
cult for those who have watched the progress of
excavatng for the Custom House to under
stand why the material that was carted from there
and dumped into the not utilized for this
purpose. The excavation is of the largest ever
made in the CITY, If not actually the largest From
it have been taken about eightyhve thousand cubic
yards of material the greater part of which could
have been used to extend Ellis Island
BY clause in the second contract made with
Isaac A Hopper. the contractor for the work of
excavatng. the of the bulkhead al the Barge
Office was given to him for the consideration of
5000. From there to Ellis Island is only a short
distance, and the sub-contractor, Clarence L.
Smith. could have dumped the material around
Ellis Island cost much smaller than that in
volved in taking It out beyond Sandy Hook and
dumping IL into the
Mr.. Smith says IL cost him about so cents cubic
yard dispose of the dirt taken from the excava-
ton. but that he could have delivered II at Ellis
Island at the rate of about % cents cubic yard
and made a profit. When the government comes
TO have the reefs around Ellis Island filed In the
material will probably cost not less than 40
a cubic yard The saving that could have been
made represents many thousands of dollars
Some of the material excavated from the site Of
the Custom House would have been available
for this purpose, but much than 20 per cent
of IL would have made good land. Alluvia soil and
sand first taken There was a small
| amount of quicksand which of course would have
| been unavailable. Then hardpan This was
clay rocks. powders. gravel. gneiss mica. schis
and quartz which is good material for making new
land
A government superintendent who has been con-
nected with the work since the first shovelful of
dirt taken said yesterday that he could
not explain the apparent apathy of the Secretary
of the Treasury the advantage that would
tain from utilizing the dirt for filling in Ellis ISL
and. The Secretary. he said, the
blame. IL blame there were, for not arranging TO
have the material brought there. A few scowloads
were dumped Ellis Island in the beginning, but
the work there has never been in such condition
! that the material could be received.
Contrary the general opinion the bulkhead at
the Barge ONCE rented the contractor
dirt at Ellis Island. The clause in the contract
which allows the OF the bulkhead also pro-
vides that the contractor shall repair the damage
done by him in the of his work and restore
the place to its original condition.
| IL is. to many persons, singular that this vast
amount of dirt-eighty thousand cubic yards.
about-has served purpose other than to fur
rlsh labor those who loaded IL and towed il to
sea. IL Is said good authority that Mr.. RoOS.
the contractor who is filling in the riparian land in
front of the Pennsylvania Railroad property at
Greenville n. j.. was asked 10 set price that he
would pay for the dirt if dumped where he wanted
H. He not only refused To pay for II. IL Is said.
hut actually told Mr.. Smith that he would have to
ing II AT his place Mr.. Smith found that the cost
| OF taking IL TO Greenvfe would be greater than
that of taking II TO sea- and. naturally chose 10
| make the latter disposition of the material.