New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-19
GOVERNORS ISLAND.
THE SCHEME FOR ITS ENLARGEMENT
AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES.

WASHINGTON April Is (speciaD-The long con-
templated scheme for improving Governors isi-
and with view Of increasing its Capacity ioi
troops and materials is now to be pusheo u
completion. Secretary Root has approved the pan
prepared by McKim, Mead White. when provinces
for extending the island about twenty-five hundreo
feet to the southwest, more than douohng lts
The project explained by the war
Department goes back to July Il. 1870 "heh
board of officers convened by order Oh tue
Secretary of War consisting of Major General
John r. Brooke, Brisadier General tthen Colohei
George L. Gillespie, Engineer Corps ana Colohei
Amos S. Kimba, assistant Quartermaster gen
eral. This board directed to meet at Gov
ernor's Island for the purpose of making a gen
eral inspection of the island and all buildings
thereon. and TO prepare and recommend gen
eral plan for the improvement thereon. Inc IN
structions specially given for the guidance OF the
! board comprehended:
First-Provisions of barracks and quarters for at
least battalion of troops. -
standardization for storage ard shlpp1ig s aT
vice in New-York Harbor.
Third-Provsion for concentration of ordnance
! buildings. ,, - 49,
I FoIrth-Rearrangement of the buildings on the
! Fifth-Enlargement OF the island.
| Under the first head the board recommended that
the four barrack buildings now in Fort Columbus
be raised one story to accommodate the present
strength of four companies, the buildings at pres
ent accommodating only sixty men 10 a COM
pany. No increase beyond one batta1on was
recommended, unless the boards recommendation
as to enlargement of the island should be approved
when full provision would be made for regiment.
Under the second head, after considering SeVerai
projects, the board finally recommended towering
the bed of the harbor on the north shore by
/ dredging to the depth of twenty-six feet at mean
low water, from a line fifty feet OUTSIDE the sea
wall and extending to the twenty-sH Iool
! curve of the harbor with deep east and west APP
proaches, and the construction or a tl1nper "lai
along the sea wall to protect 1t from injury and
/ nf
for the excavation of $50 900 cubic feet of powders
hardpan and sand. at estimated cost or SlVV'ov'
and the construction OF thousand Ieet ol GOV
cred pile wharf fifty feet wide. at an es'iila'e leu
| cost of 800 900; total s20O,00o-
! THE annual rental for storage and DOCK room at
! that time paid in New-York City by the supply
departments of the army aggregated soS'o"' OF d
per cent on 100000 nearly double the aggregate
of estimated cost of all. contemplated improve
ments.
Under the third head the board recommended
that the ordnance reservation on the island (ho"
seven acres be reduced in dimensions much ooso-
ete ordnance supplies sold and therepy rooii
made on ground conveniently accessible 10 pro-
posad wharf The officers quarters were TO remain
undisturbed Two storehouses with hoor area OF
twelve thousand square feet would De pro'lueu'
ample for the ordnance department ana II auu
tional space be in future required, convenient
sites close 70 the proposed wharf may be found on
the reservation
Under the fourth head 1t was found that most OF
the buildings were of frame old, announcement ana
unsanitary in bad repair but for the time the board
submitted estimates only for general repairs 10 al
and for the construction in brick of two double
sets of officers quarters
II was recommended to transfer the administra-
ton building which is badly located lacking In &C
commodation and III adptaed to its purpose 10
the site of Ordnance Storehouse No l. and TO erect
there a three story brick building which shall &C
commodate the general commanding, his alds ana
all the administration officers of the department
Additional quarters for officers Of the garrison
were proposed upon sites on the south side or the
island alongside those last built 1t was also rec
commended that the hospital be transferred to the
south side Of Castle Williams, remote from the
hustle of the shipping dock
| Further, il was urged that a much needed gym
nasium be provided by conversion of Ordnance
Storehouse No :, to be replaced by storehouse OF
equal or greater capacity on the seawal near the
dock and 10 the coal buildings to the vicinity
of the engineer wharf at Castle Williams.
| Under the fifth head the board recommended en-
iargement the island by utilizing the shoal south
thereof using solid timber dikes and h!ling IN with
| excavations taken from adjacent channels under-
going improvement by the United States \ dixie
| located two thousand feet from the shore. with
marginal dkes estimated of total lineal length will
provide increased area of nearly ninety acres
(present about sIxty-fve acres or total OF
l55 The estimated cost OF placing dlkes $'zo
0O0 and of sand filing $4,000. amounted TO sSs5gD
This conversion OF the shoal Will not be preiudicia
TO navigable capacities OF the channels and will be
a great Improvement TO the government for ma
! finally the board recommended that the build
| ings proposed for the island be erected only on
mprovements be begun and executed under con
tracts made favorable by the coincident widening
and deepening Of adjacent channels
| The recapituaton of estimates OF construction
masters department; one brick storehouse. sub
bTc Sns 6rfS as I9e
department; one powerhoUse and accessories Gelec
headGuarterS); SIX double sets quarters
missary of subsistence and quartermasters depart
nor buildings rasns 6arraeks in Fort
| Columbus one story; repairs to engineer dock at
total for above $4,000 Wharf along wall $780,
| 600; dredging in front of sea wall C2o0"o cubic
The cost of enlarging the island was estimated as
follows: $500 neal feet crib dixie at s25. $4,000
The entire proposed cost aggregates 1886, 600
Certain notifications with reference to the above
recommendations were subsequently suggested In
voving change of location of wharves. storehouses
etc location rapid fire guns and the destruction
Of Castle Williams and Fort Columbus, but these
having been m d to The the
of War approved the original report.neither Fort
The New-York architects McKim, Mead & White
were selected by the Secretary of War as the
careful consideration of the scheme they objected
to location of storehouses as indicated by the
report board. and March %. 1902, the Sec
rotary of War authorized their employment to pre-
pare a preliminary scheme including all improve
| rnents contemplated on the island providing there
tiers, necessary storehouses for different staff
tiers and other buildings for regiment of in
| fantry in the preparation of this scheme due con-
sjderation be given to the ACCESSIBILITY
non -advlsability of locating one battalion of this
regiment in the old buildings in Fort Columbus
reclaimed, of locating the entire regiment
ines therein for further purposes
The architects have submitted a project for the