New-York tribune., 1902-10-19
HUGE STEAMSHIP PIER
TRANSFORMATION OFOLDAT-
LANTYC BASIN, BROOKLYN.
GRANITE WAREHOUSES; OF HALF A
CENTURY AGO TORN DOwN-ROOM
PROVIDED FOR LARGEST
STEAMSHIPS

STEAMSHIPS.
A remarkable transformation Of the waterfront
Of Brooklyn is In progress, and when II Is hnlshed
the largest covered steamship pier in the world
vsu OCCUPY the snace from Hamilton Ferry TO the
Gan" through which craft Of al sizes now enter
tbe Atlantic Basin. South Of the Gap viii he
another pier. second in size only 10 the other one
and below that 10 the Erie Basin succession OF
smaller vharves and covered piers will be con-
s,-pctes the whole connected by railway tracks
and seings adapted 10 the requirements OF the
shining business Of to-day.
This vast scheme OF Improvement, costing seVeraI
millions OF dollars, has been undertaken ny me
New-York Dock Company, the purchaser OF the
immense plant Of the Brooklyn Warehouse ana
Storage Company which about TWO years ago
passed into the hands OF receiver. This corpora
ZION owns nearly all the waterfront Of Brooklyn
from Fulton Ferry TO the Gowanus Canal, ana It's
holdings include the entire Atlantic Basin, with the
warehouses on its east and south sides and the
neoks which separate it. except al The Gap"
from Butterrnilk Channel, the strait between Gov
srnurs Island and the Brooklyn shore
long row Of granite warehouses, which were
built over fifty years ago. UntI recently extended
from Hamilton-ave. 10 within about 800 feet OF
The Gan" only one-that next the ferry-is left
II was never secured by the trust and the building
is the only monument 10 the first comprehensive
shipping and storage scheme Of Brooklyns water
front owners This row Of four and six story
sells were less frequent and regular by far than
now when there were telegraphic cables be
tween Europe and the United States, when the
wind was the cuef motive power lot commerce
on the seas and when railway and canal faclites
were so inadequate that all sorts Of merchandise
were collected and held for the arrival OF ship.
sometimes for several months. before she was
ready 10 receive cargo Grain formed an important
part Of the freight thus held for transportation and
the warehouse men grew rich on the returns iroih
their investments in these buildings.
In its palniest days the Atlantic Basin and the
southeast shore Of BuUermilk Channel were al
WAYS crowded with canal boats ana hSaters als-
charging cargo into the granite warehouses. VIII
in their walls The surplus agricultural proouctS %
the United states were heapcd for distribution 10
all parts of the world. and when steamers or sall-
ing vessels discharged the merchandise or Europe
Asia and the tropics Of America, they were hed IN
these stores Tor distribution 70 the trace t@Is"7s
which were consigned 10 an individual or irm were
sold by auction tnere. and neat income IN 2e apel
storage. pending removal vas r,1pea ps . ~ sbn
housemen. iu addition 10 the receipts from aH'P-
GTadusiv tf.se practices ceased. The construc-
ton Of gram elevators al jersey Guy ana Hopoht
the railr0sd Is 10 discharge their cargoes without
hghterage, and shipowners ana aeents JuiitTH it5 a.
the chance for loading Inese elevators. me dt-
sSpsTsede5 san transformation The cable enabled
owners and agents 10 calculate closely the time
Of the arrival OF their ships ana 10 aIIaiists ,oi
the recent of cargo only short time before;
Whoiesae houses ordered their goods abroad ana
Temoged them from the wnaIAts d!IS.lis 49, 70 80,
own warehouses and stores the steai!sli-p 49,
Tsnies chartered piers ard stores for thense'''S'
and the warehouse business Zen intp ,ror,otars
urouosed rne formation OF a great warehouse mo-
nopoy he owners Of these in The enterprise
exceptions merged Their prolei'g ~ ~ ,bi 6oSines
Some were wise enough 10 part Win lhtII Luoiiis
for cash only. and, while those who TOOK s'oeA 81 IN ~
TIE big CORPORATION got larger price, the sellers
ior cash had, in the emo, tht il2S' mus ,23,rr,,,f
the business. Matters went from bad 20 W ~ofS@ f
until receivership became the otlE Iieas IN
I'd hing frlrn he
iernational comTnerce had outgrown the warehouse
method Of transacting business, and the corpora
ton was loaded down with idle properly, o.,
The sale 10 The New-York Dock Company fol.
lowed and thar corporation determined 70 adapt
rs purchase 10 twentieth century requirements
The development of Jersey clty sno aonoA6h ,S Ss
landing points for transatantlc liners poheH ~
way The shipping fre Of l9S a. me tsite
cS.ned by the Brooklyn M9Iehouss a,,ont aiio ys
Company by the victims and Their subsequent r.
turn 10 the New-Jersey shore az the hafboi OF g -
count OF he ina deauate provision for their needs
IN Brooklyn supplied the incentive H., r,,,,,o--
milk Channel and the channel off Bay Ridge and
% remove some distinctions IN ne Isas, ~ nev
Appropriations were authorized, ana Iheh me ne"
came feasible plans were formulated, and the
Rork was begun about six months ago by pulling
down the buildings Acres OF ground have been
strscures ana ,S6ere they stood. covered piers.
which can accommoaate twelve ocean steamships
q nc ships. are 10 be constructed ~. ,,oo,, north
q the Cap viii be the largest ever constructed
rs length win lie 20 feet and its width l66 feet
SppfecateG by com parisOn with the Mhlte otaI
,;he pier IN Manhattan, which IS go feet long ai9
- teet wide. The pier VIII be constructco oL
fSeeh concrete and stone having an eNcellent dis
.slo foundation for permanent structure OF LAs
nsracter and will have depth OF 80 feet OF wafer
9oh along the channel and within the basin az
mean low tide Down it's entire length VIII eNteho
h1hcrete tyuckway 80 feet wide ana three steam
'sssps can lie up on each side at once 80,
i,ans Pier 10 be erected the south neck lnglos-
ss NE basin exactly opposite that Just cescii1su,
81 separated from II only by the Cap: Will DC
-, seet long and 80 feet wide. From ~ Tour shits
sIey load time The construction VIII De
siaf 70 that OF the larger pier on the norm neck
DO DO railway tracks from the smaller piers aL1 aii
gilsfves and from the railway terminals below VIII
aIeetly alongside the ships The brick ana i stohe
soelusp pons % the old stores torn down 70 mas
ir lot this pier, Tapped By the waters OF @
go thennel. form picturesque RUN. Inc COR
eednellen Of the foundations for the pier wili, oi
s-.Iss, soon obteTate this one remaining trace OF
~ sia now almost ended in the mercantile history
w NE metropolis.
ah imposing railway freight terminal Is part or
Al sonprehensive plan for the Improvement OF me
sregTsnuc Basin. Enormous bridges. or aprons. with
tracks for the transfer OF freight cars IRON
slo.sa ahq barges 20 terra hrma VIII be eIeclSu
viii me south end Of the basin, ano the ttaehs
sweep around the right Rno left INTO the
5.Sa, INC, which already skirts the south ana east
oi TIE basin and runs thence southwark alons
waterfront American PIER