New-York tribune., 1903-02-08
MIR. ROOT INsPECTs PIER CHANGES,
Talks with Mayor at City Hall About Harbor
Line Extension

u1,,h poo+ secretary of War, accompanied
Mavor Low TO the City Hall yesterday and had a
talk with him there lasting about twenty minutes
The subject under discussion was the general e1-
tension of the harbor and pier lines, and the pro-
nosed expenditure of about s14 100000 for new piers
It was to discuss this topic that the Mayor went 10
Washington last week calling on Secretary hpot.
For several months the DOCK department IDS
h.e waiting for the decision of the Board Of Army
Engineers on its application for change IN the
rjer line in the North River between Canai anu
West Thirtieth SITS. The change desired was the
moving of the line 200 feet toward the centre Of
the river In front of the point where the new piers
are m he constructed between Bloomfield and West
Twentv-third This modification was asked
for TO add 200 feet to the length OF the piers and
make them Loo feet long. as desired by steamship
coronanies who would be likely to use them.
,1+boupb Commissioner Hawkes. has never re-
caived 2 CODY of the report of the army board. he
has understood that the report was unfavorable to
granting the application What the reasons were
fo- refusing the desired modification. he did not
know He took advantage OF Secretary Roots pres
anca to take him over the ground where the i'm
movement is going forward With Secretary Root
and Commissioner Hawkes. in making their tour
we're Mayor Low, J. A Bensel the chlef engineer
NJ .be Dock Department; Vernon H Brown, OF the
rsun.rd Line which is about to construct two of
the largest and fastest steamships in the world,
ana Clement A. Grscom, jr., of the American Line.
which has applied for additional piers
They examined the maps of the new harbor line
and examined the work going on in that sec
NON consisting chiefly of dredging They then
walked along the lire Of the marginal street CT the
nev in,provernept a.d proceeded to the old Allan
S,ata Lire pier al West Twenty -frst-st where they
bosrded the Dock Department tug Richmond and
made an examination along the river front of the
whole Chelsea improvement. going as far down the
river as the present White Star piers IN the Sanse-
WORT Improvement They alighted at the Cunard
pier and walked up through Gansevoort Market 70
tne north side Of the oyster basin and inspected
the dredging work going on there -
Evidently Secretary Root had been LED TO peIleVe
that the modification of the pier line was desired
70 save Land Tor he asked if the city expected TO
he able to save land by the proposed extension
Sou1missoner Hawkes. told him that II would not
the granting OF the application wouic mean that
the city could build its piers 200 feet longer tFlah IL
al first intended doing ~
After the trip Commissioner Hawkes sa' a MI nt.
tide Of me work involved. and the necessity Tor
tfe extension of the harbor line was very fuly
shown TO hirza bearing was brought out In con-
rention with the dredging going on Tor deepening
.ba chennel tc The 10 forty feet st mean low
Sde II was shown him that the money spent
g. 5rs5osrp would be wasted n the SO-foot nosts
could not be accommodated