The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-03
THE PALISADES RESERVATION.
4 Ss0 WILDERSgSs Rms JrT
BgTOND THE TIfr

RuI esteWa PROM Fsft nee SsftbN atd
FtfetVsgte tgHea lINSe the nv ~ EgaHt
@Sgswte sites ~ me tfest NJ me ltirH
saetter fssNstt geciHtles ttt Seeted
Ths Nofh ~ Tho Palisades Interstate
Park Commission IN SECURING ~" Nv The
peorefty undef ~ lufis,irtt,n hns enne
m ~ duletly that. until The dscuFsiun
ovef tho Wainwright bltl afoSr IN The lHs'
Legislature. few trtepha hot dlsrc,ly Inter
Nted M the movement knew vhat subsiHh
tt1l y afesa n has made Tho sdvoostea
N the IN brought ont The Information rfr.
vtytialy butied IN the cptuniasiph'a annual
TepoSta. that upward NJ ts2n,Gon has bern
epsNs In acquiring land for the preservation
~ the oliha bet wecn Port In and Pier
mons, Nv ineanao ~ purchases already made
N pr cent ~ tho property required has
been obtained and the remaining IN rnr
cont. Ia INV In procesa ~ acgulfoit rtt
Ths park reeer walton hetwren Fort loo
and piermont Ia about twenty mlles IN
length
The Wainwright hill. which vas auueeSed
through the State Senate In the last five
minutes Of the legislative session and
which has recei ved the Governors sigma
turs, adds about fifteen miles To the reserya-
ton. The new territory includes Hook
Mountain. 20 preserve which was the chief
object Of the hill. This beautiful land
mark Ia being blasted for trap rock by
several companies which employ a large
foroe Of men and have n good deal ~ capital
invested. The companies energetically OPP
posed the bill and made some impression
on the Legislature 10y magnifying the ex-
- A--ut-4a- Nh.ta ~znEARNu GnR NhA
public. The commission, however, was
abba to show that II has at It's command
ample means, promised by private sub
ecription, to purchase the land at a fair
valuation. The quarrymen, after asking
&c. 900. 900 for their holdings, came down
they are assessed on the tax books at only
$3.50 900. Now that the commission has
obtained the right to institute condemnation
proceedings, the quarrymen will probably
be glad to sell out at half a million rather
than nave their claims scrutinized by the
court. In any event, 1t ia now certain that
Hook Mountain, the highest and most
distinctive point on the Palisades, will
O the vandalism by which the famous
Indian Head was destroyed before the
bills,
The site Of the park Is In a state of almost
primitive witness. Tall. century old forest
trees stand in a tangle Of underground
and the ground Is strewn with boulders
fallen from the overhanging cliffs. This
primitive condition will be changed as
little as possible. To make the region ao-
oeasible q driveway is to follow the base Of
the precipice and there are to be a number
Of approaches from the top Of the Palisades.
Wherever practicable the approaches will
run dowp through the ravines that a genera
ton and more ago were used as wagon
roads by the lumbermen and farmers of
the Hackensack valley. Except for the
driveway and its approaches no modifica-
ton will be made in the present condition
1t already is, a free mountain wilderness,
Asa matter Of fact, campers have for several
summer been allowed to use it on condition
Of obtaining a permit from the secretary
Of the commission.
The park extends only to the crest Of
the Palisades, leaving room on the top
Of the ridge for home building OF a kind
without rival in the suburbs Of any big city.
However, a large part OF the region is as yet
too inaccessible for suburban development.
The Forty-second street ferry and a con-
Meeting trolley line on the Jersey side supply
transit for the southern part Of the Palisades
region. The l3tth street ferry, with it's fast
modern screw boats, reaches the Jersey
shore a few miles further north and is also
met by a railway line. Both trolleys pass
the village Of Fort Lee, about four miles
further north, they turn to the west. From
that point northward the Palisades can be
reached only over the Northern Railroad
Of New Jersey, which parallels the cliffs q
mile or two to the westward.
The future Of the territory on top Of the
Palisades has long been a matter Of specula-
ton to those interested in the suburban
development Of New York. With the ex-
ception OF q few places scattered over its
thirty-fve miles Of length the region is prac-
tically uninhabited. The solution Of the
transit problem seems just now to lie in the
construction Of a high speed trolley con-
Meeting with the McAdoo tunnels at Jersey
City.