The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-10
Delegations from Trade Board
and City Government at
War Department.
KEAN, BRIGGS, PARKER AND
PRATT WITH VISITORS
Secretary Kelley Declares
Ocean Steamers Will Some
Day Find a Port Here.
Especial to the Evening start

WASHINGTON Feb. 10.-Strone
arguments in favor of the removal or
rebuilding of the present Central Rail-
road bridge spanning Newark Bay from
Elizabeth to Bayonne, were presented
today to the War Department by a
delegation representing the Board OF
Trade. the Board of Works and the
Board of Allotment. of Newark.
The delegation was accompanied to
the War Department by United States
Senators Kean and Briggs. and Repre-
sentatives Parker and Pratt.
In the absence of William II. Taft,
the Secretary of War, who is in the
West, the Newarkers were received by
General Robert Shaw Oliver, Assistant
Secretary of War.
General A. Mckenzie, the chief OF
engineers, who has general supervision
over the navigable waters, and Is
therefore directly interested in any
thing pertaining to them. was. also
present.
Call Bridge n Menace.
"a0 aiaA hh0 NtN
present bridge is practically a dam
across the bay, and consequently 4
n to navigation in many respects
The three bodies represented want
the bridge removed or rebuilt in such
a manner as to give open spans cl
about 300 feet in width and a larger
opening for the draw bridge.
A large petition was filed with the
War Department.
The delegation was we'll pleased with
the hearing, and 1t is believed that
some action in accord with the sugges-
lions made will be taken ultimately.
City's improvements.
In talking with the EVENING
STARS Washington correspondent to-
day, James NJ. Reilly, secretary of the
Newark Board of Trade, said that in
asmuch as thousands of dollars would
be spent in the near future in improv-
ing the docks of Newark and the work
of deepening the channel of the Pas
sale River was being carried on from
year to year, the Board of Trade wa:
anxious to see the facilities for com
merce on hat waterway improved. Sc
that ocean steamers might be brough
up to the city.
Other members of the delegation ex
pressed themselves in favor of the re
moval of the bridge which has caused
so much trouble in the river from time
to time
The petition was signed by a number
of persons, headed by the Mayor. pres
ident Of Common Council, president o.
the Board of Works and president Of
the Board of Trade.
1t states hat the construction of thi:
bridge HI prevented a natural de
velopment of the water frontage OIL
Newark Bay northward; that it ha'
deferred business interests from secur
ing a location upon this waterway
that it has beer directly the aus o
heavy imposts and burdens upon ship
ping and upon manufacturing an
commercial interests.
Its reconstruction, it contends, is re
quired as a measure of safety to tn
travelling public, patrons of the Contra
Railroad, as we'll as those Interested II
navigation, and 1t urges that action b
taken under the provisions of the rive
and harbor act of 1899, providing TO
the removal or al eratio1 of bridge
which are unreasonable distractions t
navigation, to conn ell the constructed
of a new bridge which will provide TO
the free passage of all classes of YES
sells which now or hereafter may nav
cate the Kill Won Kull TO enter Newar
Bay, or, the construction of q tunnt
underneath this waterway to accom-
modate the traffic of this railway.