New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-05-09
ORANGE COUNTY PUZZLE
Hlgh7cay Through Storm King Com
panys Land Eapensice
GBy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Middletown, \. Y. May S.-The Board of
/ Supervisors of Orange County believe that it
! has been imposed upon by some one connected
with the State Engineers office at Albany, and
/ that unless some steps are taken Immediately
| to prevent the construction of the West Point
! Cornwall state road the county will have to pay
! nearly half million dollars for the 2.7s miles Of
! that road.
The West Point Cornwall state road was first
projected in 1902, Louis F. Goodsell, former
State Senat tor, being of its advocates. Plans
| were drawn in State Engineer Henry A Van
| AistNnes office and approved by the Board Of
Supervisors of Orange County. The road was to
run from the West Point reservation to Corn
wall, distance of Us miles At Cornwall the
road vas to run through q tunnel | go feet
long in the lower edge of Storm King Noun
tain. This mountain was believed to be a val
ueless piece Of land, and the Board of Super
Nlsors supposed a right of way could he secured
through 1T for small sum. The tunnel to
| be lighted by sunlight through galleries.
The matter of constructing the road hung fire
from 1904 to 1907, when it was again taken up
| State Engineer Skene advertising for bids and
awarding the contract to the Hamilton Com
pany. which, il is said. was one of the barge
canal contractors. The contract price was
S19O0aO
In The mean time company was incorporated
at Albany under the name of the Storm King
stone Company. with a capital of $500 n10. This
company in 1906 purchased the Storm King
Mountain. through which the West Point-Con-
wall road to run, from George F. Lowrie
for 500 and other considerations 1t was cur
rently reported that ex-senator GoodseIl was one
OF the chief movers in the stone company but
his name has never appeared in connection
with it.
After State Engineer Skene had awarded the
he
Board of Supervisors proceeded to secure rights
of way. and found that the road touched the
property of the Storm King Stone Company. The
company asserted that it had eight million cubic
yards of granite and stone for crushing in its
property and that the running of the state road
would damage it about one-haf As the COM
pany estimated that it would make a profit of
80 cents cubic yard on the stone the damage
would amount to S12001O
The Board Of Supervisors began to think the
2.7S miles of state road at $4,000 was an ex-
pensive luxury, and called for the ma ps. County
Engineer Charles H. Smith produced two maps
of the road One was the original map. showing
the route of the road along the lower part of the
property of the Storm King Stone Company.
This route did not materially affect the prop
erty. The other map showed the route of the
state road several hundred feet higher up the
mountain and through the centre of the prop
erty of the stone company
County Attorney William B. Royce examined
both maps and found that the original map had
been erased and the new route retraced without
disturbing the signatures of approval of former
State Engineer Van Alstyne and Ingham Stub
ley, clerk of the Board of Supervisors on being
questioned the Supervisors stated that they had
never approved the map as changed, and County
Engineer Smith said the map as changed came
10 him from State E'DgiDeer'S
From the face of the map it appeared that the
route of the West Point Cornell road had been
changed as to pass through the Storm King
Stone Companys land. with the result that that
company would be able to claim a big for
right Of way. The charge has not been made
however, by the Board of Supervisors of Orange
County The board is greatly excited over the
matter. but at meeting day it was decided
to go slow and ask State Engineer Skene for an
explanation before making any charges.
The incOrporators of the Storm King Stone
Company were Henry s. Anderson No II East
32d street. Arthur J. H. Brooks No 642 West
51st street; Charles f. Ring, No 50 William
street; Lewis c. Buttrck, No IS Wall street
and Edward H. Jewell. No. Warren street New
York City. The attorneys for the company are
Lyttetcn Foye, of New York. and James G.
Graham Of Newburg. The company was cap
italized at $1,000 It's first annual report TO
the Controller showed that the number of shares
issued for cash or property amounted TO 1921 200
100000 common stock and $4,000 preferred
The average monthly bank balance of the com
pany for 1907 was $500
The Good Roads Committee of the Board of
Supervisors believes that the awarding of the
contract under the alleged altered maps is illegal
and the members will undoubtedly appeal TO |
the courts to be relieved of constructing the !
road.