New-York tribune., 1908-10-11
HUDSON BRIDGE
At 1SlST STREET
HENS SHORT span And
SLIGHT COST.
ys,c Forb, Members of Interstate
Commission Think This Point
Favorable after Inspection.

-. .e-1+ Of a tour of inspection made on
--+1-sdav hy the members OF TIE New York and
- Jersey Interstate Bridge Commission, there is
- 1itt,e doubt that the annual report Of the New
~ commissioners. which viii be submitted. 10
=. legislature in January. viii contain strong
-.ssntetiorls in favor OF constructing a bridge
-oss the Hudson at lS1st street, or Fort Wash
-, Park There are certain features of the
,,sr- which a-e said also 20 appeal strongly
=, members Of the New Jersey commission. and
tbcs. who have 'ong interested themselves in the
,s,-,ction Of q bridge this river
i.-t,r 70 hope that the solution Of the vexatious
y-ohlern IS il sight
NcT,ousau Hawkes. chairman Of the New York
commission said following the inspection that. al
,torsb the lSls street site had been talked OF in
(,nrn,on with other locations further down the
river r-oposed ST various times. its many advan-
rsres had never before been made so apparent as
an tie trip CT last week. Briefly enumerated, Mr..
EHg-kes SAYS these advantages principally
.arorslie shore formations either side the Hud-
soh al that point. making possible bridge with
shorter span than is possible at any other point
sorg the Hudson CT North River front OF Man
haitian Island: proportioEate difference IN cost Of
construction and the great value of the bridge as
= medium for connecting New York and New Jer-
sey with high power trolley service, connecting
IN New York with the New York Central and New
Haven railroad systems. and on the Jersey side
tapping the six great transcOntinental trunk lines
snord.ng al a medium for the speedy transfer
Of baggage and light freight. as well as a salts
factory outlet into New York for the product OF
the Hackensack Meadow truck farms
ADVANTAGES OF SHORE FORMATIONS
CcmmssiCner HawFes says it is due chiefly
nsrursl shore formations along either side of the
Hudson az this point that il is possible to build
lEst street az estimated cost of only 100000
t0- the bridge proper whereas of the projects
proposed for bridging the river further down in
voTe expenditures running high Slo9Gpo.ool
On the NeT York side there a point Of solid
rock known as Fort Washington Point, ju:ting far
or into the river, and the opposite side. the
foGt Of The Palisades, are mud fats covered by a
depth Of only twelve or fourteen feet Of water
The effect OF thes- natural ohstructons to river
traffic OF either side the stream is 10 reduce the
width Il the naylSable channel 10 ABOUT fourteen
hunGred feet, AID tlls - vital point in the
sioeration % the problem Of bridging the North
River for the War Department long ago refused
10 allow the construction of any piers in midstTeam
Because Of this ruling by the War Department
a 81 projects for bridging the river further down
stream have carried with them provisions for ex-
ceeolngiy costly spans - and 300 feet long.
Sonmissoner Hawkes. also points the fact that
tne sist street location possesses another natural
advantage Il that II thrown across the river at
practically the height of the land either side. a
Vioee there would De high as. II not higher
lHan' The 10 feet over high water mark demanded
Oy The federal authorities Because OF the xhort-
"eSs " the span no enormous supporting towers
would be necessary for bridge at this point. on
lie New York side the naTigabe stream runs close
!" Fort Washington Point, but on the New Jersey
sise Z long, loN steel structure would have 70 be
DuAt IRON Inc --aaae over the mud fats 10 the
Sn're The Commissioner points that the
pfacucaly pT0aibitive cost Of approaches in
Aecon with projects for bridging the river further
eV"A VIII be done away with AT 1slst street for
Inc Manhattan approach les in Fort Washington
FaFk owned By the city of New York and the ap-
p''dcA on the opposite side Of the river would be
Nlough portion OF the Palisades Park purchase,
NH'eh Is state property. IL is also pointed out in
-1sor OF this location that there is rock formation
pi@cucaAy al the surface Of the water which
fft the shore piers. while further down the
aver II Is necessary TO carry the masonry
suaeuon down one hundred feet through a
peo o. slt before the rock foundation Is reached.