The sun., 1908-11-15
MEMORIAL WATER GATE.
With n lincoln Monument Overlooking
II Is Centenary Committees idea.

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II Is Centenary Committees idea.
Capt. Jacob W. Miller, chairman Of thu
plan and scope committee Of Mayor
McClellan's Lincoln centenary commit
tee. has issued a statement giving the
idea Of his committee regarding fitting
memorial to the war President. The
statement proposes that the various
committees in charge of the Lincoln cele
bration, the commem oration OF the dis
covery Of the Hudson River, the Fultor
celebration and later the return Of the
Atlantic battleship feet unite with the
institutions interested in the develop.
ment Of the riverfront along the upper
West Side In constructing great water
gate on the riverfront between Grant g
Tomb and the Soldiers and Sailors
Monument. The Lincoln committee 6
plan then would be to erect a monument
to President Lincoln overlooking this
water gate.
Capt. Miller declares that heretofore
with narrowness belittling to our metrop-
oils our celebrations have in general
been but a passing show. Hereafter
he says, they should leave some lasting
As to the need Of some water gate for
the city Capt. Miller asks where on the
shore line Of the city is there fitting
plaes for the reception OF the returning
feet or for the reception Of foreign fleets
which are expected to join in the Hudson
Fulton celebration next September, and
says that in all the one hundred miles Of
waterfront in Greater New York there
is no suitable landing place for the rep
resentatives of foreign Powers accredited
to this country during any international
naval function and not even q wharf
or pier for the exclusive use Of the crews
Of men OF war.
The natural location for such a struc-
ture, in the opinion Of the committee and
its chairman, would be the Battery, but
the congestion Of the lower part OF Man.
haitian makes this selection inadvisable.
The requirements are for a place which
may be used as a public park, large
enough for the assembling OF large bodies
Of troops with the least interference with
the transaction Of business, easy OF ap-
proach from all parts Of the city and still
near to the man-of-war anchorage, and,
finally, Of natural beauty. These re-
quirements the committee believes are
all met by the Hudson waterfront be-
tween Ninety-sixth street and 10th street.
Here below Riverside Park Is an unre-
deemed strip Of shore, the government
water line being several hundred feet
beyond the present bank. This area the
proposes to fill with the waste
now being towed out to sea, so that the
chief cost to the city would be in the
building OF retaining bulkhead.
For the purposes Of the imminent cele-
brations the committee suggests that
the efforts OF the city and the various
should first be centred upon
the space between 115th street and li7th
street. Here by the erection Of tern
porary wooden retaining wall and the
l1lling in of the area thus enclosed a land
ing place could be arranged where tenn
porary bridges and decorations can be
put up.
Looking further ahead to the ultimate
plan, the committee finds several agen-
cies which might assist in carrying out
such scheme as is proposed. Columbia
is to erect n stadium north
Of 118th street, the Fulton monument
has authority to erect water
gate opposite 10th street, site Is being
sought for a nautical museum, the city
needs a permanent pier and
the naval militia waterfront armory.
while yacht clubs are anxious to move
IN better sites. Because Of the import
lnce which it would bear TO the reception
of our own and Of foreign fleets the COM
nittee believes that the Federal Govern
nent would be willing to assist with
he expense involved in providing such
water gate.