The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-02-01
NEWARK AS
Big SEAPORT.
POSSIBILITY
Meadow Reclamation Urged
by Col. Wright as
Feasible Plan.
SHIP CANAL IS FAVORED
Mayor, Works Board Members
and Expert Engineers Dis.
cuss Means to Make City
Great Shipping Center.
All Optimistic.

That Newark will be one of the great
shipping centers of the East and Sec
ond only to the metropolis is the be-
lief Of expert engineers who lave made
a study of the meadow lands which
lie at the very door of the city, and
his view was expressed yesterday at a
public conference with the Board of
Works.
1t was for the consideration of his
subject that Mayor Haussling, City
Counsel Nugent, Fire Commissioners
Burke, Shade Tree Commissioner
James S. Higbie, James M. Reilly, Sec
rotary of the Board Of Trade; Henry
Dickson, City Treasurer Albert T.
Guenther, former Board of Works
Commissioner Harrison Van Duyne,
former County Engineer James owens,
Chief Engineer Morris r. Sherrerd, s..
Howell Jones, Ernest p. Goodrich, on
sulting engineer of the Bush Terminal
Company, of Brooklyn, and Colonel j..
q. Wright, supervising drainage en-
sineer; Commissioners Book, Halpin,
Lambert and Denman, of the Board of
Works, met yesterday The best way
TO make the meadow lands of some
practical use was discussed by the
various speakers, this being the-first
step considered necessary for the MAX
ing of a great shipping centre.
1t was the unanimous opinion of
every man present that with the
meadow lands laid out and properly
drained Newark would become in time
an important factor in water COM
merce.
TO the engineers present the most
practical plan seemed to be u ship
canal. President Book of the Board of
Works seemed to have sounded the
keynote of the. situation when he said:
we are in a position to supplement
the shipping facilities of New York
city. Our financial condition, however,
will not permit us to go about it in u
~haphazard way, and we must be
cautious" The commissioner said that
further Legislation would be necessary
before the project could be carried out,
and he said that he believed that the
wners of meadow land should be as
sessed for the improvements which
will be brought about.
The commissioner Their handed the
SttIeldTy q lGLlGI IBCClNCu from Comp
troller J. Henry Bachelor. 1t pointed
out that the city was not any too we'll
off financially and stated that there
should be no issue of ship canal bonds
this year.
Commissioner Book said tina If such
would beN Unnecessary he would not favor
anything more than $10o, 900 bonds. The
various reports pointed out hat tho
canal would be 1000 feet wide and
thirty feet in depth.
COMMISSIONS Halpin said that a
canal, If constructed in semi-circle
form, instead of straightaway, SO that
Ii could reach Peddie and other streets.
and be 600 or 700 feet wide, would be of
benefit to manufacturers of the city.
He stated that he had taken the ques-
tlon up with several business men well
yersed and they thought his idea a
good one.
Mr.. Jones also appeared puzzled
about the proposed width of the canal
and remarked that it was nearly three
lines as wide as the Panama Canal.
well, that's so Atlantic liners can
have their piers here said the chair
man. Before the meeting adjourned Mr..
Reilly arose and pointed out that the
day would be a red-letter one in the
history OF Newark. I'VE have been
hearing OF meadow reclamation for
years" he began, but now we have
seen a start, and 1t appears to be the
right sort of a one. OF course, it will
take millions to bring about results.
but millions will come in while it is in
progress, and Newark will be heard of
all over the world and in line with
other cities making progress"
All agreed with Mr.. Reilly, and the
meeting adjourned TO the call of the
chair.
Colonel Wright, the supervising and
drainage engineer, made a report,
which is in part as follows:
in pursuance of an agreement with
your honorable body last August, the office
OF drainage Investigations, United States
Department of Agriculture, has made a
survey and examination to ascertain
whether or not the salt marsh known as
the Newark meadows can he reclaimed
and made ut for agriculture or some other
more profitable use. To determine this
fact the area has been carefully surveyed,
soundiugs made to find the depth Of muck,
and such Information collected as is ueces-
sary to determine the feasibility OF this
project. Most OF the data collected are
shown on the map which accompanies this
report.
ahN hAhAGli Ut l DlNHNhl AtlNiAlNl -
not only worthless, but is a detriment TO
the public health and n nuisance TO the
residents on the adjacent upland, 1t Is a
prolific breeding place for mosquitoes, and.
owing TO the bad condition of the Bay
avenue sewer, that portion of the marsh
through which 1t passes is n mass OF NTH
that is both obnoxious and unwholesome
The meadow, though not inhabited, is sur
rounded by a thickly populated district
and is crossed daily by thousands Of peo-
pie going to and from New York city. 1t
Is not only Objectionable because of the
numerous mosquitoes that it breeds and
the offensive and deleterious odors that il
emits. but is unsightly and gives 10 the
hundreds of strangers from all parts of
the country that cross 1t annually a bad
Impression of Newark. Apart from the
question of sanitation, this marsh should
be reclaimed because of its geographic To-
cation. Situated as it is, within eight
niles of the city OF New York, and tray
ersed by three great trunk line railways,
the ground area is too valuable TO longer
remain idle. 1t is susceptible of reelama-
tion for a high use at a comparatively
small cost.
>'tAny plan of reclamation worthy of Sc
BUS consideration must not only take
0 account the highest use to which this
d can be put, but must consider also
future growth and development Of your
and its need for additional territory
tfactories and commerce. An examina-
OF your river front shows that You