Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-09
engineers PLAN
Of RECLAMATION
SUBMITTED TODAY
Report Filed With Mayor and
Works Board Similar to
That OF 1908.
INITIAL COST, A MILLION, TO
MAKE NEWARK A SEAPORT
Contemplates Recruiting of the
Jersey Central, and Will
End Mosquito Pest.

The Mayor and Board of Works to-
day received the report of the Board
of Consulting Engineers on the
meadow reclamation and dock i'm
proyement project, on which the six
engineers have been working for three
Weeks. Newark is now assured that
the work on the ship canal and the
draining and filling of the meadow land
will be commenced in the near future
Some of the benefits to be derived by
the city from this work are: The
making of a seaport out of Newark,
the ridding the city of mosquitoes the
development of otherwise waste land
for factory and residence sites.
The report submitted today and
accompanied by a map is the
third that has been made since the
work was first talked about. The first
was by the Advisory Dock and Meadow
Reclamation Commission in 1908, the
second was made a year later ~
Henry S. Adams, who, with George S.
Greene jr., was called in by the Mayor
to e over the commission report Mr..
Greene concurred in the report of the
commission, but Mr.. Adams presented
plan differing from it.
Both these engineers and also E. p.
Goodrich, James owen, George t. Hand
and Colonel William NJ Black, of the
Barbor Line Boarl, composed the pres
ent board of engineers, and the plan
agreed upon by them, unanimously. is
almost the same as the one submitted
by the commission in 1908.
= The engineers recommend the recla-
nation of all the meadow land south
of the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylva-
MIA railroads, the Introduction of special
legislation that will assure the city Of
the right to establish permanent pol
icy with regard to meadow land, the
+ possible change of location of the Cen
tral sRailroad of New Jersey and sew
eral other important matters.
Although the board agreed that it
would he more beneficial for the city to
have larger appropriation than $l,-
100000 to carry on the work, they have
outlined a plan whereby work can be
commenced at a cost not to exceed the
present appropriation. AS recommend
ed by the commission report of 1905 the
present board advises the purchase of
100000 worth of. meadow land and as
much additional land on the bay front
The report In full follows:
Newark, n j., March 2, 1911.
To His Honor. Jacob Haussling, Mayor,
and the Board of Street and Water
commissioners of the City of New
ark, n. j.:
Gentlemen-In conformity with our
selection as a board of consulting en-
gineers to report on the development
of the meadows and ship canal
project for the city of Newark, under
q motion adopted by the finance COM
mittee OF the Board of Street and
Water Commissioners on February 3,
1911, we hereby respectfully submit
the following recommendations for the
carrying out of such an Improvement
The board believes that the improve
ment of the meadows by dredging ana
filing so as to make them available
for factory and residence sites, with
provision for transportation facilities
by rail and water, is a measure of the
utmost Importance to the city, of New
ark
The Pennsylvania and Lehigh alisy
railroads and the Central Railroad of
New Jersey cross the meadows from
east to west. and from north to south,
respectively The tract TO the north
of the Pennsylvania and Lchigh VAL
ley railroads has already had por-
ton of it's waterfront improved and
occupied by private interests The re-
mainder of the tract is held at high
valuation. Two bridges cross the
navigable cham ais between the water
front of this tract and New urk oay,
making it less. valuable for water
transportation than Is .he tact to the
south. The board recommends that no
development of this tract be made By
the city of Newark at this time, but
that it be left to be filled gradually by
the city waste.
The board believes that the entire
meadow tract to the south of the Penn
sylvania and Lehigh Valley railroads
should be developed on some plan
which would best provide for access to
all of it's parts by a system of high
ways, a system of railroad tracks and
1 sidings and be traversed by water
way. so designed as to afford with the
bay front of the tract ample wharf
facilities for the water transportation
required by the meadow ract and by
the city.
One of Three Conditions Essential.
To permit such an advantageous and
uniform development, one of three con-
ditions is essential. either O coopera-
tion between all of the present owners
of the meadow land or (2) a single
ownership of the entire tract, OF 60
such legislation as will permit the mu-
nicipality to make definite and rea-
sonable plan and compel private own
70 ~
cordance Herewith when 1t is to be-
developed.
In the absence of any method Of
constraint the first condition is man.
ifestly impracticable. The second con-
dition Is possible, but would involve
an outlay for the purchase of land 50
great as to make it impossible for the
/, city of Newark under the limitations
as to outlay now imposed by law. The
third condition is one frequently found