New-York tribune., 1911-03-03
WOULD Be FORCED TO CO
Steamship Agents Contend That
Liners Must Dock Elsewhere.
SOUTH BROOKLYN SCORNED
Cunard Line, Says Official, Only
Desires Docks in Manhattan
Near Business Section.

Desires Docks IN Manhattan
Near Business Section.
The statement OF various steamship
agents that the failure TO get pier exten-
sion In the Chelsea district would drive
the lines away from this port TO Montauk
Point. New London. Conn. and Boston was
discussed freely in shipping circles yester-
day. and the consensus of opinion was that
the threats TO desert this port would never
be carried out.
The White Star officials have declared
that. while they did not want to leave New
York. they would be forced to do so "
they could not get the Harbor Line Board
10 grant them an extension or 100 rect on
their Chelsea piers before the Olympic
comes here in June.
Charles 7. Sumner, of the Cunard Line,
talked freely on Wednesday of joining the
White Star Line in its proposed abandoning
OF New York as terminal because OF the
failure % get pier extension. He was
asked yesterday why any steamship line
should De forced 10 leave the port Of New
York when there were several places about
the harbor where piers could be built to ac-
C'0tUONd'e any snip i''v' ltcl i'hH'
I'VE will be forced TO leave New York"
he replied. because there is nothing left
for us 70 do"
Won't Go TO South Brooklyn.
Wien told that the city was building a
series of piers Loo feet long in South Brook
lyn. ana that one or two of them was
now completa ID, Mr.. Sumner said:
we don't want TO go TO South Brooklyn.
Passengers don't want TO travel from South
Brooklyn TO the heart of Manhattan over
poor transit facilities and crowded and con-
Scsted bridges ! personally would rather
travel from New London or Montauk Point
by train TO Manhattan than ] would under
take to make the trip from South Brooklyn
TO Manhattan under the present conditions.
at Montauk or New London it would be
an easy matter 10 provide adequate ana
comfortable terminals for passengers trans
ferring from steamer 10 train. No pasSen-
ger would want TO land in South Brooklyn.
It is a poor. inadequate place to land any
one and we don't want TO go there. More
over, the channel leading TO South Brook
lyn is narrow and shallow, and would re-
ouire considerable dredging before steam
snip or great uldll anu tcllliHeN NN"'N ~
through it safely"
Asked If the big steamship lines bringing
out big ships would be content TO remain
in New York if offered adequate and safe
piers elsewhere in this harbor, Mr.. Sumner
said:
Speaking for the Cunsrd Line, l can say
that | will be glad TO keep the big ships
here if the city will give me safe and ade-
quate piers on the North River i'm Man
haitian That is the place We want 10 dock
our ships"
Mr. Summers attention was called 10 the
paragraph in the report Of the Harbor Line
Board stating that the owners Of big ships
could obtain piers Of sufficient length and
durability between iGth street and 9th
street on the North River.
Uptown Piers Not Safe.
"They have made an observation that IS
hardly correct" replied Mr.. Sumner. IF
there are any piers up there, I have never
seen them. They talk also Of docking the
big ships in the same section alongside
nuays. That sort of docking Is not safe
for the big ships unless the city constructs
ba sin for them. The SHIPS would have
little protection thus docked from stih
winds and drifting ice Another bad feat
ure Of this section Is that it Is too far
away from the districts in lower Nanhat-
tan for the convenience Of importers. |
would not mind docking between 4oth street
and 43d street. so far as the proximity ~
the hotel district is concerned. This is
central enough and would suit the pas
sengers, put II would he too far north to
land our freight. The Mauretania and the
Llsitania. you must remember. carry at
least 1850 tons Of high class freight
Calvin Tomkins, Commissioner OF Docks
and Ferries, said Yesterday that it would
be- possible TO obtain longer piers in Man
haitian by extending the pier head line IN
wider sections of the river and by eXcavat-
ing inshore This problem, however it has
been contended. would interfere with the
proposed plans for railroad traffic improve
ment along the east shore Of the river.
The encroachment on the shore, il IS con-
tended, would interfere with the construc-
ton # the overhead railroad system
planned for the New York Central Rail-
road al rs the west shore of Manhattan
Commissioner Tomkins said he was
pleased TO learn that the Secretary OF War
had arranged for hearing on the pier ex-
tension on Monday. and that he personally
would attend. Representatives of the
White Star Line will also be present. Mr.
Sumner. Of the Cunard Line. said he would
attend were IT not for the arrival here Of
now Cunarder Franconia on Monday