New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-08
DOCKS M0NTAUK
Long Island Road Acquires More
Deep Water Harbor Front.
FIVE PIERS, EACH 1000 FEET
President Peters Estimates "a
Hours Saving in Delivery
of Foreign Mails.

In order to enable his company to meet
transatlantic ships at the eastern END OF
Long Island Ralph Peters. president or the
Long Island Railroad Company. executed
a contract yesterday with f. c. NJ. F1tz-
gerald and Robert C. Baldwin. real estate
dealers of this city. for the purchase OF
100 acres of land. thereby acquiring for
the railroad more than mile or water
front on Fort Pond Bay. Montauk
Accompanying the contract were draw
ings made by the Lond Island Railroad
engineers calling for Ave piers. each l.oOo
feet long, I25 feet wide and 300 feet apart
The space between these piers Will be
great enough to permit two OF the largest
liners TO dock at opposite piers at once
thing impossible at the Chelsea piers In
Manhattan, because OF the wide beam OF
the Cunard and White Star ships
Besides saving nearly twenty-four hours
in the delivery OF foreign banking mall
to Wall Street and ordinary mail 70 the
entire city. the proposed Montauk docks
would enable the Grand Trunk Railroad
Of Canada, by means of its Central Ver-
mont outlet at New London, Conn, TO snip
Northern and Western freight and mails
across Long Island Sound. distance or
twenty-five miles. Through the Cape Coo
Canal. which is now being constructed,
passengers and fast mail from Boston
will be enabled 10 leave that city In the
evening and ship for European ports the
following morning.
When the Long Island Road double
tracks it's Montauk division from Oakdale
to Fort Pond Bay. it intends to furnish
express and fast nail service TO the Penn
svlvania Station in Manhattan in two and
one-quarter hours, a saving OF a whole
hour over the time now required. Dill
in Congress to provide for the survey or
Fort Pond Bay has been favorably report
ed, and it was said that bill 10 estab-
fish port Of entry there would be intro
duced soon.
The United States geodetic surveys
show there IS a mean low water depth
between the proposed railroad piers or
forty-eight feet The average depth OF
the water of the bay IS fifty-eight feet,
and the bottom is clay. with gravel shore
bank. providing for excellent. anchorage
Each pier is to have two tracks, and pas
sengers. mails and freight may be trans.
ferred from the liners and carried to Man.
4
The fact that the new central New York
Postoffice building is TO be one block west
OF the Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan
will make the future distribution OF trans
atlantic mail much easier than at present,
when at least five transfers must be made.
While the purchase of the additional wa
terfront was considered a confirmation Of
the report that Montauk Point would be
made the transatlantic shipping point for
| New York City. President Peters gave no
definite idea as to when the work OF build
| ing the piers would be undertaken.
! Through Secretary Woodward. his assist
| ant, IL was learned that the White Star,
Cunard and Scandinavian lines had in
spected the proposed Montauk docks and
had expressed the desire to lease piers
there if piers were provided.
Mr.. Fitzgerald. Of the real estate COM
pany which holds more than five thousand
acres of land south and west of the pro-
| iected improvements. said he had been me-
gotiating with German capitalists for the
! construction Of large drydocl<s on the west
side of the bay.
President Peters sent a statement con-
corning the purchase 10 NJ. Fitzgerald,
which follows:
! The Long Island Railroad Company has
| just executed a contract 10 purchase from
| T.. {. NJ. Fitzgerald and Robert &. Baldwin
about 100 acres Of land ar Montauk at the
| head of the deep water harbor. This tract
! together with sixty acres now owned BY the
railroad company. includes practically all
the harbor front adjacent TO our present
line available for docking large steanships
This additional property has been ac-
Quired in order that the railroad would be
in position TO provide freight and passen-
ger yards. stations. shops and other ter
miral facilities that would he required in
connection with piers of extra length to