New-York tribune., 1911-03-04

report of the Harbor Line Board against
the lengthening OF the two White star
niers I'm the Chelsea district to accommo-
date the OLYMPIC and Titanic the former
of which will reach here on its maiden
VOYAGE in June. The New London deiega-
tion also visited Y. a. S. Franklin presi-
dent of the International Mercan'lie Ma
rine, offering accommodations to dock 'ne
OLYMPIC. but Mr.. Franklin just at present
is more interested in temporary arrange
ment which will take care of his big ooat
than in a permanent solution OF the prop
lem. His energies are now being directed
toward obtaining from the War Depart
ment permission for a temporary extension
Of the Chelsea piers.
$50 long as New York and other states
are appointing commissions to decide the
question. why not allow the temporary eN-
tension OF the Chelsea piers until these
commissions can settle the matter was
the way he framed the argument he VIII
use with Secretary Dickinson at the near
ing in Washington on Monday.
Commissioner Tomkins of the DOCK De-
partment said yesterday;
TT will take practically all the time oe-
tween now and when the Olympic arrives
10 build the temporary extensions in view
No other immediate relief can be had. We
shall concentrate our efforts in Washington
on Monday toward getting permission ior
these temporary extensions, and 1t is highly
desirable that the question should be de-
cided promptly
Mayor Gaynor's correspondence Win oec-
retary Dickinson, urging the latter TO oeIer
his decision until the New York and Ne"
Jersey commissions had thrashed the SUD-
ject out and suggesting that there was no
hurry. Mr.. Tomkins said. referred TO tho
permanent solution Of the question, ana
evidently no. to the urgent situation now
confronting the White Star Line.
Mr. Tomkins pointed out that 1t would
take the government two years to dredge
TO forty feet the thirty-tWo-ioot chdnhei
now leading to the two new municipal piers
~ +ho entrance TO Gowanus Canal, i'll
South Brooklyn. These piers. one at Slst
street. which is now leased TO the Fabre
Line. and one at 3Sd street, the shed oil
which has not vet been completed, are each
about seventeen hundred feet long, lonS
enough TO dock two Olympics apiece Inc
government has already appropriated the
money and let the contract for the dredS-
ing of the channel leading 10 them
The Commissioner also spoke Of the great
inconvenience in the handling OF baggage
which an English line docking in South
Brooklvn would have and remarked incl
dentally that the Hamburg American Lane
had made application for docking facilities
I'm Manhattan on account of similar IN
convenience, though less of II. experienced
nv the lines docking in HOboken.
But the question of granting the HAM
burC-Americqn application is tied up with
that of lengthening the piers both horth
and south of the Chelsea district, which Is,
IN turn. a Iart Of the question of proNd-
ing the railroads with storage yards on
land so they won't have to take up half
the waterfront between 42d street and the
Battery for storing their car hoats' Inc
Hamburg is as anxious as the
English lines for onc-thousand-ioot PIERS
since it now has under construction the
Europa. $50 feet in length.
IF the government would permit the
Temporary extension of the Chelsea piers
said Commissioner Tomkins, and then en-
fer into a discussion with the city as 10
the feasibility of building piers eleven nun
dred feet long between the Battery ana
Chelsea and in the district to the north OF
the Chelsea docks. some arrangement could
be made probably whereby Manhattan could
dock these huge boats and at the same
time not cncroach on the width Of the
fairway
..The river is narrowest just where the
Chelsea piers are. South of them, II we
could ontice the railroads away, we could
lengthen the piers TO eleven hundred iee''
and north of them we could 90 the same
ny digging in shore"