Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-09-10
CHANNEL ACROSS BAY
1900 FEET WIDE AND
80 FEET DEEP WANTED
Recon- mend ation n
by Government
Engineers.
COST MILLIONS

~ wv HbI ~
Following survey, recommendation
has been made by the Board of Engi-
neers for Rivers and Harbors for a
and width of l 200 feet across Raritan
Boy to opposite Smith street and for
channel improvements through Arthur
Kill to Shooters Island and to Upper
Bay, at an estimated cost Of $18,SS2,-
1873. Of that amount $7,73s,557.9S is
the estimated cost for the channel
across Raritan Bay to this city.
Preliminary Examination Made.
The Rivers and Harbors act, ap-
proved February 81, 1911, contained
provisions for preliminary examina-
tion of: "New York harbor, New York,
with view Of securing increased
width and depth Of water from point
at or near Southwest Spit, northwest
OF Sandy Hook, N. j., through lower
New York Bay, Raritan Bay and the
channel between New Jersey and Stat
n~Island, N. Y, to the channel in Up
per New York Bay" The required e1-
animation was made by the district Of
fcer and pursuant to favorable recon-
mendation thereon, survey WAS au-
thorized. The report Of the district Of
fcer on the survey Is favorable for the
improvement and it seems it will be but
a short time before it will become a
reality and Perth Amboy's shipping fa-
cilities will be thus improved.
Acting Mayor Garretson, who re-
ceived official notification Of the prog
ress to date this morning, is desirous of
urging parties interested in water i'm
provements hereabouts to work for and
boost the project Of channel thirty
feet deep from Raritan Bay up to
Woodbridge Creek. The city's water
front would thus become more beneficial
for the industries located and which
will locate on its borders, he contends.
Communication Received.
A communication received by the act
ing mayor today contains the following
information on the subject.
"In accordance with law, the report
Of the district officer has been referred
to the Board of Engineers for Rivers
and Harbors for consideration and rec
ommendation. Before submitting its
-Fieg"ron this subject, the board has de-
cided to make personal inspection Of
the locality and to hold public meet
ing September "a, at II a. M. at the
Chamber of Commerce, 65 Liberty
street, New York.
"All persons interested are invited
to attend the meeting and submit their
views In reference to this subject. The
board desires information concerning
the necessity for channel depth Of
twenty-five or thirty feet and the cor
responding advantages as compared
with the present project depth Of TWEEN
ty-one feet, and requests data particu-
larly on the following points:
"(a) The full load draft Of differ
ent types Of boats used in the present
traffic and roughly the comparative
amount of commerce carried by each
type,
"(b) What is the character, origin
and the amount of commerce now car
ried on vessels having full load draft
of over twenty feet9 Over twenty-five
feet7 The draft limitations, if any are
known, that are imposed on such COM
merce by the harbor conditions at other
points on its routef
"(c) What increase in commerce
would be expected from an additional
four feet or nine feet in depth, not TAX
ing into account the natural business
growth that could be accommodated Oh
the present depths
"(d) II the present project depth of
twenty-one feet through Arthur Kill is
increased to twenty-five or thirty feet
and an adequate turning basin provided
near the lower end, emitting the pro-
posed channel across Raritan Bay,
would not the needs Of commerce be
thoroughly well servedq If not, whys
"While the board will be glad to
listen to oral statements, important
facts should be presented in writing,
SO as to become of record in accordance
with law.
"Board of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors"
Acting Mayor Urges Cooperation.
The acting mayor is anxious to have
the attention Of factory managers and
others interested called to the fore
going statement of the Board Of Engi
neers for Rivers and Harbors and will
be glad to receive data and any infor-
nation interested parties desire to send
to him.
The report Of the district officer Is
favorable to the extent of recommend
ing channel having a depth of thirty
feet at mean low water and width of
1900 feet across Raritan Bay to op.
posite Smith street in Perth Amboy,
thence 400 feet wide through Arthur
Kill to east end Of Shooters Island,
and thence 500 feet wide to deep water
in Upper Bay. The mean tidal range Is
4.6 to 5 feet. The estimatd cost of this
project is $1s,SS2, 2,118.73, Of which
amount $7,738,5579s is for the channel
across Raritan Bay to Perth Amboy.
The estimate for maintenance Of the
proposed channel is 100000, of which
$4,000 is for the channel across Rari-
tan Bay The corresponding estimates
for depth Of twenty-five feet at mean
low water are $4,516, 6,036.36 and 1885,
675 respectively, with maintenance
amounting to $150,000 and 100000 re-
spectively. If suitable turning basins
Were provided, including one near the
lower end Of Arthur Kill channel, 30
that vessels could enter and depart via
the Kill Won Kull entrance, the cost of
the channel across Raritan Bay would
be saved.
"The Money Kings"-Royal to-
night. 10607-9v10-1ts