Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1912-09-25
Contention of Prominent Men
at Hearing Before the Gov
ernment Engineers.
HELD IN NEW YORK CITY
Meeting Results in Move
ment for Harbor Improve
ments Receiving Boost.
WILL RECEIVE MORE DATA
Party Makes Inspection Trip
of Waterways on Boat Dur
ing the Afternoon.
WILL RECEIVE MORE DATA

Prospects for waterway improve
ments in Raritan Bay, Staten Island
Sound, Kill Won Kull and Arthur XIII
appear favorable, following a public
hearing on the subject yesterday be-
fore the Board of Engineers for R1V-
ers and Harbors. The engineers re-
ceived volumes of data to prove the
needs of deeper waterways between
Raritan and New York bays and
heard many strong arguments in ia
vor Of making the water courses as
deep and wide as possible. The en-
gineers afterward boarded a vessel at
srii,ss,; ss1o,ot of Liberty street, New York,
and made an inspection of waters
lying between Staten Island and New
Jersey. They noted the numerous
large industries along the courses
and saw also proof Of the claims OF
the petitioners that there are many
ideal manufacturing sights still to be
secured, which would become more
attractive by means Of more ade-
quate shipping facilities.
Will Accept More Data.
The board announced after the
hearing yesterday that it would re-
ceiye data on the subject for the
next two weeks. All the evidence Sc
cured will be carefully weighed and
maps will be consulted to enable the
engineers to arrive at decision as to
whether or not they shall recommend
improvements in accordance with the
report to them recently made by the
district officer. His report was IA
vorable to the extent of recommend
ing a channel having a depth Of thir-
tr feet at mean low water and a
idth of 1900 feet across Raritan
" 10 opposite Smith street, thence
feet wide through Arthur Kill to
t., east end of Shooters Island and
then 500 feet wide to deep water IN
the upper bay. The estimated cost
of this project was S18,882, ,O18.I3
of which amount $7738,57 would
be for the channel across Raritan
Bay.
-'-1Scsal Langford presided at the
hearing yesterday. Edward S. Saw
age. vice president of the Sound
Shore Front Deeper Waterways AS
sociation, gave the opening talk and
announced the speakers in turn
Col. Newcomer, of the board, ques-
toned the speakers to a greater eH-
tent than did any Of the other engl-
neers.
Counsel For City Speaks.
Joseph E. Stricken, speaking for
the city of Perth Amboy and the
American Smelling and Refining
Company dwelt at length upon the
growth of the city in all lines and
particularly industry. He proclaimed
1t one of the original ports OF entry
in the United States, city two days
older than New York and one that
secured one of the first custom
houses In the country. He claimed
the smelling industry, principally
that of amalgamated copper lnclud-
rSng the American Smelling and Re
finIng-Works and the Raritan copper
works, was largely responsible foI
the growth. The speaker mentioned
the fact that the American Smeltlne
and Refining concern traded Win
African and South American coun-
tries receiving ores from them ano
causing products to be taken from
this country to them. Perth Ampoy
was the eastern terminal of the great
Lehigh Valley coal industry, accord
ing to the speaker, and it is known
in industry because Of its many facto-
ries. large and small, including sew
eral terra Gotta works, large cheml-
cal factories, United Lead works,
cable works, etc.
The custom house has record OF
1O9 vessels with an average draught
of twenty-five and half feet enter
ing this port within a year., Mr..
Stricker stated, and he declared there
were doubtless many more Vessels
which entered and cleared, of which
no entry was made on the custom
house records. He asked permission
to file a complete statement IN the
interests of the city. He filed a
written statement for Jesse Seaman,
representing the American Smelling
and Refining works. The report
showed that the company discharged
sixty vessels having q draught of be-
tween twenty-one and twenty-five
feet the past year and EMPHASIZED
the fact that the last twenty-five foot
vessel ran aground Prince Bay.
Renort by Barber Company.
written report of water traffic
To and from the Barber Asphalt Paw
inc works was rendered to the board
by Manager Robert L. Fowler. He
reported as follows for 1911: Steam
ers discharged, Sc; sailing vessels,
Il: draught of steamers. 21-25 feet;
of sailing vessels, 1922 feet; tom
mage carried on the steamers. no.
900. on the sailing vessels, $4,000;
cargoes, asphalt and crude petro-
leum. Mr.. Fowler held it most i'm
portant that a channel in Raritan
Bay be deepened. He claimed the
biggest vessels which could not ne
gotiate the channel cannot have a
draught of over eighteen and a half
feet.
That channels from Raritan Bay
through Staten Island Sound, Arthur
XIII and Kill Won Kull should be
deepened 80 as to become at least
twenty-five feet IN depth, and that an
inside channel from the upper to the
lower part. of the bay might not be
unusefrl, was the statement OF Mr..
Todd, representing the United States
CONTINUED on page 10,1