New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-20
AGAINST 0BuQUE PIERS
Dock Department Engineer
Calls Them Impractical.
DANGER IN TURNING LINERS
Ships Backing Out Would Re-
uuire Whole River to Head
Around, Is Report.

The idea of building oblique and lat
eral piers on the North River. so that
steamships may lie parallel with the
waterfront instead Of facing in or out
shore at right angles to the stream, as
the piers are now situated. is not prac'
teal. according to the report made by
Charles w. Stamford, chief engineer OF
the Department Of Docks and Ferries, to
Calvin Tomkins Commissioner Of Docks.
In submitting the report TO Mayor Gay
nor Commissioner Tomkns writes in
part:
The experience of this department.
leads TO the conclusion that lateral ana
oblque piers are not pracucal along the
West Manhattan waterfront, except pos
sibly in the Riverside Drive district
north of 72d street. where such con-
struction is not at present required FOR
commercial needs.
The principle of lateral and oblique
piers has been well known, not only by
all engineers who have had the designing
Of the city's works in the original laying
out of the waterfront IN 1871 ana sinc''
but by all large corporate Interests 'hae
have built big dock systems In TINS mar
Dor. Mr. Stamford states. but has never
been seriously considered by any one OF
them or by the Department or DOCKS
and Ferries. The report reads in part +
The so-called basins which have been
built abroad have been made for one OF
two reasons: They have either oeen cIe-
ated in order 10 accommodate tne Nes-
sells I'm tidal basins, 10 meet the slth'
difference between high and low wafer,
within which the ships are retained AZ a
high level when the waters are low; IT.
same as II they were In cana IoCn,l
and where, too, there is absolutely no
current whatever. or they nave been dus
ont from the shores OF narrow rivers,
where IL was impossible To obtain aux
wharfage room whatever in any othcr
way
AT New York. however, from the very
beginning the North River has always
been Of sufficient width TO accomnoda,s
any kind Of marine traffic That 'ouin
possibly enter this port, ana even WIZ
tho extreme conditions which exist TO-
day or with the extreme conditions
| claimed by the United states govern
/, ment the river at us haItoWgsC I,oim,,
the point where a slight extension Is re-
quired is several times wider than any
OF the streams where any OF the largo
transatlantic steamers dock on the other
side.
The chief Of engineers goes on 10 say
that rash predictions have been made
concerning the possible future In the
length Of steamships, which he saws arc
hardly warrantable. IN his Judgment. IL
the length OF steamships is TO be m
creased in the alarming manner predict
cd. Mr.. Stamford declares that 1t Will
necessitate the actual reconstruction OF
all the European dock systems. whlch
have been practically dug out and con-
structed at enormous expense. some OF
them consuming decades Of time. The
report further says:
At the present day. with steamers OF
the enormous size which are now enter
| ing this port IL is generally conceded oy
those who know that II would ne I'M
practicable at times 10 manPuvre tnel
after they have backed out or their
| sIips into the stream and turn them
around without their becoming a Seti-
| Gus hindrance to navigation. Tor inlcp
! time would be consumed ana CONSIDER
able distance traversed downstream IN
dor certain conditions Of the tide before
| they could be turned around and headed
downstream The study, therefore, Tor
| n dia gonal system of piers has been as
missed as being hardly practlcaDle Oh
the North River.
In anv event. references to European
ports in connection with such n sugges-
ton for New York have always peen
misleading because after having con-
structed tidal basins. for the reasons al
ready given. the European practice has
been to develop piers inside or these
basins at right angles to the shore llne
upon practically the same principle that
has been used here IN the port OF New
York.
II ia expected that the Mayor will SUBJ
NIT this report TO tho Secretary or War;
with whom he had meeting in WASH"
ington last week on the subject.