Norwich bulletin., 1913-09-20
A YEAR TO BUILD
 PIER AT TERMINAL With Weather Favorab abIe-DetaiIs for New London Harbor Improvement.

i NeW London Fiarbor improvement.
 At least a year, it is estimated. will i be required for the building of the pier 1 at New London for the harbor i'm l provement provided by the $1OO0 900 1 legislative appropriation of 1911 The 1 time necessary is contingent to a cer- i tain extent on the weather If this
 winter is as open as last, during which Resident Engineer Waldo E. Clarke and l his assistants proceeded with their
 work with little hindrance, the con I struction will be greatly facilitated. | 4 year, however, is considered as 4 ] conservative estimate of the time re- i quired to complete the substructure l of the pier and its approaches and have l everything in readiness for the build- i ings to be placed upon it.
 Will Cost Half a Million.
 It is estimated that the cost of the i terminal will be in the vicinity of $500,000. Of the $1000G00 appropr1- ated by the general assembl blY/ about 1 Sl5,000 has already been spent This
 amount includes the salaries of Con 1 sultinS Engineer William T. Donneliy Resident Engineer Clarke and his as 1 sociates and the expenses of the com mission.
 Where Located.
 The proposed terminal will be To-
 cated at a point 365 feet north of the l Long dock of the Central Vermont l 1000 feet in length and 200 feet in
 width and with the buIl1head, which includes an area of 1000 square feet will give an area of artificial surface of 220,G00 square feet.
 The middle section of the pier will i be of permanent filling. In other words. granite walls will be construct l ed forming a hollow parallelogram, which will be filled in with sand and
 gravel, making a foundation as solid
 as earth itself. The filling will be ob- talned from the slip areas and other
 land to be acquired by the commis-
 sion. The granite wall will extend up to an elevation of ten feet above mean low water. No concrete will be used 1 as the action of the weather in this climate is believed to be disastrous to
 this form of construction.
 Asphalt Over Concrete for Flooring.
 The permanent filling will be 100 feet in width and will extend the length of the pier leaving 50 feet on either side, which will be constructed of creosOted piles and riprap. The whole will be capped with a concrete floor system protected with asphalt pavement for wear and elasticity The
 entire surface of the pier will be per fectly smooth
 The concrete flooring will be built 1 in unit sections measuring 6X22.1 10 feet Each unit weighs over five tons and each is performed and transported to ] the pier. Six feet of solid wood will surround the pier as a shock aD- {, sorber from the grinding Of the ships against the sides. The outer ends of the pier are of solid timber and cIus- ters of piles in curved form will be | used for warping ships. The face of the dock will be of white oak fender l FFhPC6 ha 1a tails in brief of the substructure up to and including the floor system. Two depressed railroad tracks will run the 1 length of the pier down the centre a
 feature in the New York piers These | will connect with the main railroad ] lines on the shore. making the most l efficient method of freight transpor- 1 tation possible.
 Steel Sheds 800 Feet Long. l The details of the superstructure as 1 drawn by Resident Engineer Clarke include steel sheds for the temporary i storage of freight on either side Of 1 the pier 500 feet in length and 50 feet | wide. These will be provided with l steel doors which roll up after the i manner of q roll top desk, making it possible to open the whole side of the 1 pier at once In the centre of the ] pier will be reinforced concrete ] warehouse 300 feet by loo feet for the 1 permanent storage of freight This 1 building will be three stories in height and will accommodate 10000 tons of 1 freight
 i Another structure of lighter con 1 struCtion and 300 feet in length will i include the offices of the pier, waiting ! rooms, immigrant station. customs of 1 fee and other necessary features of the 1 enterprise. Freight elevators for stor- 1 ing goods in the warehouses are also i included
 l !, 1 more or less tentative and may be 1 changed according to the needs of the l situation Tn the event that 3 certain 1 line of fruit steamships should trans l fer their business to this port, 3 diff
 ferent type of buildings for storage 1 would he required than for other i branches of freight carriers,
 Commercial Agent l One of the most important features l of the meeting of the commission at l Hartford on Thursday is considered to i be the vote to appoint a commercial ] agent for the terminal This will re- l lieve the commissioners and the en- i gineers of the work which does not l properly belong 10 them, the arrang l ing of contracts for use of the docks 1 with steamship companies. That they 1 will be occupied to their capacity as l soon g ready is undOubted by the ! members of the commission who have ] made a study of the situation in New l York. Ii is stated that at least one l large company is ready to transfer it's 1 business here now were the pier com- pleted.
 The shortened trans Atlantic trip l the lower rates of wharfage and the
 superior railroad accommodations, not 1 to speak of the less cost of handling l freight, have already begun to appeal
 to the business instincts of some
 steamship officials
 The consummation of the various real estate purchases in East New ] London will be announced within g few days and as soon as bids for con-
 struction are received another meet
 ing of the commission will be called
 to award the contract