Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-23
NEWARK BAY ICE
BARRIER VIEWED
Federal Agent Inspects COndi-
lions That Are Blamed on
Bad Bridge Construction.
BOARD OF TRADE TO
TAKE UP THE FIGHT
War Department Will Be Re-
quested to Act in Behalf of
Business interests.

Representatives Of the Federal and
city governments, members of the
river and harbor committee of the
Board of Trade spent the entire aft
ernoon Saturday viewing the ice bar
rier in Newark bay. which was de-
scribed in the Evening Star of last
Wednesday. The trip, intended to
last but a couple of hours at the
most, consumed most of the day.
As a demonstration of the menace
to the river business of Newark it
was q complete success. When the
big lighter Henrietta, owned by P.
Ballantine & Sons, arrived near the
Three mile" bridge of the New Jer-
sey Central railroad, five other light
ers were found making futile efforts
to break the immense ice foes that
had gathered there. 1t took about
three hours of strenuous effort on the
part of all the big ships to break a
passageway through the piled-up ice.
Then conveyed by the Henrietta the
fleet started for Newark.
After the trip was finished it was
announced that a meeting would be
held of the rivers and harbors COM
mittee for the purpose of renewing
the fight to remove the menace to
Newark's navigation. Morris r. Sher-
rerd, chief engineer of the city, who
was one of the men making the trip,
announced that the committee would
have the aid of the municipal author
tiles.
Captain Cyrus H Hasbrouck., who
had command of the Henrietta dur
ing the trip, said that the ice foes
this year we're the worst he had ever
seen in the bay. Ever since he took
charge of the Baliantine boat Cap
tain Hasbrouck has fought for the
betterment of Newark harbor and is
one of the leaders in the present
movement
Others on the trip were Clifford w.
Mayhem, representing Colonel Fred
V. Abbott, of the United States En-
cheering Corps; Joseph H. Wood,
Richard C. Jenkinson, Henry r.
William j. Hagan, William
c. Grobert, r. F. Browne, Eugene
Lovett, Frank E. Fox and Forrest b.
Kingsley. A number of photographs
were made. These will be forwarded
to the war department to back up the
of the committee
In some places between the Lehigh |
Valley bridge and the "three-mile"
structure of the New Jersey Central, |
windrows of ice were found that stood |
almost six feet above the level of the |
water. These formed barriers that |
resisted the efforts of the big lighter |
for hours at time. To better COM |
bat the ice, the Henrietta had knife |
like sheathlng or armour plate adj |
iusted on her bow. Coming out of clear |
water at full speed, the big boat |
would smash into the ice with ter
rife force and grind through for a |
few feet. Then she would be forced |
to back up and make another attack. |
This would be done over and over |
again before the foe was conquered. |
Night was falling before the return |
trip was begun. Then conveying the |
other boats she had salvaged, the |
Henrietta was back at the Ballantine |
dock in three-quarters of an hour.
Mr.. Jenkinson declared that all of |
the trouble could be obviated If the |
bridges were constructed with piers
100 feet or more apart. This would
enable the tides to carry off the ice
as fast as it would form and the |
river and bay would be left as free
as any other harbor. AS the bridges
now stand, with old and decayed saw
ed off at the waters edge, had been
replaced with new poles, they hold |
back the smallest pieces Of ice. Then,
when night falls, and the weather
grows colder, large foes are formed.
Mr.. Jenkinson declared that there
were other reasons why the three |
nur' bridges should be removed. In |
the ice jam of 1908, it had become so |
weak that it was now eighteen INCHES |
out of alignment. 1t Is now declared |
to be a menace to its own rolling |
stock and is not strong enough to |
carry heavy modern trains.
In renewing its efforts to have the |
bridges rebuilt, the Board of Trade |
have the aid of several other asso- |
Citations Captain Hasbrouck said |
that the Masters and Pilots Associa- |
ton, of Newark, would cooperate in |
any effort to better the conditions.
ONE EXCEPTION.