The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-01

". has very forcibly emphasized the
base.
AT present. according to that au-
thority, during the period of a single
tide it is possible To clear from the
navy yard where II now is but two
battleships. BY extensive improve
ments involving an outlay Of possibly
$4,000 900 he has declared hat four
ships could he got away in the purse
Of a day. Now In time of war this
vital repair station wou,d he worked
to the limit, and New Works safety
might hinge upon the celebrity with
which fighting craft could be taken
TO the yard and got away again.
Instead of establishing the new
navy yard virtually on the New York
Bay shore Of Bayonne ! urge that
h yard with its necessary dry docks
De placed upon Newark Bay adjacent
to the new river TO be cut through
that peninsula. This would make the
station less accessible "a a foe. easter
to defend and yet almost as near the
open sea. There would be space
enough in which to manpuvre freely
and get ships out a, any am during
night or day. while inbound fighting
craft needing repairs or supplies could
return TO port at any time unham-
pered by the tide.
For purposes OF genera navisa-
ton the Harlem River is not available.
and instead OF that twisting. narrow,
shallow waterway I propose a substi-
tute IN the form of a wide new river
cut straight. from the Hudson to the
approach OF Flushing Bay and with n
depth OF forty feet. Once more we
are face to face with a strategic angle
Of our project.
With this done our battleships
could pass up the Hudson, through
the ne" river and thence right down
into Long Island Sound. To-day they
cannot set through He'll Gate and
therefore cannot reach the Sound ex-
cept by steaming a hundred and more
miles 10 the eastward around Montauk
Point m then in through the Race.
Yes, the cutting Of this new river
would he through solid rock. for Man
nattan Island rises abruptly In that
neighborhood. but don't let this appear
an insuperable or a needlessly ex-
pensive undertaking. The fact IL that
a rockhewn coursa would he cheaper
In the end than n similar route dug
through soft earth with thanking
heisnts. once cut h rocky walls
would he rigid and lasting, without
tr"uhlesome slides as AT Panama.
Il haven't come yet to the end Of
my nver building. As my plan
shows, I propose to bind Flushing Ray
and Jamaica Bay by means OF n canal
a thousand feet wide and forty fee,
deep. dredged right through Long
Island. This would lend an entirely
new aspect To the so-called Jamaica
Bay project, for II would furnish n
logical ana suitable terminal for shin
ping bound north and south over the
SOUND route and make dockage facili-
ties on Jamaica Bay A far more
valuable asset to the city than piers
placed there merely as terminal points
feeding 10 Manhattan across BROOKLYN.
"Once more we have the military
View Of tho subject to consider. The
new East River, which I would thus
provide, would give our heaviest fight
'Hs s'lPS aH'tnSr SNORT cut to n
from Long Island Sound. In brief
the strategic advantage which the
Kaiser now enjoys by reason OF the
kiel Canal We should have FOR on
squadrons seeking Il intercept or 10
outman9uvre an enemy trying tc
take New York In the real by forcinv
an entrance into the Sound past the
Forts now guarding the eastern ap-
breaches Of Long Islam Sound
Before flooding the new East River
the for tunnels would be put in
place for the purpose Of continuing
all highways that would he inter.
cepted. These tunnels could be located
In this fashion at a minimum Of ex.
pense and when all Of them were
laid then the cofferdams holding on
the waters Of Flushing Ray and ia.
maica Bay would be removed and a
straight unbridged thoroughfare 10,
shipping would be opened for traf1c
Now we are ready for the elimina,
ton Of the East River OF nature.
making.
To-day We have spent many mill,
ions In bridging that water route
and other millions In boring tunnel.
under Its bed and yet these connect