The sun., 1916-10-03
Twenty = two Cap'ns Urge
Dredging to Give New York
Real HarbOr.
JUST A "LEETLE" MUDDY
L. s. Engineer Hears Claim Of
staten Islanders to Ounce
or Two of Pork.


May her sluggish bosom he warmed vet
again by the oyster and coal argosies
that marched proudly past Crab Island
"thutty" year ago. before Staten Island
mud and the oceans sane filed the
precious channel and became hopes cem-
ctery.
This apostrophe is inspired by . ses-
sion with the cnr'ns Of Inc south shore.
who gathered ut the Princes Hay Yacht
Club yesterday afternoon to tell why
Uncle Sam should send a drcdye or ;wo
up Lemon Creek and scoop GU, the sand
and mud 80 that the city Of New York
and the United states should have n
harbor worthy OF the name.
Compilers and gazctteers have over
looked the water course which yester-
days petitioners consistently mentioned
as 'ah-er-ah-Lemon Creek But every
cap'n on the far end of staten Island.
where every male person over 1s years
OF age is a cnp'n. knows II is at lcas, a
mile long and flows into Princes Bay
when the tide Is running gu, and In the
btIltT uIVfCtiOu Wuen inc tlut ~ UDOulnE.
Once an Oyster Shippinx Centre.
Years ago Lemon Creek was the ship
ping centre FOR oysters, which are still
retrieved In great quantities from
Princes and Raritan bays. but as the
creek filled up the sloops of the oyster
fleet deserted II one by one. Forester &
Hongs oyster s~torehouse was abandoned
and the coal yard which rival,ed the
shellfish industry in the struggle for the
commercial mastery Of the estuary moved
elsewhere.
Now the creek Is the abode Of nela n.
choly Inc marsh grasses struggle for
possession. II was noticed In the last
river and harbors bill. however. The
bill directed that "a preliminary exam
ination n survey bc made" that the
War Department might see II public me-
ccssity required the dredging of the
creek n OF the sandbar AT it's mouth
In Princes hay. This was the errand
that o Col. c. II. McKinstry Of the
board OF arin engineers to Richmond
Borough yesterday.
Twenty-Five Cap'ns Present.
Tn hearing took place In the house of
the Princess Ray Yacht club, which
ss"iiAo VII anu uehT inc HSu water
mark. Mckinst-y was the only Colonel
present. All the twenty-five others wcr.
Capns-ransins from Cap'r cal Van
Name. who ia Richnond'~ Borough Prc~,-
dent. to Capn John E.ngiehrech,, who
sailed the OYSTER eloop Eliza Jane ''tc
Lemon C-'el; IN 1852 and krr, her Their.
unit! tn" sane drove him GU; and into
retirement.
Col McKinstry wac abrupt. lie nskci
right OF How would national Interests
be benefited by the deepening Of ah-rr
-ah--Leinon Creek Hut hcar Cap'r
Van Names reply:
"Sir, you can survey the roast from
, Montauk Point 20 Delaware BAY and md
that nature has located only two deer
%c..annels near the upland refer TO the
Narrows and TO Princess Bay. W.thlr
20o fee: OF where We are sitting IL u
natural channel more than twer;y.si>
feet deep that will accommodate III,
largest freight steamers. And right her.
in front of us is-rigt, here In front o.
us is--ah-cr-ah--Lemon Creek.
Chance for . Great Uarbor.
Think. sir. % the money spent b,
the Bel@ian Government at Zechrugge
ostend. Dieppc on artificial harhur,
which can only accommodate fiat DO.
toned boats. II they had such a stu
alton as We have here the foreign er
g!neers would create a harbor IL y too
millions. Connect this channel I,
Princess Bay with this hnrbor her,
tcap'n Van Same pointed through ~
window at Lemon Crock and a sig,
marked ~"SchorU's Hotei-Bai, for Sale"
and you will have created another grea
harbor for the city OF New York"
Cap'r A. y Marchcr. who marshalie,
the rooters for a Government arproprla
ton. rather expected n boost from con
gresham Daniel Riordan. bur Cap'r
Riordan stated that he was only a $
;ener looking for information. 4 vlslo'