The sun., 1919-06-15

freight, valued at t1,b64,1b0i In the
Rock Island district, 2Se,42o tons
valued 1t $1e,78e.724; in tho st. Louis
district, 293,24s tons, valued at sl5,-
401,544, and st. Louis to New Orleans
a.425,369 tons, value not given. The
total tonnage was 4,5S2,31S tons" II
we allow an average value of $40
ton for the ST. Louis-New Orleans
freight we shall have a total Of
$170,717,17S. According to, Commits
sioner Hubert: During the same
period the total tonnage carried on
Newtown Creek was 5,215.s2O tons Of
the value OF s294.701, 1888" Thus,
within two inconspicuous waterways
here in our very midst we now move
annually an amazing amount Of
freight>worth considerably more than
the combined traffic of Philadelphia
and the Delaware River points right
down to the Atlantic outlet.
At its last session Congress appro-
priated $205.000 for the improvement
Of Newtown Creek. This sum is de.
signed to provide a channel IL feet
deep at mean low water and l25 feet
wide from the mouth to the head Of
navigation, a distance Of about 3Js
miles. Under ordinary conditions the
average range of tides Is about feet
the spring tides having a rise and fall
Of as feet, while storm tides some.
times reach a difference Of 10 feet
between high and low water.
Used to BE Wider.
NJ, L. cog, 49, c~aol, ,.oriad In
width from 140 feet to 1900 feet, but
these contours have been modified
since by the building Of piers and the
dredging Of slips as occasion required.
In carrying out the programme OF I'M
provement as 1t now stands 1t will
, be necessary to readjust property
rights between the city and private
owners, and 1t Is important that this
be effected with despatch so that the
dredging can follow the determined
lines and certain structural work can
be pushed to completion. The depths
where already increased have made
the thanking landings accessible 10
bigger vessels carrying larger carsoes
than heretofore. and this has resulted
in measurably reducing the pevioW
SCucuulcS VI rates.
1t is the purpose of the State au-
thorities to establish at Newtown
Creek a Barge Canal terminal, and this
potentially adds much to the economic
value Of this waterway. While 1t Is
true that barges, some schooners and
kindred smaller craft are the principal
users of Newtown Creek. still they
move, as we have seen. an enormous
amount of freight in the course Of
single year. With the completion OF
the dredging 1t will be possible for
| sizable steamers to go right up 10
the docks instead OF loading and I'm.
loading outside by means OF llghtera
This process now adds to the prevail
ing confusion. and the guiding tug.
boats have to man9uvre with infinite
care In worming their way in and out
A Great Industrial Centre.
The principal items handled in the
course OF a year are: Coal and other
fuel, petroleum and its products
crushed stone, gravel, sand, cement
&C.; copper ore and copper. bricks
lumber and various building materials
The Newtwon Creek region IS among
the greatest OF the nations industrial
centres, and manufacturing concerns
are gathering there rapidly from sea-
son to season. As the figures show
the value Of the tonnage fioated upon
the stream during 1917 exceeded BY
| nearly $90.000,000 the exports of the
port Of Boston during that twelve
! month. 1t has been commonly sup
posed that the principal industry IN
terested In the development O. New
| town Creek was that Of oil refining
This is by no means the case, because
one large copper company located
there receives and ships over ths'
waterway annually in the neiEhoor'
hood Of 5000, 900 900 worth of that
metal in one form or another
The betterment OF Newtown Creek
the undermining OF the Harlem RIVER
the deepening of Bronx Kills. the
dredging OF the Bronx River, and the
completion of the 40-foot Channe'
through He'll Gate are going to rev,
olutionize the usefulness Of our Local
waterways. Shipping will no Longer
be limited to the roundabout passage,
rcw available. and The Bronx anu
Queens will have two ways To- reaci,
the sea-either by Long Island Souhs
or down through the East River anu
out via Ambrose Channel to n" Az
lantic Ocean.
This simplifying of our lines OF wafer
approach will admit a tremendous eN
pansion of our waterfront and MAKE
conveniently available TO many thou.
sands OF factories and other plahH
wide areas and shores which are no"
undesirable because OF their compare,
tive inaccessibillty. Similarly, re@
estate, to-day. unproductive or unmat,
ketable, will become source Of "roN
or a handsome revenue. and al h''
cause of the logical coordination II our
contiguous nayigable routes -