New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
$500, 100000 Improvement
Plans Are Announced by
Railroads to Make This
Finest Port in the World
Awaits Official Action
Work to Start and Thou
sands Employed as Soon
as War Department Acts

New York harbor as the greatest
port in, the world is visualized in the
development plans just completed by
James Stewart g. Co., and approved,
according to announcement made yes
terday by President Besler, of the
Central Railroad of New Jersey, and
President Loomis, of the Lehigh VAL
ley. The eleven hundred acres re-
quired for this $200,000,00 0project
are owned by these railroads, and are
part of what is known as the "New
Jersey Flats"
The plans are now up for approval
before Major General William C.
Black, chief of the engineering staff
of the army. A favorable report by
General Black will obtain the War De-
partment's consent to the improve
ments and pave the way for the actual
work. The War Department has juris-
diction over navigabe waters. Gen
eral Black has been repeatedly said
to favor the plans, although his Off
cial decision has not been made public.
Between four and five years will be
required to complete the extensive
terminal facilities planned. Employ
ment for thousands will be afforded,
relieving the reported job shortage.
"Oyster Island" Included
The site of the terminal extends from
Bedloe's Island to the Pennsylvania
Railroads Greenville terminal, includ
ing the solid rock reef known as "Oyster
Island" The railroads which would be
through connection by belt line on the
New Jersey side are the Central Rail-
road of New Jersey, the Lehigh Valley,
the Baltimore & Ohio, the Pennsyl-
vania and the Delaware, Lackawanna
& Western.
An increase in the expanse of navi-
gable waters will be made. The wharf
frontage created equals, approximately,
the distance from the Battery to
shipyard front on the newly developed
land.
The rocky lodges which now peek out
of the harbor at low tide and make
navigation impossible in certain parts
of the harbor will be utilized as the
foundation upon which the huge ware
house buildings, dry docks and indus
trial machinery will be reared. The
official pierhead and bulkhead lines
would have to be extended out from
their present limits back of the shoals.
Capacity Would Be Trebled
The capacity of the essential facili-
ties for port commerce would be trebled
by this improvement. This includes the
handling of cargoes, the coaling of
steamships, the speedy repairing Of
vessels, the storage of merchandise and
foodstuffs and in the direct transfer
of goods between freight cars and
ships.
Coal famines similar to that of the
winter of 1917-'18 would be forever
averted. A coal storage capacity of
100000 tons would be provided, in
cluding space for 5000 coal cars. Coal
ing facilities on the direct route of the
harbor channel would enable the largest
ocean vessels to absorb their stocks Of
fuel in three or four hours. The coal
ing dockage provided in the plans give
room for fifty 500-foot ships.
The leading features, definitely
placed for construction, all of proved
efficiency, include coal loading plant,
mechanical dumping towers, coal
thawing plant, coal storage area, oil
supply plant, ship repair plant, dry
docks, warehouses, grain elevators,
barge terminals, factory buildings,
car storage tracks, gravity, switching
yard, tram tracks, car vehicle i1ter-
change, locomotive roundhouse, ferry
houses, railroad repair shops, elevated
pier storage area, ground storage area
and free landing zone.
Some of the Big Features
The proportions of the principal
features m space provided follow:
Total berthing space at
plers IS,VVV nnea1 1eet
Fifty 500-foot vessels.)
Floating dry docks. 49,. 1000 uneal feet
Berthing space for
sells undergoing repairs 1000 ltneal feet
Twelve 500-foot vessels.)
Craving docks. to accom-
modate vessel 49,. 1000 feet long
Ground area occupied by
pier sheds. ds........... 1 300 900 square feet
Ground area for open
storage on piers -. i 300, 900 square feet
Ground area of industrial
buildings 49,: 1900. 900 square feet
Coal handling facilities
on water front. .... 240O lineal feet
Give 500-foot vessels.)
Area for open coal stor-
age -: :....:...:.:: 1.4oo. 600 square feet
approximately $50. 900 tons)
Total coal storage facili-
ties in cars. ........ 5000 cars
Total railroad car stor-
age for all facilities. 25,0O0 cars
Bremen and Hamburg will slip be-
hind New York in harbor facilities with
the completion of the Improvement.
The property involved is located on
the Jersey fats" extending from a
natural upland out to line which il
substantially southerly extension of
the channel Of the west side of the
river. The present pierhcad and bulk
head lines as established by New Jer-
sey and governmental authorities are
at the outshore three quarters and
mid-sections, respectively. Because of
the physical nature of the harbor bot
, tom, it would not be economically
feasible to- develop the property with
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