New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-08
New Dock System
Greatly to Extend
Facilities of POr;
Reconstruction Will Provide
Space for Large Vessels
ON Both Sides of Piers In
stead of One, as at Present

stead Of One. as at Present
A plan for complete readjustment Of
the system of piers extending along
the West Side water front from vesey
to Perry streets, involving n project
which, when realized, will constitute. i.
Is said. the greatest single improve
ment in the history Of the Port Of New
York, was made public yesterday in the
report of Murray Hubert, Commits
sioner OF Docks. The report was ap-
proved by the Sinking Fund Commits
sion at its meeting July 90
The plan contemplates reduction Of
the thirty-two docks within the speci-
ned area to eighteen, in order TO make
room for greater number of large
ships than is now possible. Coustruc-
ton OF the present piers is such that
the docking Of a large ship at any Of
them leaves no room for any other YES
sels on the opposite side, thus constl-
tuting waste of space and dockirr
facilities. BY reducing the number "
piers TO eighteen docking space will
so wldened as to permit the berthe
Of large vessels on either side.
Commissioner Hurlbert is now r.
Europe studying port improvement. q
is known he has succeeded in convi,o
ing the city authorities of the desit~
ability and feasibility of his plan. In
medlateiy u0or ric NJ.
ne VIII submit his plan to the Board q,
Estimate
System Fifty Years Old
Commissioner Hulbert's report, in
part, follows:
1T is fact that the present system
of piers being considered, excepting
Tor Few extensions and in a few cases
shght increase in width, is practi-
cally the same as that outlined in 1871
on General McClellan's plan.
Thus New York is operating it's
waterfront business on a plan made
nearly nifty years ago, notwith standing
the greatly changed conditions. And
this, too, in the most congested district
of the city.
The eighteen new piers will be suf
tlclently wide to take care Of com
merce in the most modern way, and
Will have slips between them each 2T5
feet in width
mo part of Manhattan Island will
have to be destroyed TO build these
piers, many of them more than 1000
feet in length, and no rock will be en-
countered in the slips to prevent ships
Of draft Of at least forty feet having
ample depth TO lie alongside at any
stage of the tide
at was necessary, of course, to have
/ this new plan adopted for the entire
section, but it must be understood that
/ so vast an improvement would be
/ spread over a long number of years.
Therefore, as beginning, a definite
locality has been selected where the
first unit of this modernization will be
constructed.
Improvement May Start at Once
"Conditions are such that leaseholds
and other difficulties will be encoun-
tered, but on the section in the vicinity
of Canal and Spring streets, between
the present Piers / and 36, North River
conditions are such that this improve
ment may be begun at once.
These piers will be the longest OF
Manhattan Island, and will be equal
led in width by only one pier-that a
West Forty-sixth Street Their dock.
ard they will be supplied with suf
fcient foundations for future railroad
tracks and for steel transit sheds al
least two stories in height. On one
side Of each Of these piers will run
an apron thirty feet wide for trucking
and future railroad connections. The
sheds will be about 1000 feet in length
and about lip feet in width each
They will be constructed OF steel and
will be equipped with all modern me-
chanical freight handling appliances
to aid in the speedy and economical
handling of cargo between vessel and
pier.
First Unit of New System
"On the aprons spoken, great gantry
cranes will operate, while on the OPP
posite sides of the piers freight will
be handled by means of cargo masts
and electric winches.
HOSTS, conveyors. escalator ele-
vators, chutes, telphers, and large
fleets Fof industrial trucks and tractors
and trailers will be operated within
the sheds.
"As leaseholds lapse and additional
property becomes available other
units will be built, until a continuous
stretch Of piers, sufficiently wide to
handle the ever-growing commerce OF
the port will extend from, one end TO
the other of this district.