The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-09-30

across forty or fifty large
ships for nearly a mile, is apt to be
the latest new thing of the nation. 1t
will be new thing only in the United
States. For the pontoon bridge is
centuries old and is in common use
now in Europe.
This pontoOn bridge across the Hud-
son is proposed for these reasons: 1t is
badly needed to relieve congestion; it
is entirely feasible; it can be built in
a year; it will cost only 100000;
ships that can serve as pontoons are
already in existence.
There is no question as to the need
of the bridge. The automobile con.
gestiOn is notorious; the New York
ferries are inadequate to handle the
traffic One of the great sufferers is
the Palisades Interstate park So 1t
is natural that the first suggestion of
the pontoOn bridge came from Maj.
w. a Welch, engineer Of the park
commission.
This Palisades Interstate park it
should be noted, is one of the great
public Fairgrounds of the United
States. The original park was estab-
lished by New York and New Jersey
to save the Palisades of the Hudson
from quarrymen who were blasting
them for stone. Curiously enough it
was the federated club women of the
two states who succeeded in getting
the park established. After all efforts
by men had failed they induced the
legislatures of the two states to take
the necessary action and to make APP
preparations. The park was opened in
1909. Mrs. e. II. Hartman extended
the area to 10000 acres in 1910 by
gift of land. That year there were
a few thousand visitors, many of them
campers. The possibilities of the park
were seen. Since then everything that
money and good management can do
has been done for this park. More
than $S,O00,000 have been expended on
it. OF this large sum 90 per cent has
come from gifts by public-spirited citi-
zens. 1t now contains about 10000
acres. with improvements to fill every
need. The bulk of the attendance
comes from New York city. Children
are sent by thousands on river boats.
Boy scouts, Camp Fire girls and hun
dreds of organizations camp there.
Thousands drive there. There are res
taurants for every purse; facilities for
every kind of recreation. The aggre-
gate of the summers attendance is
enormous.
Moreover, this park enjoys the po-
sition of an object lesson of efficiency
in public Fairgrounds. A capable engi-
neer with a free hand has secured his
moneys worth in the improvements.
The management is pointed out as
model. The management is vested in
q permanent commission of five MEM
bers from each state. They serve
without pay and the post is one of
honor. The late George w. Perkins,
who was for many years a leading
spirit of the commission, once said
that the biggest thing the commission
had accomplished was to keep politics
out of the park.
AS to the ships that can serve as
pontoons, they're ready. AS everyone
knows, the shipping board slightly
overplayed its hand in the matter Of
building wooden ships during the
World war There were 81 of these
wooden ships constructed. Only 296
have been sold. 1t has been costing
the government. $4,000 a month to
take care of the other 275. These
ships cost on an average 100000
each. For time it seemed impossible
TO sell them at any price. Indeed,
Representative Wood of Indiana re-
Gently said on the floor of the house:
''We have 275 of these wooden YES
sells down here in the mouth of the
James river, tied up in units of seven
each, with 40 men to the unit, each of
them receiving 500 a month and his
keep, costing the government $4,000
a month, or 100000 year, for lot
of boats that are not worth sinking.