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TAKING A FRESH START.Astonishing Improvements Along the Hoboken Water Front.The New York Herald of a recent date, contained the following flattering notice of oar city and the improvements now being madeon our water front:“ One who now enters ‘ the harbor of Hoboken* after a few months* absence will be forced to marvel at Its unusual aspect. The water front of that venerable neighbor appears to have undergone a sudden reawakening. Where before were creaking piers, sheds hoary with years of service and a settled appearance of things generally, are now an acre or so of new piling, many men and machinesat work and a block cleared of its old framebuildings just back of the piers. When our reporter went over there to see what it ail meant almost the last old frame building referred to was wending Its way slowly upNewark street ready for new duty in a lessconspicuous sphere of life. The piers, which are to be finished about the l8t of October, are the property of the Hamburg American Packet Comaany, and their construction is progressing under the direction of Lederle A Co., of this city.- The water front of 450 feet was originally purchased from the Stevens estate by the New York Dry Dock Company. The old pier at the foot of First street was successively occupied by a number of steamship companies, and now the entire property is In the hands of the Hamburg American Packet Company, which also owns the land as far back as the long-talked-of Elver street improvement“ The Eagle Steamship Company first had dockage there, then the Red Star line, then the Wilson line, the White Cross liue, the London steamers of the National line, and then the Wilson line again. The First street pier was burned on the 6th of last November, and this may have expedited the reconstruction of this part of the river front. The new pier is fifty feet in width, adjoining on the south side the old pier of the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company, which is twenty-five feet wide. The length of thr new pier is 689 f iet. North of it 177 feet Is the second new pier, now building, north of the foot of First street. This is 80 feet wide and 708 feet long. The bulkhead connecting the two piers is 100 feet wide, and the whole will be shedded together, making accommodations that ought to be sufficient for the largest of steamship companies. North of the First street pier is another, whioh has not yet been touched by the wand of improvement, and is also owned by the same company. Half its flooring is torn away at the present time, and the remainder is used only by pedestrians, and used with care at that.“ The Newark street pier extends twenty-five feet over the line of the street, and,as the latter belongs to the city, a c’tim has been made that it also owns such portion of the pier. No interference with the work has been made, however. The asking of an injunction was urged in the Board of Aldermen, but Corporation Attorney Besson advised them against It. Suits are now pending concerning the ownership of the water front and the Corporation Attorney opined tiiat if they were decided in favor of the city then the city would own the piers; if not, then he thought It would be unwise to have interfered with a valuable improvement. The land leading to the piers has been cleared so as to give an excellent idea of where the Elver street improvement was or Ib to be. It was intended to cut it through from the Stevens estate to Newark street, affording more room for traffic on the water front, the need of which is now keenly felt. The repair shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at the foot of Second street have been and are still the insurmountable impediment to the undertaking. That portion of the mythical River street, betweeu Newark and First streets will now, howevei, be partly graded for the use of the steamship oompany. Strange to say the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company (a corporate name for the Stevens estate), which pays about three-fourths of the city’s taxes, has no hand in these important improvements. Mr. Macy, of that company, said they were only Interested in so far as the improvements would benefit the city generally.“ When all has been accomplished Hoboken will have reason to feel proud of this the most frequented portion of its water front. It already lias a handsome ferry house; tlio new piers are sure of a fine appearance; the laud next to them is to be filled up with presentable buildings for the use of the steamship company, and behind ail are the handsome shops of the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company, which have been recently erected. Every citizen whom the reporter approached with reference to theso changes could hardly speak of them with calmness, but chuckled as he talked of the new prosperity which had befallen the place.’ *
Newspaper Details
Hoboken Advertiser
Hoboken, New Jersey, US
Sat, Aug 19, 1882
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 13 Feb 2022
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Hoboken Advertiser
