Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 3

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360

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Personally, Mr. Robinson is an unusually popular and lib- eral-minded gentleman. In his social relations, he is courtly, but unostentatious. He is not fond of glare and glitter, pomp and parade, but rather of that modest comfort and real social entertainment, which may be had among men and women of brains and heart. He is not a patron of the halls of fashion and show, but may be found among people of sterling worth and good sense.

In politics, he is accredited to the democratic party ; but, we think it may safely be said of him, as it may of many others of his class, that political garments, in a partisan sense, sit so loosely upon his shoulders, that he finds no difficulty in throwing them off, when his party goes astray, either in men or measures. He has often been importuned to run for offices of high trust and honor, but has always persisted in declining even to have his name used as a candi- date before nominating conventions. Good men think that, should he have consented to allow the use of his name as a .

candidate before the people, party lines would have been abandoned and he elected, regardless of party affili- ations.

Of such a man Kings County has a right to be proud. He commenced at the bottom of the ladder and has ascended higher than most men ever get. He has been successful for himself and family, and kind, helpful and generous to the poor. He haselevated the standard of labor, and contributed largely to the public good in numerous ways. He has been a builder, not a destroyer; a producer, not a consumer, except where to consume was to reproduce more. He has builded as the builders build,

" Steadily, steadily, step by step, Up the venturous builders go, Carefully placing stone on stone, "T'is thus the loftiest temples grow."

His temple is near complete, and long may he live to enjoy its occupancy, and remain, as he ever has been, the welcoming host of his many friends.

Broad-shouldered, deep-chested, large-hearted, fair-minded, kind and genial, firm and strong, Jeremiah Potter Robiuson stands with commanding presence to-day in the zenith of his manhood, admired by all those who know him well, and the peer of all honorable business men throughout the land.

WILLIAM BEARD was born in the town of Foxhall, County Westmeath, Ireland, in 1804. He lost his mother before he was two years old, and his father at the age of seven years. After the death of his father he lived with his uncle till he arrived at the age of fourteen; leaving at that age to work at the stonemason's trade, at which he was employed in Ireland until he reached the age of seventeen, when he emigrated to England, arriving there in May, 1821. He was first employed in England by a small contractor at ditching, harvesting, general labor, and afterward worked in a quarry a short time, and more or less at his trade as a stonemason. In May, 1825, he sailed from Liverpool for New York in the sailing ship Edwards, Captain Edwards. On account of adverse winds the vessel did not arrive in New York till August, it having taken three months to make the passage now made in seven days. Having with him a traveling compauion named John Rankin, whose passage he had paid, he found upon his arrival that, although when he concluded to start he had been possessed of one hundred pounds sterling, he did not then have more than two hundred dollars. He found the chances of obtaining employment here poorer than in England. The year 1825 being one of the hardest years financially that this country had yet seen, employment was very difficult to obtain, and wages were very low.

His first employment in the New World was in a silk fac- tory at West Farms, N. Y., at twelve dollars and board per month. The proprietor of the factory failed five weeks after Mr. Beard entered his service, and did not pay him a cent of the wages due, and when he had paid his board his capital was nearly exhausted. His next employment was with a stonemason at or about the site of the present large reservoir iu New York at twelve dollars per month and board. He remained with him for four or five weeks, but became sus- picious of his employer, as he had been informed that the latter had paid a man who lately worked for him in counter- feit money, and when the poor fellow went to purchase something he was arrested and sent to prison for passing counterfeit money, and left without asking for his pay. His next work was for Francis Bretane, who had at that time a beautiful residence at about where the corner of Eighth avenue and Eighty-sixth street is now located, and employed

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

him to take charge of his place during the fall and winter of 1825 and 1826. He was to receive only twelve dollars per month, but when he came to leave in May, 1826, much against Mr. Bretane's wish, for the reason that he could no longer afford to work for any one by the month, Mr. Bretane was so well pleased with his winter's work that he gave him fifty dollars beside his regular wages. This money was the first he had received since coming to the United States. Mr. Bretane was ever after his friend, assuring him when he left that if he ever wanted any favor he had only to call on him, and he would ever find him ready to aid him. Soon after- ward Mr. Beard was building a stone wall, ditching and grubbing by contract for Mr. Thomas Mulliner, who had a residence on the site of the present Deer Park in Central Park, New York. This was the first contract he ever took, and the proceeds of it was the first considerable amount of money that he had made. He also dug a well for the same party, at the same place, for which he received forty dollars, he and another man doing all the work in one day, and he began to think this was not such a bad country after all, and to believe there was good luck in store for him.

He was married to Mary Johnston in New York on January 1st, 1826. He then located in Yorkville, and took a contract from Isaic Adriance to grade some lots located at different points about Harlem. He also graded a number of lots, built stone walls, and did other work for Alderman Hall of the Twelfth Ward. New York. At that time the Twelfth Ward extended from Fourteenth street to Harlem River. The first work he did for the City of New York was accomplished at this time. He built a stone wall to protect the Third avenne, at or about One Hundredth street. He was recommended to the authorities by Alderman Hall, and as he offered to do the work for one-half what another contractor offered to do it for, they awarded the contract to him. He remembers well the price he received-$500. It cost him just $250 to do the work, leaving him a profit of $250, which he considered at that time a very large sum of money. He then took a con- tract from the City to grade Third avenue from Sixtieth street to Eighty-sixth street, cutting through the rocks, filling the low land, and building walls to protect the embankment. He also graded Bloomingdale Road at several points, widening the drive and filling the old deep hollows. In the year 1831 the Corporation of New York concluded not to let any more work by contract, but to hire the contractors with their men and teams to do the work of the City by the day. Mr. Beard and his men, horses and wagons were thus employed by the day during that whole year, and he was paid a commission as his profit. The next contract was for constructing the Harlem Railroad from Center street toward the Harlem River, he doing all the grading from Fourteenth street to Sixtieth street, cutting through the rocks at Murray Hill, etc., opera- tions which had been begun the previous year by another con- tractor, who had failed. The engineer, knowing Mr. Beard, sent for him, and insisted on his taking the work. During the last four months of his engagement on this contract he worked night and day with double gangs. His next work was on the oll New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company's Line, now the Pennsylvania Railroad, between Rahway and New Brunswick, N. J. At the same time he built a dock for Captain Gibbons at Elizabethport. Old Com- modore Vanderbilt was then in Captain Gibbons' employ as captain of the boat that ran from New York to Elizabethport, and during this time Mr. Beard and Mr. Vanderbilt were on friendly terins, meeting often and taking pleasure in each other's society. Mr. Beard soon afterward came to Brooklyn, and built the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad from South Ferry to Bedford; after which he took a contract to build two

sections of the conduit for the New York Water Works, one section near Yonkers, and the other near Bloomingdale. At this time (1835 and 1836) he was also engaged in grading and paving a number of streets in the city of Brooklyn, among them Myrtle avenue, from the City Hall to Bedford avenue ; Atlantic street, from South Ferry to Bedford avenue ; Union street and Strong Place. A few years later he graded and paved Montague, Pierrepoint and Joralemon streets, and Ewen street, Brooklyn, E. D. During 1854 and 1855 he graded and paved Broad street and several other streets in Newark, N. J. In 1839 he constructed a section of the Albany and Boston Railroad near Worcester, and another near Pittsfield, Mass. He also built another section near Chatham Four Corners, N. Y. Next he built twenty miles of the lower end of the Long Island Railroad, and in 1846 a section of the New Jersey Central Railroad at Somerville, N. J. In the spring of 1844 he started the great excavation for the tunnel for the Long Island Railroad in Atlantic street, com- pleting the work in 1845. At about this time he built a sec- tion of the Morris Canal at Dover. He was engaged, too, in the construction of the viaduct bridge on the Erie Railway at Lainsborongh. In the years 1856 and 1857 he constructed water works at Carleton, St. Johns, N. B. This was a very large contract. In 1857 and 1858 he was engaged in perform- ing a Government contract to improve the navigation of the Mascougan River at Grand Rapids, Mich., which was also an extensive contract.

Since his arrival in New York, he had watched the rapid growth, both of that city and of Brooklyn. After his per- manent settlement in Brooklyn, in 1840, he looked around for profitable investments, knowing that there could be scarcely a limit- to the extension of the city toward the east. He also saw that still there was a limit to available water front on our shore; and that, as the county grew, and both cities increased, an investment in water front lots must, in time, become profitable. Looking around for any opportu- nity to invest, in 1843, he bought one-half interest in what is now known as the Erie Basin, extending from the foot of Conover street to the foot of Columbia street, from George Hall, who was the first Mayor of Brooklyn. For a few years after the first purchase there was very little done to improve the property. A year after, Mr. Beard bought another quarter of the interest held by Mr. Hall, and then commenced to make improvements. At the time of the first purchase, Red Hook Point was a barren waste, a great sand hill cutting it off from Brooklyn proper. There was hardly a building to be seen south of Atlantic street, and not a single one south of Hamilton avenue; in fact, Hamilton avenue was not paved at that time. Beyond the sand hill there was a long stretch of sand beach, extending from what was at that time known as Red Hook Point, to Bompties Hook. In the rear of the sand beach or sand strip, a low flat marsh extended nearly to Hamilton avenue, that is east of the sand hill first referred to. The sand hill extended toward Buttermilk Channel, and the marsh from the base of the sand hill to Gowanus Creek. Shortly after Mr. Beard's last purchase from Mr. Hall, Mr. Jeremiah P. Robinson purchased from Mr. Hall his remaining quarter. The improvements then began in earnest at Erie Basin, Mr. Beard having retired from active contracting, concluded to devote his whole time to the work and pride of his life (the completion of Erie Basin). The construction of the Break- water, 300 feet wide, which surrounds the Erie Basin, was commenced, extending from foot of Vun Brunt street out in the Bay, nearly 1,000 feet, and from that point east, about 4,000 feet to Columbia street, thence north, about 2,000 feet to the original beach. When the fact is taken into consid- eration that the water was of no great depth outside of the

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THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN.

original beach, the magnitude of the work can be conceived. When we consider also the fact that ships and steamers can come alongside of the docks, drawing 25 feet of water and discharge their cargo, where but a few years ago there was less than eight feet of water, it is easy to imagine the great expense incurred by Messrs. Beard and Robinson in dredging the bottom of the Bay so as to obtain sufficient water to accommodate the vessels desiring to use these docks. During the construction, and after the completion of the Breakwater, they commenced erecting warehouses for the accommodation of merchandise. But few persons, besides themselves, be- lieved that it would be possible to get merchandise to store so far from what was then the center of warehouse business. But time has proven the truth of Mr. Beard's first idea, viz .: that the port of New York would need all its shore facilities ; and now what a few years ago was but a sand beach, has been turned into one of the busiest and most important com- mercial warehousing depots in this port-with its docks lined with warehouses and grain elevators, ships arriving from all parts of the world with their cargoes of merchandise, and canal boats from the West with cargoes of grain, to be placed in store on the sea board, ready for transhipment to any part of the world.

The great Anglo- American Dry Docks are also located at Erie Basin. They, like the Erie Basin, are gigantic in extent, being the largest dry docks on this continent; and the largest ship that floats, excepting perhaps the " Great Eastern," can be placed in these docks and in an hour will be sitting on high and dry keel blocks, when repairs may be done as con- veniently as before they were launched.

Messrs. Beard & Robinson, in order to carry out their plans in full and utilize the water front to the best advantage, found it necessary to extend their purchases of shore front lots whenever offered in the market, till now their posses- sions not only extend to the line of Columbia street, but to the Gowanus Canal, including all that property that was known and described in the old maps of Brooklyn as Bompties Hook and Bushnell Basin. They are not only continuing their im- provements in the Erie Basin, but are fast reclaiming the waste flats, south of Hamilton avenue; grading the streets and filling the low lots, so that Rip Van Winkle, if he were to arise from his sleep, would not recognize that portion of the Twelfth Ward.

It must be admitted that the conception and construction of Erie Basin in all its details, was the work of master minds and hands. When we look back at what it was but a few years ago and see what it is now, it goes without saying that Messrs. Beard & Robinson deserve the thanks of their fellow-citizens for the work they have accomplished unaided and alone. They have added to the port of New York that which is of lasting value to its commerce, and to the City of Brooklyn, thousands of dollars worth of valuable property which, but for their sagacity and enterprise, would no doubt to-day be in the same crude state that it was forty years ago.

They foresaw the future, as year after year they stuck to their enterprise, planning and executing, each year burying thousands of dollars under the water where it could not be seen; but they kept steadily on during peace and war, during commercial prosperity and adversity, with only one object in view, viz., to make the Erie Basin the most convenient com- mercial depot on this continent.

Future generations may reap the reward of their skill and labors. It is not possible for them during their short lives to obtain from their investment that return which they de. serve. William Beard and Jeremiah P. Robinson will both pass away ; but, while the city of Brooklyn and the port of New York exists, their names and labors will not be forgotten.

The Erie Basin .- The wharves and piers of the Erie Basin are of enormous area, the principal one, which extends from Elizabeth street to the foot of Columbia street, and thence on the south and south-west walls of the Basin to its entrance on the west side, being 500 feet wide and 2,700 feet in length. This is all built on piles, with cribwork above the whole width, filled in with the excavated earth, and faced, for the whole 2,700 feet of the exterior wall, with granite. On the north side of the Basin are ten slips of large size, three of which are occupied by the dry docks before mentioned, which belong now to the Anglo- American Dock Company, and the others by ship- yards, iron works, &c.

Adjoining this Basin on the west are three other protected slips, which are also used, we believe, as shipyards. In addition to the Dry Dock Company's docks, Messrs. William Camp & Sons have two others in the Basin, which are said to be the largest in this country, if not the largest in the world. In one of these (No. 2) the City of Berlin and, we believe, also the Alaska, were docked for repair of injuries. These docks were built by J. E. Simpson & Co., of New York. We subjoin a description of them from the Brooklyn Eagle of March 24th, 1883:

" The docks are built upon spruce pile foundations through- out, the floor foundation piles being driven in rows spaced three feet from the centre, transversely, and about four feet eight inches longitudinally, upon which are fitted and secured heavy transverse floor timbers of yellow pine, covered with spruce planking to form the floor, and carrying the keel- blocks, the latter being additionally supported by four rows of piles, firmly driven under the floor timbers, and capped with heavy yellow pine timbers along the axis of the dock.

The heads of these piles along the keelway are also enclosed in a continuous bed of Portland cement. Open box chains are provided on each side of the keelway, beneath the floor timbers, leading to the chainage culverts at the head of each dock. The sides and heads of the docks are built with a slope of about 46 degrees; the altars to high water level are of yel- low pine timber, nine inches rise and ten inches tread, and bolted to side brace timbers, which are supported by piles and put upon the ends of the floor timbers. The altars are carefully filled in behind with clay puddle, as the sides are built up, and from the level of high water to the top of the coping the sides are built of concrete en masse, faced with artificial stone, the altars being continued of the same mate- rial to the coping level. Lines of close sheet piling of tongued piling inclose the floor of the dock, and also extend entirely around the dock outside of the coping and across the en- trance of the outer end of the apron and at each abutment, forming cut-offs to exclude the tide water, &c. An iron caisson or floating gate is used to close the dock, and it is made with sloping ends, corresponding substantially with the shape of the side walls in the body of the dock, which bears against the sill and solid timber abutments the whole length of its keel and stem, no grooves being used.

"Each dock has two gate sills and abutments, the outer one being provided chiefly to facilitate examination of and repairs to the inner or main one generally used. The joint is made rubber tight by means of a rubber gasket secured to the face of the sills and abutments. The principal advantages

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

which these docks possess over stone docks, as usually con- structed, are greater accessibility, increased facilities for shoring vessels, and better distribution of light and drainage. The narrow altars, it is said, and the gentle sloping sides, afford safer and easier means of egress at every point, and furnish a better supply of light and air, and the shoring is more easily adjusted, all of which materially aid in the dis- patch and economy with which the work of repairs can be prosecuted. The cost and the manner of operating does not appear to differ materially from those of excavated docks. Two of Andrews' centrifugal cataract pumps, each driven by a vertical engine, which are ordinarily run at fifty revolu- tions per minute, and by spur gearing between the engines and the pump, the revolutions of the latter are double those of the former. The effective capacity of each punip is 23,500 gallons per minute. Dock No. 1 is in length over all 540 feet, and the length inside the caisson is 510 feet. Dock No. 2 is the one the City of Berlin occupied, and is much larger than No. 1. This dock can accommodate the largest vessel. It is 630 feet long: the length inside the caisson is 600 feet."

With the exception of the great Bermuda Dock, these are the largest in the world.

The Brooklyn Basin, which lies east of the Colum- bia street pier, is of very different shape from the Erie. The New York & Astoria R. R. Co. have built a pier from the foot of 37th street, on the south side of Gow- anns bay, which extends ont to the deep water-line of the Bay Ridge water front, a length of nearly 2,000 feet, and near a steam ferry, thence to Pier No. 6, New York city. This pier serves as a breakwater, on the south, to Gowanus bay, making it a safe harbor, the Erie Basin breakwater performing the same office on the northern side. From this safe harbor there is a ready entrance into the wide Hicks street and Henry street slips, the entrance to Gowanus creek, the docks at the foot of Court and Smith streets, the Ambrose Dry Dock and piers at the foot of 26th and 27th streets, and the wide slips on the east side, between 21st and 24th streets, at the foot of 20th street, and between Prospect avenue and 19th street.

This Basin has wide piers, with large warehouses and extensive sheds for the storage of goods, and for dry dock and ship building purposes. It is now con- trolled by different parties, and from its different eu- trances has lost, in a measure, its distinctive character as a basin.

FRANKLIN WOODRUFF .- It is probable that there are few inen in Brooklyn who have been better known or more favor- ably regarded for many years than Mr. Franklin Woodruff. A son of Sylvester and Nancy (Andrus) Woodruff, both of whom are deceased, he was born in Farmington, Conn., April 20th, 1832, and his earlier years were passed on his father's farm.

At the age of 18 he became a clerk in the house of Messrs. A. Woodruff & Robinson, of New York, one of the oldest warehousing and salt-fish housey in the United States. His success was so marked that, three years later, he was given an interest in the business. January 1st, 1858, Mr. Albert Woodruff, one of the founders of the house, retired, and Mr. Franklin Woodruff became a partner in the firm. Thence- forward he was one of the most active members of the firmn,

often suggesting measures and taking the initial steps in operations of importance. In 1875 the firm of Woodruff & Robinson terminated its existence by dissolution.

Mr. Woodruff continued in the same line of business, and is now one of the most extensive dealers in foreign and domestic salt and salt fish in the United States, and one of the heaviest importers of salt as well, frequently having under charter, from the Mediterranean and other foreign ports, from twenty-five to thirty vessels at a time. He is also the owner of the large block of warehouses at the foot of Jorale- mon street, known as " Woodruff's stores," and of extensive warehousecs at the Atlantic Docks, doing one of the largest storage businesses done in the city. He has spent several hundred thousands of dollars in building stores and covered piers, and otherwise improving the Brooklyn water front, and has been one of the inost active in bringing thither a large portion of the business of the port of New York. At his several warehouses skilled and unskilled labor finds em- ployment to the aggregate of more than a quarter of a mil- lion of dollars per annum. His interests in this department are so extensive as to constitute him onc of the largest ware- house owners in the country.

Not alone with respect to his great business interests and his extensive employment of labor, nor in consequence of the many public improvements he has made, is Mr. Wood- ruff regarded as one of the benefactors of Brooklyn. Deeply interested in all matters of public moment, he has long been conspicuously identified with the most prominent efforts put forth on behalf of the causes of education, Christianity and the dissemination of useful knowledge. A more than liberal contributor toward the foundation of the Brooklyn Library, he was for five years president of the association controll- ing its interests. It was during this period that the present elegant and costly edifice of the Library, on Montague street, was built, and toward its building fund he, with character- istic liberality, gave several thousands of dollars. Hc is a member of the present Board of Managers of the Library, and is connected with, or a frequent and generous contrib- utor to, many other benevolent purposes in the city. He has been long a member of the Congregational church, and a liberal supporter of its charitable and missionary interests.

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Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 3

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : Munsell Number of Pages: 1360

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360