The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 161

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 161

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FRANKLIN WOODRUFF .- It is probable that there are few men 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 29th, 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 houses 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 firm,

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 warehouses 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 most 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 one 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. He 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.

Mr. Woodruff has been a republican since the organization of the republican party, and on all questions of National im- portance has sustained its men and measures. In the muni- cipal affairs of Brooklyn he has long taken a deep interest, and for several years was one of the most active of the better class of city politicians. At the organization of the Commit- tee of Seventy-five, he was identified with it, and was chosen its president. He was one of the first Commissioners of Election under the new charter, serving as such until his resignation. In 1879 he was the candidate of his party for the mayoralty. It was a year when the city went largely democratic on the state ticket, and he was consequently defeated.

Mr. Woodruff has been twice married, and has four children living. Three have died. Mr. Woodruff is now in the prime of life, the embodiment of health, and full of energy and the enterprise which have made his name so well and widely known, with apparent promise of being vouchsafed many more years of usefulness. In all of the relations of life he has always enjoyed, in a marked degree, the respect and confidence of all with whom he has associated. It is such men as he who build up substantially for the good of the public with which they are identified, and he is one of those citizens of whom Brooklyn has a right to be proud, in view of his successes, and their influence on the commerce and other important interests of the city.

Eng ª by Geo.E Ferine, N York

Franklin Woodruff

643

THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN.

Gowanus Bay and Canal .- We have spoken of the improvements which have made Gowanus bay a perfectly safe, land-locked harbor for vessels of mod- erate draught, not exceeding 15 feet at low water. The Gowanus Canal Improvement Commissioners* and the Brooklyn Improvement Companyt have extended Gow- anus creek as a canal, 100 feet in width, and varying in depth from 12 feet at low water to 16 fect at high water. The main canal extends from Hamilton avenue to Baltic street, a distance of a mile, and there are five branches of the same width and depth with the main canal, and which have an aggregate length of about two-thirds of a mile more. Wharves and docks have been built along the whole course of these canals, and the entire water front along them is about three and a third miles. Immense lumber yards, coal yards and flouring, plaster and other mills, and brick and stone yards, occupy the whole available space.

At the entrance of Gowanus creek, on the east side, are the extensive piers and the small basin, or slip, where Messrs. Downing & Lawrence's shipyard and marine railways are situated. The object of these rail- ways is to draw the ships which need repairs upon ways, where they will be entirely out of water, and can be coppered anew, or their hulls painted, or receive other repairs. The dry docks accomplish the same purpose by floating vessels into the dock, closing the gates and pumping out the water; and the sectional or floating docks, of which there are several in this vicinity (though none of the largest size), lift the vessel up as it lies in

* GOWANUS CANAL IMPROVEMENT COMMISSIONERS .- An Act was passed, April 19, 1866, to improve Gowanus canal. W. M. Harris, S. D. Voorhees, W. G. Libby, C. Dever, J. H. Watson, W. M. Thomas, J. L. Spader, J. Booth, and C. J. Sprague, together with the Mayor of Brooklyn, and County Treasurer of Kings County, were appointed Commissioners for improving Gowanus canal, and the channel in Gowanus bay, from the north of said canal to and beyond the bar at, or near, Percival street. The Commissioners were authorized to cause the sides of Gowanus canal, and the channel of Gowanus bay, to be docked, and to deepen the canal by dredging, to 7 feet at low water, at Douglass street, and 12 feet at low water, at its end, with gradual depths from head to such point. To pay for this improvement bonds of the city to the amount of $175,000, at 7 per cent. interest were to be issued, ;} to be paid each year; assessment district, 200 feet back from canal.

Act amended May 10, 1867, making issue of bonds $350,000, and in- creasing powers of Commissioners in constructing and repairing docks on line of canal, and to take charge of bridges.

Act amended May 6, 1868, authorizing Commissioners to rebulld and raise bridges.

Act amended May 6, 1869, authorizing Commissioners to expend $100,000 additional, making a total of $450,000.

Act passed May 10, 1869. Commissioners directed and required to complete improvement without delay, and report on or before the first Monday in June, 1870, to the Common Council, the total cost of, and amount necessary, to complete same, and detailed statement of all monies received and expended, and to file in the office of the Street Commissioners, maps, profiles, &c ; also discharging Commissioners from charge of sald improvement. All further work to devolve on the Common Council.

Act of April 10, 1873. Owners authorized to build branch canal 50 feet wide and 6 feet deep, at low water, on 1st street, from main canal to Third avenue.

+ BROOKLYN IMPROVEMENT COMPANY .- January 18, 1847, Major D. B. Douglass made a report to the Common Council on the drainage and gravitation of that part of Brooklyn which lles over and adjacent to the Gowanus canal. He proposed two methods : first, by excava- ting one or more basins near the head of the meadows (near the inter-

the harbor; and the sections being united and the tanks depressed, they are able to bring it into a position where repairs are possible, and by separating the sec- tions after it is lowered into the water, to set it at lib- erty. For vessels of moderate size, the marine railway or the ordinary sectional dock is preferable; but for the largest vessels, the dry dock has the advantage, though it is very expensive. The only dry dock in this coun- try which approaches in size to those of Messrs. Camp & Sons, which we have already described, and to those of the Anglo-American Dry Dock Co., is the great graving dock of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which, how- ever, is only about two-thirds of the capacity of Camp's No. 2 Dock.

To Brooklyn, therefore, belongs the supremacy over all other cities on this continent, in this important ad- junct of a great commerce.

The aggregate cost of these basins, canals, and ware- houses of the South Brooklyn water front has been very great. Fourteen years ago it was estimated at more than four millions of dollars in the section below Ham- ilton avenue and Third avenue. Since that time the improvements in docks and warehouses which have been added have more than doubled that amount, while the warehouses, canals and docks between that avenue and Fulton ferry have cost not less than five millions more; and the more than a mile and a half square of land filled in from the grading and excavations of these last forty years, and now covered by vast manufactor- ies, machine works, and many thousands of dwellings, has added to the first cost over ten millions at least, or twenty-five millions of cost for property which seventy- five millions could not now purchase.

But, though the South Brooklyn improvements have attained such magnitude, they constitute by no means all of the commercial facilities which the enterprise and energy of Brooklyn citizens have fashioned to attract hither the commerce of the world.

The United States Navy Yard .- The United States Navy Yard, while owned and controlled by the

section of Butler and Nevins streets), and connecting them with Gowanus bay by a straight channel, sluice-gates to be placed at the outlets of the basins. To prevent deposits, he proposed, in lieu of basins, to construct a double canal, with its two branches parallel, united by a semi-circle at the head of the meadows, one of the branches to have an influent gate, opening inward, and the other with an effluent gate, opening outwards. The flood tide would open the influent gate and close the effluent, and, in the progress of the flood, the whole canal would be filled with water. The tide turning to the ebb, the order of the gates would be reversed, the influent closing and the affluent opening, and the whole canal would be emptied. He pro- posed to have the canal 45 fect wide at bottom, 81 feet at surface of water, and 12 feet deep.

The second plan was to open a canal from Wallabout bay to Gow- anus bay, finding, from observations of the tides in the two bays, that a sufficient current would pass through to keep the channel clean. Both plans contemplated navigable canals for commercial purposes. Plans and estimates accompanied the report, but no action was taken by the city authoritles.

An Act was passed, April 13, 1866, creating the Brooklyn Improve- ment Company, with a capital of $1,000,000-object to construct, build, and maintain docks, &c., along Gowanus canal and land adjacent thereto. The branch of Gowanus canal to Fourth avenue, near Fifth street, was built by this company. [EDITOR.]

644

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

Government, and so not in all respects a Brooklyn in- stitution, has yet added somewhat to our commerce. In the busy times of the late Civil War, the numerous war vessels built and commissioned from that Yard rc- quired a very large commerce to furnish them with the necessary supplies of material and stores. The great dry dock there, at that time the largest in the country, was also put at the service of the war ships of foreign friendly nations which necded repairs. That unique construction, the U. S. Cob Dock, whose "true inward- ness" is still a matter of speculation, at least furnished employment for hundreds of men while it was building, even if its subsequent usefulness has not been evident. But across the channel from this mysterious construc- tion is a distinctly useful and valuable Brooklyn im- provement, known as

Wallabout Basin and Canal .- An area of about seventy acres of unproductive salt marsh, adjoining the Navy Yard, has been transformed into an extensive and valuable basin, fronting on the East River. The basin has a depth of fifteen feet at low water (and in- cluding the Kent avenue basin, which is a part of it), three piers and seven lines of wharf or water front, ag- gregating 4,900 feet of wharfage, beside the Kent ave- nue, or Wallabout Canal, extending from Washington avenue to Hewes street, 1,300 feet farther, of the same depth and a hundred feet wide. This gives 2,600 feet more of wharfage, making, in all, 7,500 feet, or nearly one and a half miles of water front, which has been of the greatest possible value to the enterprising business men of that section. The marshy land which has been filled in from the excavations and draining required in this improvement, is now covered with large ware- houses, factories, and dwellings, among which are the immense lumber yards of Cross, Austin & Co., said to be the largest retail lumber yards in the United States, and several others less extensive; several great iron foundries, and other manufactures of note, and many hundred dwellings; while the Appleton book factory, Gill & Baird's, and other stone works, the Royal Bak- ing Powder Co., and the numerous factories on the streets adjacent, have here the best of facilities for shipping their products. This improvement has also afforded facilities for a shorter and swifter connection between the eastern and western districts of Brooklyn. Washington avenue, a fine thoroughfare of Brooklyn, beginning at the Eastern parkway, where it leaves Prospect Park, has been extended across these new made Wallabout lands, and united, at Broadway, E. D., with Franklin street, and forms an almost straight line of a wide avenue from Prospect park to Hunter's Point. From Myrtle avenue to Hunter's Point a street rail- way extends along the thoroughfare. By this route the distance between the two districts is shortened about three-fifths of a mile. Property all around this basin has been enhanced in value from ten to twenty fold.

Another improvement has been attempted and made some progress at Bushwick Inlet, but the extensive piers there, five or six in number, are all required by the sugar and petroleum interests.

Newtown Creek* and Canals .- The Brooklyn shore of Newtown Creek has also been made the sub- ject of extensive improvements. Nearly the whole right bank, from the foot of Clay street to Mill street, in the Eighteenth Ward, a distance of two and three-fourth miles, has good and substantial wharves; and two canals, one known as the Whale Creek Canal, half a mile in length; the other above Maspeth avenue, and called the Newtown Creek Canal, a little more than a mile in length, to Randolphi street, have been built. These furnish transportation facilities to the centre of the Eighteenth Ward, and are of great advantage to the increasing manufacturing interests of that rapidly growing Ward. Some day this canal, enlarged to the dimensions of a ship canal, will be extended through East New York to Canarsie bay, and a new water front of about seven miles length, and having wharf- age to the extent of perhaps twenty-five miles, will increase and nearly double our present magnificent commercial facilities, and make Brooklyn, which will

* The NEWTOWN CREEK, from want of a flushing-tide through it, is, at present, a nuisance, and rapidly filling up. The open or under- ground canal through Wallabout avenue, from the head of the Walla- bout canal, would, if cut into the creek near the rope-walks, across Bushwick avenue, entirely remove the stagnant waters, and carry off the sludge thrown off by the glue and petroleum factories on its banks. The eminent Gov. DeWitt Clinton, who once lived on the shores of Newtown creek, at Maspeth, has placed on record the plans of three tide-water canals converging into Newtown creek. The first from the Wallabout to Bushwick; the second, from Maspeth dock, through Winfield valley, into Flushing creek; the third, from Dutch Kills, through Woodside and Train's meadows, into Flushing bay, at Jackson's mill, while the further idea of a connection with Sanswick creek, at Astoria, was entertained. Gov. Clinton, from his actual ex- ploration over the large area above named, became satisfied that such a network of canals would, in future time, become a necessity for drainage, each through its own region, which could be converted into a useful boat navigation. But, above all, he was impressed with the value of the Wallabout canal, both from its construction, its short- ness, and its capability of flushing the main channel of Newtown creek with a strong current of tide-water. He anticipated that gradual silting up of its bed, which is now apparent even to the point of obstruction, with the grave interrogatory attached that, "if such be the deposit of the last fifteen years' accumulation, what will be the result in the year 1900? "-a date not far off.

The late Mr. Wm. Cooper, years since, was impressed with the value of a tidal communication between the Wallabout and Bushwick, but, with other capitalists. was deterred from the scheme by the report of some engineer who opposed it, on the grounds of the inequality of the tide level between the two extreme points; a theory found to be incorrect with respect to the Suez Canal, although urged by the English engin- eers with much pertinacity until finally exploded by Lesseps and by an officer of the British navy, who ran a line of levels from the Mediter- ranean to the Red Sea.

Newtown creek possesses, by its own natural configuration, and that of the intervening space of low ground between it and Wallabout canal, the most favorable aspect for a tide-water canal. The grand design of preserving the creek by flooding out all impurities and deposits by a thorough passage of tide-water through the Wallabout canal, presents a strong claim from the absence of any difficulty to be encountered in its short route, easy levels, and soft material to be ex- cavated.

It is worthy of note, in this connection, that a ship canal through Train's meadows was, at one time, considered the most feasible plan to escape the rocks of Hell Gate, by a passage from Flushing bay into Newtown creek. [EDITOR. ]

645

THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN.

then embrace the whole of Kings county, the entrepot of the largest commerce and port in the world.

The Government Inspection of Brooklyn Commerce .-- While the National Government refuses to keep a separate account of that part of the com- merce of the port of New York, or of the vessels which load and unload their cargoes at Brooklyn wharves and docks, it is not to be supposed that they neglect to inspect such cargoes, or to take note of the vessels which arrive or depart from these wharves and docks; although, on the Custom House books, the arri- vals and clearances are all credited to the Port of New York only .*

As a matter of fact, the water front on the Brooklyn side is divided into nineteen inspection districts, each having its inspector and gaugers, weighers, foremen, clerks and workmen ; and these inspectors are required to keep an account of all vessels discharging cargoes in their respective districts, and also a complete and faithful record of all the goods discharged. Every article of commerce must be examined, tested and weighed by the different inspectors and weighers ap- pointed for that purpose, before it can be put in storage or allowed to leave the dock ; and the results of the work of the inspectors are made known in reports daily to the Barge office, at the Battery, the head- quarters of the Deputy Surveyors of the Port, and also to the Surveyor's office, in the Custom House, over which Col. Kibbe presides.

The busy season in the Brooklyn inspection districts is during the months of March and August, at which time the greatest number of cargoes of sugar, mo- lasses and tobacco are received, and a large extra force of workmen are employed, and the river front presents its most busy phase. But the long line of water front is never devoid of business, or without active working- inen, on a week day. The most familiar articles of commerce to be found on the docks the year round are sugar, molasses, coffec, tobacco, hides, wool, cotton, hemp, grain, jute, sisal grass, bones, log and dye woods, coal, iron, brick, stone, lumber, oil, saltpetre, plumbago, guano, soda, chalk, lime, dry goods, porce- lain and china ware, green and dried fruits, etc., so that it is doubtful whether there is an article known to commerce which may not be found at some time in the year packed away in the storehouses of the third city of the Union. There are eight or ten occan steamship lines now making regular trips from Brooklyn piers to various foreign ports. These steamships also carry saloon and steerage passengers as well as cargoes, and formerly had their landing places on the New York side of the East River.

One of the conspicuous advantages which Brooklyn has over the great metropolis, as to commercial facili-

ties, is the fact of its warehouses being built up plumb to the water line and immediately adjacent to the wharves. The carrying of goods to and from the stores is thus made more convenient, and at a considerable saving to merchants, than on the other side, where the extra expense of cartage across the street to the ware- house, and the annoying interruptions by the steady traffic along those thoroughfares are decided draw- backs. From the natural situation and configuration of Long Island, Brooklyn's opportunities for advance- ment as a commercial centre are almost infinite, and such as few cities in the world possess.

The water front is divided by the Government into nineteen inspection districts, which, together with the names of the inspectors for each district, are as follows:

First District-All south of Hamilton avenue bridge, a distance of five miles. Considerable quantities of sugar, chalk, Spiegel iron and wire arrive here. C. F. Wager is the inspector.

Second District-From Hamilton avenue bridge to foot of Columbia street, including all the canal above the bridge. Vast quantities of lumber, brick, iron, lime, etc., are to be seen here. A. D. Bennett inspects them.

Third District-Columbia street to all between Marine Railway, near the foot of Conover street. The New York Warehousing Company, at Erie Basin, is within this district. Immense quantities of cotton, saltpetre, grain, soda and cement are received at this point. B. S. Steen and R. Britten supervise this section.

Fourth District-Marine Railway to foot of Walcott street, which includes the Merchants' Stores. This is the great salt district. P. Barquet looks after it.

Fifth District-Walcott street to Summit. Woodruff's Stores and some of the finest piers in this country are com- prised within these limits. Rye, peas, malt and barley arrive here in large quantities from Canada. The inspectors are J. S. Young and G. Voges.

Sixth District-Summit street to Hamilton ferry. Several thousand canal boats are often laying up here at one time. In other respects it is a duplicate of the preceding district. E. Van Zandt and E. O'Shea have a vigilant eye to it.

Seventh District-Hamilton avenue to Baltic street, includ- ing the Baltic, Union and Bartlett & Co.'s Stores. A very busy locality. C. F. Kane and P. F. Hagan inspect it.

Eighth District-Baltic street to South ferry, comprising the Robinson's, Congress street and Columbia Stores. Dow's grain elevators are here, the largest, without exception, in the known world. Messrs. Peebles and Johnston look after it.

Ninth District-South ferry to Joralemon street. Wood- ruff's other stores are in this district, in which considerable sugar is handled. The inspector is W. R. Babson.

Tenth District-Joralemon street to Wall. Prentice's Stores. All sugar trade. William Stewart supervises it.

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 161

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1114

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114