The Wallabout Bay Filling

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THE WALLABOUT BAY FILLING.

The Evening Post,¹ alluding to the recent discharge of 400 laborers from the Navy Yard, says that

If the government is retrenching within the walls of the Yard, it is certainly not relinquishing a project, which happens to be one of great liberality to the contractors, for the deposit of a field of bottomless mud between the Yard and teh Marine Hospital. That strip of earth seems destined to be a rich placer—not for the raising of the precious metals, but for the sinking them. The contractors in filling in dirt, and the contractors in driving in the spiles, have found the fortunate islands. It is suggested that, in the midst of this marsh-mud, on spiles which will never touch bottom till they sink to it under the pressure of the stone and brick it is proposed to place upon them, the Marine Barracks are to be built. Is there no place other than that low, miasmatic site, on which Marine Barracks can be erected and have their foundations free from constant contact with decay, their walls secure and exempt from deathdamps, and the sailor, when ashore, be assured of at least a reasonable prospect of health in the quarters provided by our government? The placing of public buildings for such purposes, in such positions, has excited the severest criticism, and demands the attention of the superior authorites.

The above paragraph is one to which we feel bound to take exception. We believe it is generally understood that the contractors for this work have obtained a very good bargain from the Government, and so far the Post’s criticisms may be just; but when it goes on to deprecate the filling of this low land altogether, and the building of barracks upon it, we think it is suffering its hostility to the Administration to overcome its regard for the public good. For the very reason that it is a “low miasmatic site” should the government urge on the filling. For years that land has been a plague spot to Brooklyn, damaging the health and depreciating the property of the vicinity; and surely the Post, which seems so very anxious always to write up the value of property on “Ocean Hill,” ought not to write down an improvement which will add so much value to property in the vicinity of Flushing avenue. There is no part of the city so greatly in need of improvement, both sanitary and pecuniary, as that of Jackson’s Hollow and the vicinity. “Ocean Hill,” with its manifold attractions, may well be suffered to take care of itself; but all the efforts than can be made are required to improve the central portion of the city, along the Wallabout Bay. The U.S. government are but doing tardy justice to the city of Brooklyn, in filling up this “miasmatic site,” and we are sorry to see the Post or any other journal, attempt to deter them from this laudable undertaking.

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