Long Dock Company, stock certificate 1860s

Unused stock certificate for the Long Dock Company of New Jersey. Builders of the Bergen railroad Tunnel (AKA Long Dock Tunnel) in New Jersey.

Tunnel is still in use today.

 

New York Times article on opening of tunnel in 1861:

 

OPENING OF THE BERGEN TUNNEL.; Journey into the Bowels of New-Jersey.

Published: February 8, 1861

 

The completion of the Bergen tunnel, one of the most important public works of New-Jersey, and a triumph of engineering skill of which any State might be proud, was duly celebrated Wednesday, when the tunnel was formally opened and the first train of cars passed through it. This work was built by a corporation known as the Long Dock Company, mainly for the benefit of the Erie Railroad Company, who are understood to have advanced a large share of the money for its construction, and who hold a lease of the improvement. By means of it, the business of the Erie Railroad is brought to tide-water mark, and to immediate contact with this City, thus saving the great expense and delay of shipping their freight to Piermont. The tunnel is 4,000 feet, or upwards of three-quarters of a mile in length, running the whole distance through a solid rock of the most adamantine species, and from fifty to two hundred feet beneath the surface of the earth. It has been five years in process of construction, and its cost has been a fraction less than two millions of dollars. From the commencement of the work there have been from 1,000 to 1,400 men employed on it, and the loss of life by accident has been about two dozen persons.

 

The opening celebration yesterday was under the auspices of the Directors of the Long Dock Company, headed by the President, Mr. BERDELL. At 12 1/2 o'clock, about 250 of the solid men of this City embarked on board the steamboat New-Haven, from the foot of Duane-street, and in a few moments were landed on the spacious pier of the Long Dock Company, on the opposite side of the river. Here they were obliged to wait a full hour for the arrival of the New Jersey dignitaries, from Trenton and elsewhere, which had the effect to draw forth the usual complimentary remarks about New-Jersey, in which New-Yorkers are wont to indulge. At length, however, they came, and were greeted with just as much cordiality as if they had not been roundly cursed for an hours previous. Among them were deputations from both houses of the New-Jersey Legislature, judges, lawyers, editors and plain Jersey Blues. The ten cars in waiting immediately started on their journey, and in less than ten minutes the whole party were in the heart of the tunnel. To the astonishment of every one, the tunnel was found to be lined the whole length with Wide Awakes holding lighted torches in their hands, but whether they were placed there to illuminate the Stygian darkness of the elongated dungeon, or whether they had run in there to escape the wrath and indignation of South Carolina at their acts last November, could not be ascertained. The only signal they gave was an unearthly yell of "Wide Awake" as the cars whizzed past their blazing lanterns. After passing through the tunnel, the cars stopped a few moments on the other side, to give the guests a view of the stupendous rock excavations near the Western entrance, and then returned to the depot on the end of the Long Dock. Here the party partook of a liberal collation, freely moistened with the dew of "Mumm" and "Otard."

 

Mr. BERDELL, President of the Long Dock Company, responded to a toast, complimentary to the Company, and gave the statistics of the building of the tunnel mentioned above.

 

Speeches were also made by Hon. N. PERRY, member of Congress from New-Jersey; Hon. Mr. TEESE, Speaker of the Assembly; Judge NAAR, of the State Gazette, and others, after which the party returned to New-York.