water at low tide. Soundings indicated that this necessitated a pier 300
ft. long. It was further specified that the pier should be to some
extent in keeping with the scale of the place being created there, and
that a wooden pile structure would not be acceptable. Besides these
esthetic conditions, wooden piles were rejected because the teredo, in
this part of the Sound, is very active. At the same time, the owner did
not care to incur the expense of a masonry pier of the size involved.
Also, it was desired to unload on the pier all material for the house
and grounds during construction, and coal and other supplies thereafter,
thus necessitating a pier wide enough to allow access for a cart and
horse and to provide room for turning at the pier head.

[Illustration: PLATE XXX.--YACHT PIER NEAR GLEN COVE, N. Y.]

Comparative designs and estimates were prepared for (_a_) a pier of
ordinary construction, but with creosoted piles; (_b_) a concrete pier
on concrete piles; and (_c_) for a series of concrete piers with wooden
bridge connections. The latter plan was very much the best in
appearance, and the calculated cost was less than that of the pier of
concrete piles, and only slightly more than that of creosoted piles, the
latter being only of a temporary nature in any case, as it has been
found that the protection afforded by creosote against the teredo is not
permanent.

At this point on the Sound the mean range of the tide is about 8 ft.,
and it was determined that at least 5 ft. above mean high water would be
required to make the underside of the dock safe from wave action. There
is a northeast exposure, with a long reach across the Sound, and the
seas at times become quite heavy. These considerations, together with 4
ft. of water at low tide and from 2 to 3 ft. of toe-hold in the beach,