The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-02
THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.

The RAILWAY COMMISSlON.
By an &C: fthe Legislature February 1855, Board
Of Railway Comm mssioners appointed Their duties
were to have eeners supervision Of the railroads, in
vestgae cause Of accidents &c. The active
Of hts Posrd Mr. john Clark the state Engineer,
and Mr. William J. Ne Alpine, both ofknown ability,
sod well acquainted With the detail Of their work. The
State law Of 1850 obgss all the railroad companies to re-
port annually TO the State Engineer This year they VIII
report to the Comm issioners-frs their stock and
deb's; second cost Of construction and equipments;
third. characteristics of road length, bridging &c.
fourth business Of the year h expenses Of maintain
Ing roadway and real estate SIXTH cost Of repairs Of
cbinery; seventh cost Of operating the road eighth
earnings receipts and payments NINTH accidents. Tn
latter tables viii include classi6catons Of all kinds OF
Casualties These reports have all been condensed into
one BY Mr. Mcrne and his statement, which will to an
exceedrgy important one VIII be laid before the Legsa
ture at an early day There have been numerous i'm
provements In brakes platforms, &c. suggested during
the past year, which hope the Commissioners have
daily attended to.
The railroad lobby mon will muster strorx at Albany
They havo several schemes to push the most
important Of which is 10 bridge the Hud They will
Fight to tho last the attempts which will e made to toll
Nj Clark ,he late State Engineer, has prepared re.
pot on the subject Of the canals.
LAWS FOR TIE CITY OF NEW YORK-HAR
BOR ENCROACHMENTS.
This subject he's interested friends at Albany for
7eisl years. Lost spring Governor Clark and numerous
Legislators down and examined the points the
No, h and East rivers where the channel has been
eoached upon As long ego 1856 these encroachmenA
commenced and were sanctioned ny Law. The following
Commissioners appointed under act Of the Lagsla
tare last year to in esgate the natter Hon. Geo. W.
Patterson, John L. Talcott, Esq, Hon Preston King John
Wander bt ESQ, and james Bowen Esq. They at once
ri and tArad Tho a
duties Two United states surveying schooaers, the
Corwin, Capt Craven, and the Nautilus, Capt Vain.
| wright, assisted them
The duties Of the partes connected with ,he Corwn
and Nautilus were chiefly pertaining TO soun3ngs Toe
corwIs party commenced their operations at the south
| end OF Bsckwes Island, amt obtained complete
sound gs Of he East river and the b.ys down far rs
point between Rarisn bay and Pelican beach Here hy
scie competed to susled ope at n by he ncemoncies
the season but not till they had made about seventy five
thousand throws of the lead two thousand miles Of
drgs II parties the Nautilus began 10 die,
charge OF their duties in the uuiecn liyec opp ,se puy
Duyyel creek, and aee soundpgs TIL they arrived
at Castle Garden, whence they proceeded to the sills
above enoned Tie whole OF the work OF this nature
incumbent upon the Commissioners is done excep. the
soundings OF part of the 10 ser bay, Hurl Gate and
spuyten nuyye creek, uoess the ieEslatace shall ex
tend tie duties Of the Commissioners ths Long Island
side OF the Fast river to Thr gs Neck ia tead Of
them at Newtown creek, .emplated. The Le-
gi lauTe, owing to the desrabiiiy of preventing ca
croachments at url Gate fr,m either side will probably
epao. providing for such extension
The Commissioners viii submit report soon after the
meeting OF tie le2isatuIs but they will require year
or to complete the work for which they were sp-
pointed. One DUTY imposed them H. to ascertain
what grants made of lands under water to in
riv and lOy rar they hay bean .S
occupied Some Ct these grants date back ia, as 1855
two hundred years agoand 70 discharge their duty
with regard 10 them, thu Commissioners Will ni to be
task OF little dihulty, and requiring much time
and patience.
II is probable the Commissioners viii recommend boua-
da1cs for the East river, beyond winch obstruct,ns or
sissa not bo "xiondei AZ regards the
Ncrth river, definite action, learn has not been re-
solved upon. 1t Is hoped and believed that New Jersey
WILL Curing the coming winter appoint commissioners to
fix the water line her side OF the river and dispos
tior prevails to await her action and see she does an
point commissioners to act in concert with them Ger
tsaly tie authorities Of New Jersey must sec the ne
cessiy Of settling the yexed questions involved at once
snd forever In the meantime the New York C,mmi,
siontrs yigant in preventing the extension Of new
cncroachmenis into either river IN inuncton has been
placed upon The Street Commissioner prevent the OK
oncn Of pier at the foot Of Ts cuty eighth street n
H., and others are threatened
On the MAPS which thcr opera tons are set for in
detail the Commissioners have caused line to he ra xn
around and tie land where tie soundngs are three
iahoms, or eighteen feet-showing how n vessel
drawing eighteen fret Of water may approach the shore
at any point We viii here remark that the soundiogs
were taken ut low wa'er. The line spoken Of a.
ega.ds ibis Island fails always within cw feet OF tho
shoic even far up as splyten Du vel Creek What
nerolg on tic capacity Of our harbr in al e times
fit Is improved as it ought II 4. not peri,
ed to - d strcved for temporary peucdt, 10 niiyid
Ard it shows the atsudiy CT extending piers TO src,.
diz,anccs 10 obtain Il suitable depth Or water.
Tho deepest water found is at the Narrov vs. where 4,
huie- cd and twenty feet deep, fon wii,r coob II
hos's IN TIC channel usually followed by vessels in coming
" 10 The city, to thirty lcct in places The ce,tos
tep found in the East river is opposite The foot or piy
hgton street, where seventy -four feet Of nc were run
ont. tn the route Of ue Fulton !orry boats tho g te,
Il between sixty ard seventy feot deep In gat
Teru ik Channel there + ayclaae dcpth of thirty
feet, though the water soals to tgcnlyone ,oet al ore
point III the centre OF the cnanne Between Goysrn ~
Island and Conmuuraw, comm, ncing at tie former
point there twelve fee Of water, deepening suddenly
70 seventy from which sboas when tic jersey aals
arc reached, to twenty ieot aud then 10 tlIe, The
North river in the channel IL fom thirty 10 fort
feet deep as far soundinga have been taken upon
Diamond Reef I'll point which ree, from tho main
surface q the rock neatly two fetto wlihia thirteen
feet and hill ~ he sulace On Cocnes Reet there Ii
fifteen feet Of wafer Illere i. shoal Oh the fDDt of
Eighth street East r'vr cru M il i supposed by the
curTet which is turned out 81 W i, tho crcroach.
mcns eNenfing com TIC foot Eighteenth street soush
AccordiIg tO tie mgp ct fhe Ccam ia srg tba ,r Il
cncioechcd urou from sNiy t. TX hundcd feet * he
ahcyc point Thee l. 81 asl ester di.g from ta AtIan.
: decks (Broohyu) towlrds t.c Nat.owt ana I'd lrlr
{ l"ng oowahvs !ay, upon v1'rh there = from nlpc
y sixteen tct ~ watrr EctWera thi7 shn3l apd roey
Island 0Ld eadirg iuto C0NanG4 rnv 1, q channel IL