New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-19
MARINE AFFAIRS.

Harbor Conuassloners, giving the result OF MS W
-ervaops upon the deposit of si in this harbor. MI
Haswen in the Summer Of 1854, began these obserNa'
tons under the direction of the then President OF the
Board of Underwriters, Waiter X. Jones, esq, and
ued them nearly TO the close OF last year. Sc
Letting sixteen points from Sandy Hook TO Manhattan
vile and Harlem Bridge he provided himself with six
teen bottles capable of naning 30 cubic inches each
and repeatedly filed one of them with water from each
Of these localities at hall tide both ebb and flow in
dry az wet weather, and at different seasons Of the
year. This water he then filtered, weighing the
.iduum and noting in grains. The creates, quantity
OF de- post found in the water taken from the foot
If Canal street where it exceeded grains in 30 cubic
inches of water, while at Sandy Hook the deposit was
lt,e more than one tenth of grain in the like measure
of water The average annual flow OF silt into The nv
ers bordering the city reaches LOG grains IN every ~
cubic inches Of water; and, assuming the quantity OF
the former TO BE- equal lbs pounds per cubic FOOT
a cubic inch " i'll weigh .O72 pounds. The volume oil
this deposit compared with water, is, therefore, as
to 1855.
Coninpg his observations TO the City of New-fork
alone and taking the deposits shown in the water nom
the several localities around the city, Mr.. Haswe
found that the mean measurement of silt in every 80
cubic inches of water is 1909 grains. Hence" he
saws by the elements before given, il appears that
The Volume of the derost from the water in the slips
Of this city between Thireth street, East and West
and the Battery compared with that OF the water at
half tide is as to 300 Startling "a these results
appear il must be borne in mind that they 90 not
give full exhibition of the facts OF the case Tor the
observations made were necessarily confined 10 the
nresepce of silt and embraced only that portion which
@ retained in suspension by the flow Of currents while the de
p =, niles by different system of observation and is
equently not embraced in the above results. -
The from these results 20 be taken III view are
That the strength the current at certain points IS sum
ceny rapid to keep much OF the sit IN motion ai ptn .e ,
us H. H., teg taken from the several locations between
Tbeth street on each side the city taken tr m between
the piers although the deposit of s noted is just as
the location from where the water was TAKEN s ~; b
does sec the results here given but refers Only 10 the
In oob Of these results and in illustration Of the effects
under ration the propietos of the
the rrs Of Market and Pike streets full
hi eiehhs of an inch in one How OF nee and my ' %
BY subjected the delay and cost OF dredging UNDER e "
the depth Of seven feet every two years -, -, .,
In illustration Of the effects OF reduction BY the encroach,
, ib flowed into our habo the food tide through the
East River and Hell Gate once flowing to Sands Point nov
Of the bar had 1855 halt mile since the survey OF
1885, by srsprt Of Boschse Of United states Ioa, %
p.srs that IN the main ship channel alone from the . w ot
TO Gedney's Channel there has been an pot g NY
year, voune Of sand OF 2S2oOo cubic te aa if2 %
late report The Hsrbor Commissioners made To the Leesa'
this State, app AIRS that the Jersey na's arc ' SAT-
This is in my opinion, alarming exhibition and one IN
voq eIStiors densnding the immediate attention OF all
who feel interested in the commercial interests Of TINS Gty ioI
without rem, dial action the width Of the caHne AMI depth OF
water on will become reduced as TO preclude the adj
mission OF the largest size into our harbor
Tie course OF remedial action most readily and rse'ay M
Of our streets and piers in order 10 remove the wash INTO the
rivers therefrom and putting an end 10 t present pas
H. % and o,ine that gives the subject his at
nSs will os nOm n .n ss Is ss to be
WEIGHED moment with the advantages TO DC derived there
The operation Of dredging slips Performed briefly as
Gcw The der9'ps IN the P a,e IL. or mud . swept by the
the tide back to the slips aud upon me rats OF
sy TOO heavy 70 be moved by deta action of the
rent, i'll the channel in proportion to their volume
charge from and the deposit removed from the slips
into the rivers washed is termed into toe sea and
for The interests involved the subject under dscusson but
happens very brief examination OF the c1e presents
ndep ndenty Of stones, bricks, &e is composed OF gravel
sand clay and uent matter which when Transferred to the
rent Of four knots hour eighteen miles distant
from The with these sem.ts h.n %OWd DC dILa 70
it, and the coong matter therein could ever reaeh sandy
ATeyiew then the elements submitted and consideration
Of their operations, furnishes the following deductions;
bordering this eli so in that the slips Vi
this city very rapidly being filled t bay aud
River aud all where comparatively feeble
ing rapidly ted up by the tidal currents and along with
the wash upon the shores habo the tidal
volume thero reduced upon the extent OF which tidal
volume depends volume of passing the bar at sandy
Hook point involving the commercial value, II not the physical
exi,tepce Of this hsrbor.
3D. That the system Of dredging Of slips as now pursued
viz the removal the deposits therein from below owwater
dph be exposed the currents in the ryerends IN bat
ns' Of them to Other slips and h9a Places the eaeet OF
ths deE9s from the slips -. .,,o.., 49,, ,io,. oe
this city, Brooklyn and neisbbons cities the deposits into the
slips would BE- essened and the necessity for dredging them
would IT, r. Ddered less frequent.
Finally That economy tie current expenditure Of cleaning
and DR. dying ps demands ,hs the streets and piers
of our city -houd b. thoroughly cleaned and that the transfer
the materials dredged from slips 10 the channel ol the rivers
should b. forthwith forbidden since the increased cost oseqn
up the n mud the main land Is quite ncon
siderable compared with that of s repeated removal BY being
d, posted In the channels OF the nyers
In support Of his conclusions, Mr.. Haswell quotes
from the reports of the Tidal Harbor Commissioners of
England and argues that it is fatal error to suppose
that the flow of water from the Hudson River is suf-
icient 10 keep the bar ct Sandy Hook navigable; and
in regard TO the effect Of the presence of ice in har
bor he asserts that although ice in suspension in the
"water does not reduce the tidal volume other than
"by presenting resistance to the surface current,
vet when il is fixed as upon fats and shores, it re-
duces the tidal volume in direct proportion with its
4" own"
HURRICANE AT sEA-LOss OF A SCHOONER.
The schooner Mary Alice, Capt. welch, from Ponce,
Porto Rico January T. arrived yesterday, reports that
on the 18th inst, in lat. "A 20, long. y 80, she e1-
perienced terrific hurricane from the southwark for
four heurs She could show canvas but ran at the
rate Of nine knots under bare poles At daylight made
two sails ahead brig and schooner, the latter under
storm.trysa and ieefed ioresail and jibs down. the
brig apparently lying by her. Could see men moving
about the scbooners deck but she had no signal SET
After passing her about mile, she went down sud-
denly; the brig then made all sail and stood to the
westward; would have run down to her, but con-
cuded the brig had taken the crew Of. The schooner
MA raip..d hIacL and nf about 30 tnns burden. This