The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-22

AHs'A N'ocAA~-NcPcHtc VI OvoA0A sSoecs~
having struck upon tho shoal or the
Battery. where it was generally supposed there
was deep water, having been forwarded to
Professor Bacho, Superintendent Of the Coast
Survey, he directed Lieut. Craven. ono Of his
assistants, to make q re-survey Of the shoal.
The report Of that officer has been forwarded
to the President Of the Chamber Of Commerce,
with recommendation that the attention of
Its members be Immediately directed to it. In
view of the Importance of the subject, we think
it necessary to state briefly the changes in the
conformation Of the shoal which Lieut. Craven
has discovered, since the soundings Of 1855 So
In the section from pier No. l North river to
Castle Garden there has been rapid filling up
in the anglo formed by the line of the Battery
and the pier; the three fathom curve has been
pushed outward eighty yards beyond the line
Of 1866; the seventeen feet spot in the outer
part Of this section is extending towards pier
No. l, and there is an average decrease of three
feet in depth throughout the section. The
three fathom curve forming the second section
was in 1866 about seventy -fve yards south
extends towards the Castle wharf and embraces
considerable area where formerly there
were five fathoms Outside of this curve
there is general decrease Of five feet
in the depth. In the general shoal line extend
ing to the southeastern portion of tho three
fathom curve, and forming the third section,
there has been no material alteration but in
following the curve to the southernmost point
it has been found that 1t extends about one
hundred feet to the southwark. In the fourth
section, essisoAing from tho last division to the
East river piers, and including the knoll lying
about W. S. W. from pier No. l East river, it APP
pears that although there is no change in depth
on the knoll itself, the shoal Is extending to-
wards the north, and that in that direction
there is decrease of two feet in the depth.
but drawing curved line from it to Castle
Garden, the eddy waters of this part Of the river
are marked out, the current of tho two rivers
meeting here at ebb and dividing at food. This
portion of the stream being too sluggish to
carry off matters held in suspension, they are
rapidly and constantly deposited. Lieutenant
Craven states, that although from natural causes
there must always have been shoal off this
part of the island its accumulation has been
evidently aided to startling degree by the
extension of the Battery. Before the latter was
commenced the process of deposit was so gra-
dual that it would have required an interval of
many years ere the shoal would have seriously
encrcached on the waters of the bay, but the
Battery enlargement has already accomplished
what it would have required half century Of
the operations of nature to effect.
Thus this job OF the Battery extension, for
which no rational ground Of necessity has ever
been put forward, which has already cost the
city so much, and which will cost it much more
before it is finished, has, according to this re-
port, been productive of the most dangerous
distractions in this already crowded part OF
the harbor. Had the work been promptly car
ried through when first commenced, the more
serious Of these encroachments might have been
avoided; but, like everything else in which the
expenditure of the city revenues is concerned
the public interests have been sacrificed to cor
rupt personal arrangements. As it appears
from Lieutenant Cravens statements that no
other means are now left to prevent the rapid
increase ofthe shoal than those of dredging and
pushing on the Battery extension to completion
as fast as possible, it is to be hoped that the
influence of contractors will no longer be suf-
fered to multiply the distractions that have al
ready been formed in our harbor for their
benefit, and to destroy the character for accessi-
bility and convenience which its splendid natu-
raj formation has obtained for it.