The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-27
TIE ROCKS IN HELL GATE.
To TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD


To TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
noticed IN the HERALD Of Sunday, the Goth inst,
elaborate article distractions OF Hell Gate,
In which one two statements appear which are
calculated to create wrong public impression. 1t Is
stated that the $4,000 appropriated by Congress last
is now almost expended and that nothing has
yet been done. So far from this being the case the
$4,000 remains intact, except $4,000 or $4,000,
which II is stated the government engineer has ex-
pended for apparatus and equipments TO carry on
the surveys Of the rocks to be removed, these sur
veys being conducted by the assistants regularly
attached to the engineer office. 1t is also stated
that General Newton has been making experiments
in drilling. General Newton has made no such ex-
perimeDts, nor II he authorized by the government,
far as tho writer Is aware, to spend any OF the
public money making experiments The expert
mcnts made last week with new submarine driil
were made by the contractor, Sidney +. Shelbonrne,
VINO has undertaken to remove Frying Pan and Pot
rocks, in Hell Gate, and has given SUFFICIENT bonds
to the government for the faithful performance OF
the work. With these experiments General Newton
had nothing TO 90 other than as his interest as
scientific and contracting officer on behalf OF he
government would naturally lead him to manifest
In regard to the removal OF these rocks III Hell
Gate the public and press seem to manifest an I'M
reasonable Impotence. Great and dlcuit works
IKE the removal Of suhaqneons rocks IN The fearful
currents ana whirp0ois Of Hell Gate cannot be COM
menced ana completed IN a day nor "a week. Rather
tnan 20 there aud pitch overheard on the rocks bar
Tela Ol powder and ntfO-gycerlne, ana IRE them OF
IN the nope that execution will he done, which
would ue WORK appropriate 10 any man VINO can
row boat aud lit 100 pounds, the apparent delay
which Is construed as an evidence oil "a want OF en-
ergy and SIKH on the part OF those VINO nave the
work In hand, should rather indicate an engineer
Who at least supposes he knows few oil Tile steps
that science has lately made when he bears The sian
ders and SCOTS OF wouid.be contractors aid an UNI
reasonable public, ana goes patiently on preparing
for the work machinery TO do efficiently ana rapid
y. The contract for the removal Of these rocks was
signed on the 23d OF October last Scarcely eight
weeks have passed since then. New YORK machine
shop would hardly engage to build q steam engine
or other machine Of known and definite construc-
ton In this lme let alone machinery for great and
dicult work IN which precedents are established,
ana where the difficulties 10 be overcome have 10 be
met by novel appliances requiring IN every case
alterations and consequent delays
considerable part OF the article referred TO is
taken up with review OF what ~ said to nave al
ready been done, and the account refers To Hanfs
HcgCtdffs Mdgdzae and other reports OF the date
when this work was attempted. Ii seems very din
cult to make understood that recent ana accurate
surveys have been made which give no sucn results
claimed by the advocates oI surface blasting.
Pot Rock has only twenty feet OF water at mean low
tide and Frying Pan only sixteen feet ana u mas
been absolutely proven 10y the facts and by the OIL
I fclal reports OF this very attempt to remove the
rocks In Hell Gate by surface blasting that IL Is only
avaianle for projections seaiy or broken rock. 10
| blow a. the pinnacle OIL rock or 10 heave away
large boulder may be an easy work Tor surface blast
ing but when IT comes TO remove solid bardpan the
plan Is q failure and Is so considered by tue English
engineers from whom Maliefert first learned hs So
called new process. THIS process has been repeat
edly tried by the Royal Engineers and, Captain Davis,
| OF the Autobiography once, Admiralty, London. in
| formed the writer, always win the same results
wnen compact rock had TO he removed. Thus
system, II IL true, produces great ana appai-
/ Ing demonstrations ia throwing huge columns
OF water into the air. but mark a. Just iar the
explosion liz spent uDon the II II Loaf upon the
rock for If the explosive material were ~ the rocS,
instead Of on the top Of IT, action and reaction would
Hsaxa fl,afr IN III a.
water II rs stated tnal tnis process mas It's erect ~
| using the supcriBcunbent water ~ q Iucrum
against which u act upon the rock, while TIE re-
| verse would be the truer Statements aS iulciun
must always BE- taken 10 be the least movable body
| from which to act upon me more Easily movable
| one, Tie rock then, Itself Is tue fu'crun rom
which beautiful hydraulic displays are produced IN
the air and delightful rainbows ~ inc suniisht. u
Sarxes In his time had been cute no doubt he would
! have employed TINS process when ne thrashea suc
| In tle review OF this subject Your article states
tnat Mr. Maileiert offered 10 remove Pot Rock, Fry
| ING pan and Ways Reef for $4,000, and tnat ms
proposition was accepted by the merchant vi New
| York ana he was set to work. Why dil he not re-
| move these three rocks, pocket ms money ana
| go his way rejoicing Tor what dId the gov
| eminent afterwards appropriate $4,000, Which was
| snnnt almost altogether upon Tot Rock alone Why
| now has the government Appropriated money ant
Dadc contract for the removal 0I tese very ROCKS
no these rocks continually grow up out OF LIE earth
| like Minerva from the head OF lover Why did not
| Maiiiefort remove them definitely aud concus,yeh
to Whatever depth he stipulated Win the merchants
OF New YORK. and have done with ~ l.ct sacts and
Justice prevail ana pretencc aud humbug hc silent.
1 The truth tnis so-calied new process was IN
| capable Of removing these rocks wDcn iic hca,is
and projections were once Knocked on them (Which
| everybody Is willing To admit thai Maleicft uid
| with great benefit TO the channel ana INCREASED
safety 10 navgation except II be ~ the expenditure
OF very dspropori0nafe sums OF money. tiihe auu
energy OF explosive material when compared win
any known process Of excavation ny diiiiln9. inis
statement 1t ~ easy TO prove from me iacls ol INC
case IL Will appear ndisputaby nom me record oi
tins work that under the appropriation Oi $1,000 w
/ Congress In 1852 about $4,000 were expended upon
Pot nock alone. Nine hundred charges OF powder OF
| seventy-hve TO 125 pounds each were expended w
Major Frazer in gaming ueptn on htlc
! over q foot, making cost LOT powder aionc
at eighteen cents per pound-about the price NJ tnat
tme--of over $4,000. Now, to say nothing about tho
| $4,000 or more expended In placing aud iring tho
powtIer N II takes $4,000 worth VI powder 10 gam
! on pot Rock one foot, which Is easier to remove
and extends less surface than each successive
\ foot how much money would ~ take 10 reduce the
| rock from twenty 10 twenty-five feet nearer low
water The simple multiplication OF 10000 by i've
would be much less than the actual cost. IL must
| also he understood that the metals were currency
| then, and everything was reckoncd IN sold.
on ths showing tho cost would b. more than
double that Of tile average OF all the bids for the
removal of this rock the letting by General
Newton on 2lst OF september last IA To the time
required 10 perform the work by this pretended new
process which did not produce the depth OF twenty
four feet required, IL Will be seen that the opera
tions covered period from August 1851, to January
1899 vet u II asserted that this process botn
time and money. such has been the presumption
and persistence OF the Cldqes OF this process that
there IA no wonder that its pretclcc anu errors die