The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-11


A meeting Of the East River Improvement Assoeia-
ton was held at ls Cooper Institute last even
ing. James r. Taylor presiding and General q. M
Bsrnum acting - secretary.
The principal business was the reception OF o re-
port Of committee appointed to investigate ana %
tain facts In relation the number OF steamers ana
sailing vessels, Ac., which pass through Hen CATE
within given time.
The report after stating several facts already pub
iished. goes on a. follows
the sailing vesrels In ADDITION to the risk which
must necessarily be incurred are al OF them subject
70 very great delays and extortionste charges for
pilotaee tonnage &C.. this, together with the fact
that numbers Of them are wrecked entirely, in per-
forml M the passage, causes many vessels which
would otherwise avail themselves OF this route to
sail outside Long Island in their way eastward
Lieutenant Commander ChaA II. Davis, United States
Navy, In hh report on coast survey dated February
Is vim lessen or ssorether remove
the hazard attending the ordinary navigation Of
Hell Gate viii not be disputed when 1t is remem-
cossiins vessels that 90 70 New York ana up the U
North river pass this route and that IL 10 the hourly
ne os nsecs sev w,n ana
me committee then quote further from Mr.. Davis
report regarding the dangers 70 sailing vessels pass
improvements would provide. They also quote his
argument for the improvements as . means Of in
cfe3Scu faciiikies Ior naval ueIence. In the argu-
ment he says:-"During the war with Great Britain
our frigates were blockaded in the harbor of New
York, which could not have been the II the He'll
Cato passAge had been open. Commodore Decatur
venturcd 20 carry his squadron through, but with
such risk that the attempt with frigate was made
only once afterwards, Notwithstanding constantly
recurring necessity
rhe remainder Of the quotation from Lieutenant
Davis report consists OF statements relating to the
dangers OF the channel the special difficulties pro-
ducing those dangers and other facts which have
recently been placed before the public In reports Of
the association.
The committee also quote the following statement
In the report OF Lieutenant Commander David
D. Porter, United States Navy, dated october 80,
1885,
SIN o place where the interests OF 80 many are at
stake the want OF attention to the navigation Of He'll
Gate appears like culpable neglect No one can
form an Idea OF the number OF vessels that 90 on
shore during the course OF month. Fifty went on
shore during the period j was occupied there two
months), and many 0f them were much Injured
The committee quote at length from the Harbor
Commlssi0ners' report, giving an extended state
ment OF the dangers and present condition OF Hell
Gate and asserting that was the duty OF the general
government to take some further action toward
II the general government fail to do SO that the
State should certainly move In the affair nom just
regard to the lives and property OF It's citizens.
The report 10 signed by 7. +. Rowland Henry
Steers and T. r. Williams committee.
Addresses followed the report by Messrs. 7. +.
Rowland, r. w. Lowber and General Z. NJ. Barnum
on motion committee, consisting Of General Il.
N. Barnun, Thomas F. Rowland, K. +. Williams
and Henry Steers. was appointed TO prepare new
memorial and circular for signatures on the subject
Of the East river Improvement
mass meeting was announced TO be held In Will
letf's Opera House, Brooklyn, TO morrow evening.
Mr.. James Smith was elected to fill vacancy in
the Council when the meeting adjourned.