The New York herald., 1870-01-30

NeWpors OF providence were threatened. With He'll
Gate channel completely open these ports might DC
securely defended before the enemy could DC aware
OF tho design; while Otherwise by the present route
ncet sent tot the succ0r OF those cities would have
results OF . naval engagement on the high seas.
This view was some years ago strongly urged In
Congress and u was OWING to tnis tnat tne appro,
prlatiOn was passed two years ago which allowed
work TO be resumed Tor clearing away the obstruo
uOns.
this great work. 1t need only be told that mrrchan-
disc TO the value or many hundreds of miions OF
dollars passes through mere both ways, and many
hundreds oil thousands or iives The navigation or
Long Island Sound Is certainly very extensive. ana
It would be still greater anu commercial intercourse
ae ss M %asE ,n2a as & u 70
undoubtedly largely increase, were oil dangers re-
moved which nature has so ungracousy neaped
together within tne short distance OF only ABOUT
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
II is moro than twenty years that this matter has
been agiCated. IL was especially The late Mr.. Mer-
rtam who took great interest in 1t brought It pro-
mnently into public notice. He urged action before
m q ne made proper repre
ture OF the State; ne succeeded In obtaining sur
veys as near correct az possible through the instru
finally started private subscription list among
merchants and sh,p0wners TO ralse funds sufrclent
To- TO- enable Professor haiieiert to 60 TO work win
1862. appropriated SO, 1000 and about 600 was
raised by SUBSCRIPTION. or course 1t was not ex-
out the huge work TO completion. They were rather
70 Do used aS 0 Iund Tor experimenting with the
Professors new system Of blasting, and further APP
preparations were hoped for IN case oil the Profes-
sor's promises were realized to any reasonable
degree. Tne Professor began work and was at first
quite successful In b asting on the rugged edges OF
Ways Reef, when, all OF q sudden, o premature ex-
plosi0u OF powder sent him and his asslstants,
together with the boat, high up into the air. This
accident from which the Professor suffered sucn
injuries that he was lad up IN Astoria for months,
put end to further work the at the time.
When restored to full health Professor Maillefert
again attacked portions OF Hell Gate until the appro.
priation was exhausted. Further SUBSCRIPTIONS fol-
lowed. and the indefatgable Mailefers, aided by
General aud Danish Minister OF War, continued
on and on, a. the money lasted, with their
gunpowder attacks. The result or these sporadic
labOrs did not diminish to any very great extent
the dangers OF He'll Gate channel to navigation,
though 1t Ii bur Just TO say that some OF
depth OF water over them increased as Tor instance
Bad headed Billy, opposite the Hatter's dock
a. Astoria, WAYS Reef, and also diamond Reef.
track OF the hamilton and South ferries
Since then, ana up to within about Two years last
past, nothing had been done. Then, however,
movement succeeded to have paragraph added to
the appropriation bill IN Congress- granting $780, 600
for improving He'll Gate channel. A disagreement
between the senate and the House this bill gave
rise TO committee OF conference and In this COM
mittee the above appropriation was stricken out,
81 600 for the Improvement OF harbors Inc Sec
retary OF War beng directed to designate the
amount to be allotted 70 eacn particular improve
Improvement Of Hell Gate In 1868.
Professor Maillefert immediately put In bid for
contract TO do the work After some DELAY which
department. and Its Ofllcers for many months, the
contract was At last awarded to him. This contract
description OF He'll Gate channel ~ the nrst met
with coming from the Sound-namely Ways Reef,
80 II to @
twenty i've feet at mean low water. rhe time fixed
for the completion OF this work was the lst or De-
cember last and the Professor to have received
about S170.O00 II he fulfilled his contract and not
one cent II by the day limited the three rocks were
not reduced 10 the depth contracted for. Professor
Naieiert began operations about the lst OF August
and weather and other circumstances not within
control permitting he was quite untring IN his
labOrS; but the 1st or December came and the
required depth was not accomplished The nearest
approach TO ls on Ways Reel where he succeeded
IN reducing 70 the depth OF II 7l0 feet Of Shell Drake
Rock portions ol the sides were blown OIL, but the
top of 1t not materially altered. During his opera
tiOns Professor Maiefert It Ia stated, connned his
ACTIVITY to the rocks in still water near Shore not
yenturlnr out into the channel. When the protes
sor's contract time had expired he applied to the
department. Of Washington 10 have 1t renewed, but
no favorable response mas yet been received. lie
sends OH, however, an occasional can filled with
nitro ycerlnc ana blasts against the sides OF some
Of the rocks named, although he was told that he
did so at his own TASK and could not expect pay un-
less his contract was renewed at Washington. He
IL very sangu,ne, and pronounces the charge tnat
his system Of surface blasting IS failure utterly
uniounded In the splendid results Of his lapOrs he
Gains TO have reduced Ways Reef to nineteen feet
depth; Shell Drake also 10 eighteen fee-resulls OF
surface blasting not equaled Dy the drilling process
short a tiine. Ills figures, however 40 not
tally with those OF The ofcia reports to the depart
statements may be the reason why ms request for
renewal OF his contract IS neld IN abeyance.
WHAT TIE GOVERNMENT Is DOING.
Besides the operations oil Professor Maillelert the
government has not been Idle. Last Congress again
appropriated " TINS end $l7S 200, and after the re-
qulred preparations work was began in Tue latter
n "
ever that before Professor Matlefert began mis- sur
face blasting experiments last summer Mr.. Shell
bourne had contract 10 blow the rocks out OF
lie made several attempts but II appeared that his
machinery for working the drill INTO the rock did not
though he constructed two or three very powerful
frames he finally gave It up, when the contract WAS
gwen to Mr.. MallleIert.
Government operations were begun IN November
last under The direction OF General Newton, OF the
engineers, superlntended personally on the spot by
Lieutenant Miller 0i the engineers. fhe locality
selected Is HaettS Point, the submarine prOmOntOry
referred TO a0Ove, and which 10 influential
IN denectlng the current Of the cpanne aud pro-
currents. Since the latter part of November up 70
latest report over 600 cubic yards rock nave
been Dasted and removed, while IL IN asserted tnat
the entire quantity removed by Professor Mallefert
from August 70 December was only 1856 cubic
yards The Halletts Point rocks are ike spur Of
mountain standing out into The sea resting on
broad uase narrowing towards the top ami taper
ing or towards the point. General Newton has
adopted the drilling process, as also tine tunnelling
uaIly finished, from WHICH, when completed, Gle III
teil0r ol the whole ROCKY mass Will De excAvated,
and from the tunnel which will traverse nearly
the entire length OF HaieLts Point side chambers
Will be opened. When this tuuneilinx process IL
ended . ton OF gunp0wder and a lighted fuse Will
rend that huge mass of rock In the twinkle Of eye
from Its fastcnings OF ages knock IL Into splluters
and send the whole into 'the middle next " sekr
at bound after which the terrible monster the
GrldlrOn 10 to be attacked.
The officers OF the government now In cnarge OF
the work take a very liberal and enlarged view VI
the undertaking. They belieye that 10 make q clear
channel through these rocky crags Of from eighteen
to nineteen ieet deep, would not answer tile pur-
pose; nor would 1t be any proper return FOR tne
time, money ana labor expended. mere coasters
channel 10 not what IL wanted, but . ship chan
mel, which ocean freight ana passenger vessels can
freely use and without hindraace. For this unl-
form depth OF at least twenty-five feet vt mean low
water IL necessary, which would give about thirty
feet at high water, sufficient TO noat the Great
Eastern through Hell Gate. she draws but twenty
seven feet, fL0ngreSs will continue the appropra-
t0ns and increase them literally that funds shall
not be wanting when needed, General Newton be-
lieves himself TO be able TO clear the whole Of Hell
Gate OF all 0Dstrucli0ns and make free channel for
the largest shipping, In between four ana i've years
~ total expenditure OF about $4,000, ,0U0, or
O0O,O 900 per year. Every day increases tile expe
rlence OF th8 ofncers IN Charge .and gives them an
opportunity TO improve their systRm OF working
Hence the original estimate OF the time and money
II WOuld take To finish the work nna bceu reduced