The New York herald., 1870-01-30
HE'LL GATE.
The Present Channel---The Cur
rents, Eddies and Rocks.
History Of the Movement to Clear the OBJ
sructions-FaIu Of Surface Blast
ing-DriIling and Tunnelling Sue
cessful-Four Millions Required
to Free the Channel in Four
Years-Other Plans and
Grand Suggestions.

Y0ar6-UtnCr fluub anu
Grand Suggestions.
Tnete are comparatively but few persons,, NOT sea.
far,ng men, who are toleraby well acQus inted with
the nature and extent OF the obstrucu.ons IN Hel
gate channel. Everybody knows the passage to be
most perious one, bnt the precise character OF the
dangers to which vessels are exposed in running
through He'll Gate Is so little known among the
general public that o correct description OF rhe
channel together with q detailed statement OF the
measures taken TO improve navigation at this point
will be found Of interest. 1t should be premlsed,
however that even now government 0nicers, men,
bers OF the corps OF engineers are daily engaged In
again surveying the entire channel in order to have
. reliable basis from which 60 make proper esti-
mates Of the work required for removing the OBJ
structions The description and other facts about
Hell Gate contained In tie following article are
aaken from map prepared at the Unlted States
Coast Survey ofice for the Bureau Of Engineers,
stationed at headquarters in this city, under the
command OF General Newton. This map was com.
piled from Coast Survey maps OF 1851, prepared by
Lieulenants Porter and Woodruff u. .. N. and u
1865, by Lieutenant Craven. u. s. n. and also from
maps. OF the New YORK Harbor Commission OF 1865
1857 and contains the fullest information Of the
nature Of the channel accessible at present and
until the surveys which are now being prosecuted
shall have been completed and arranged.
WHAT CONSTITUTES HELL GArEf
The East river between the southern point OF
Wards Island aud the north end of Biackwelps
Island makes bend, beginning at Pot Cove ana
Halletts Point at the north, and ending point
called Bald-headed Billy, near the inlet known ~
Aalletts Cove. Between these points, q distance OF
about one mile, is the passage SO well named as He'll
Cate, being filled with treacherous rocks hid under
shallow covering OF water, producing strong cur
rents and eddes, by the force OF which many
vessel has been carried out OF the channel and
,dashc upon the rocks beneath Coming In from the
SOUND the first danger isireached about where line
drawn across the river from Pot Cove would touch
Negro Point on Wards Island Nearest to the Long
Island shore is Ways Reef next and out few yards
from 1t TO the west Shell Drake; again. about 100
yards IN q northwestery direction, lies Pot Rock
further on to the west lies Fryngpan and hugging
close to the shore OF Wards Island are Holiness
ROCK and Hogs Back, the two latter showing slight
rocky surfaces, uncovered at low water; all the
others have from seven to nineteen feet Of water
over them. These rocks pretty near all In
direct line across the Whole width OF the river,
forming as it were natural dam. At no point on
this line is there depth OF water exceeding fifty
. 1eet the average being about forty, while immedi-
ately beyond this rocky range and towards the
and even eighty feet.
Passing this barrier OF rocks, Hallett's Point IL
reached, q promontory that projects out into the
stream with but from two to four aud six OF
Ter. Were 1t not for the influence Of this natural
dyke upon the currents 1t might wen be left unds-
turbed, for but few vessels would sail SO near the
shore TO expose themselves 10 the danger OF run
ming upon It But its being right at the point the
bend III the river, IN the way Of the ow Of the
have often become dangerous to many q sailing
craft, and even steamboats, sometimes experience
trouble In consequence.
Just below Halletts Point and opposite old Fort
Stevens north OF Astoria. there are the great and
most dangerous rocks, the Grldiron, Flood Rock,
Hen ana Chickens, Negro Head, Little Mill Rock
Great Mill or Table Kocx and Heel Tap Rock. 1t Is
especially the Gridiron, win its length of about 200
makes the navigation OF He'll Gate channel 50 ex-
tremeiy hazardous. Lying with Its 1000, 900 cubic
feet Of solid rock In line with the caanne and about
Island shore, 1t divides the current and not only
this 1t stems it ike dam and increases velocity
rapidly that this spot Is the most dangerous OF
the whole Gate. The following figures viii make
this pialn:-About 200 Jards below the drldron the
be 2Io-loo nautical miles per hour; Just
where the 0ridlron begins 10 rise the velocity of
the stream has already Increased to nautical
miles per hour, ana after Lasses the Gridlron or
rather the gap between 1t and the Long Island shore.
runs ahead with the tremendous rapldlty Of eight
and half nautical miles per hour 1t IL thls
veous increase In the velocity OF the current
stream, and It's consequent increase OF force that
mas wrought SO much disaster aud damage and even
Between these rocks and the shore there are three
cnanns one between this rock ana the te ts Mil
Rock known rs the Middle Channel, and one west OF
the Table Rock designated as The main snip channel.
Iherc Is but very lttlc difference between them In
point Of safety except rs regards the degree We
locity Of the current, which s highest Ia the east
phnp and pVaoj, uhtvN
difference being about nautical miles per nour.
Tue sudden changes in the rapldlty or the current
aye certainly OF the great sources OF danger to
vessels. For instance the running stream At mood
direct line and about loo yards from that point
IN the eastern channel, the velocity or the cur
rent is eight and hall nautical miles. When the
three channels meet again, between Pot Rock and
H0lmes' ROCK, their velocity has equazed TO 7S3l0O
nautical miles.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEARING THE CHANNEL.
The most dangerous part or the entire He'll Gate
channel, as will have been noticed by the careful
reader Of the above SKETCH LES between the row Of
joining rocks, with the projecting promontory Of
Aallett's Point for PIVOT as it were In the centre
therefore here that the w0rK O clearing the channel
must be prosecuted. The importance OF this work
cannot De over estimated. IL u well known that
the bar outside the Narrows 10 growing yearly in
extent from accumulation OF deposits from the
no TN Seo sn tns ba o Inc @ carried
Although there ID no immediate danger that our
harDor viii be blockaded 'by bank or mud ana
sand accumulatlng athwart the entrance to It, there
u no DOUBT IN the minds Of mariners and other ox-
perts that unless recourse be had to constant
dreoginR even II this be practicable the bar at the
entrance 10 New York H2rbOr viii due time make
1t entirely Impossible for larger vessels to pass 1t in
safety. since II Ii already we'll known ~ q fact tnat
even now ships OIL large dr2ught European steamers
Tor example, have 70 wait for nigh water before any
attempt 10 cross the bar can be made with success
This IL circumstance OF great weight and impor-
tance. II the entrance 70 the harOor Of the CONNER.
,clal metropolis OF the country he In danger from
growing sand It Il duly of the people 70 use
every ellort In their power either to prevent this
from 0ccurrtnR.or to provide Otner means. And It
s particularly for our trans0ceanic trade for our
ter Oqrs9 with Europe, that We must keep our
marine highway and the gates 80 port open and
tree from all impedlments The sound Is one OF the
natural doors to New YORK harbQr and for the Euro
pean lraae better fitted than the NarrOws Steamers
would not only gam nearly day In their sailing