The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-18
THE WATER FRONT.

The Dock Commissioners ON a Tour OF In
spection-The New Dock and Warehouse
Plan-Tho Tides in the HnrbOr.
Commissioners Agnew, Hunt, Wood and Henry
OF the Department of Docks, accompanied by Peter
Cooper Erastus w. Smith and others, yesterday
were conveyed on tour OF observation
around the river front OF the city
by Captain Hugh Mckay, OF the steam
yacht Wermland. The party left the
foot Of Chambers street at noon and steamed rapidly
down to the Battery up the East river as far as Fort
Schuyler, landing at Astoria and examining the tu
nelling operations under the Hell Gate reefs. Sew
era blasts were exploded In their presence and the
entire method of engineering demonstrated Pom
derous curtains Of logs hung over the mouth or the
galleries prevented any fragments of rock flying out
and rem dered the position OF the spectators entirely
saie I he object OF the trip was TO study certain
eccentric effects OF tides and currents, aud to CON
slder the proposed new method Of dockage, with in
sea walls. bulkneads piers, &C., with mol
low Iron iron tubes sunk BY pneumatic process down
tailed by nanges and filed with Concrete also SoI by
sinking hollow Iron tubes caiss0ns to be used as
Golfer dams IN which to construct piers Of masonry
furnished with wooden tenders; also warehouses
with railways In o combination at once new and
novel, The project Of building piers IN the East
would only make affairs worse, By converting Long
island Sound into . Bay Of Fundy, with ire
The following interesting statement embodlcs his
own and the observations OF others after study Of
III dam was thrown the East river II would
have the effect OF raising the tide fifteen feet above
It's present swell at high water mark. That this Is
correct 1t Is only necessary to compare the economy
OF the tides at Boston and New YORK. Both cities
are situated at the head OF large bay open to the
direct flow OF the tidal wave, which, flowing up
Boston bay, although does not meet the ebDing or
any large river In It's course yet not having room
enough 70 spread, piles itself up on the Boston
wharf fifteen feet above the low water level.
This same wave, flowing into New York
harbor,. meets the down dow OF the Hud..
up the East river and through Hell Gate, expanding
its fierce In filling the bays OF Long Island Sound.
To person standing on pier No. North river Is
presented the strange anomaly OF an ebbng tide and
a rising river, caused by the outflow OF the Hudson
damming up against the inlowing tidal wave BY
the time the crest OF the wave reaches Sands Point
1t meets the wave that has passed around Long
tide in i the voinity Of New York. As i is then
almost low water at Sandy Hook It's force spent and
1t begins to flow back. That this Is true IL
also shown by the action OF the wave Its progress
up the Sound. Beginning at New London. the rise
OF the shore is only two feet four inches; at New
Haven, where It feels the foot of the wave from
Sandy Hook. through the East river the rise Is five
feet: at Oyster Bay eight feet, ana at Sands Point
BY observing point on the Hudson at the same
distance from the Battery as Sands Point we
find the rise OF the tide nine inches less
that the outflow Of the Hudson has
power to force the tidal wave up the East river,
through which. II 1t did not find a passage way it
Is evident that the rise Of the tide OF New York
to the height OF the tidal wave, about afteen feet
above It's present height 1t will thus be seen how
dangerous It would be to interfere with the free
now Of the East river"
This statement ana explanations OF Captain
Mckay were most favorably received, and are to be
considered by the Department.