The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-19
IMPORTANT INTERVAL IMPROVEMENTS.
GREAT WORKS IN PROGRESS
Newark and New York Bay
Ship Canal.

construction WITHIN rev weeks. As many IN.
aware Of the stupendous character OF the under
taking and the vast benefits that IL VIII confer when
completed additional particulars In regard to u
have been gathered from those Immediately inter.
ested In the enterprise, which we append -
the canal - to be 200 feet wide. deep enough to
doat the largest merchantmen, and Will commence
at Dawson street. Newark, which lies between South
street and Bay avenue and follow the line laid sut
for Thomas street directly to Newark Bay. Commls-
sioners are now engaged In the work OF assessing
damages for opening Bay avenue and South street.
which were ordered to be opened Dy the Common
Council OF Newark, 100 feet wide from Dawson street
10 Newark Bay and these two streets will furnish
each 100 feet for business purposes on either side OF
the canal.
The probable cost Of the canal Will be as foIIows;
800 900 cuoc yards rock excavation at 81 per yarI,
$780, 000 5000 600 cubic yards earth excavation, at
40 cents per yard $1,000 900; $4,000 square feet o.
wall at 81 foot $500 ooo l772 400 lineal feet
deepening the canal In Newark Bay, $l60,000 right
Of way across Bergen POINT, $2oO,00O. Thus esti-
mated tue total COST OF the canal VIII be 49, 283
The charter empowers the company to collect tolls
on all boats and vessels passing through said canal
and to change at pleasure such tolls and the rules
ana regulations for collecting then provided thas
the toll charged shall not exceed i've cents per mile
Tor each ton OF registry measurement on all vessels
passing through said canal.
The work OF excavation to Newark Bay will not
probably require more than year, but cutting
through Bergen Point, between Newark bay and
New York Bay, Will be WORK Of great magnitude,
ana viii probably require al least TWO years to COM
plcte.
THE sAULT STE. MARIE sHrr CANAL.
The WORK for tie Improvement or the Sault Ste.
Marie ship Canal was commenced under very unfa.
vorabie circumstances The site chosen for the
Golfer dam could not have been more disadvantage
ousy situated when We consider that the point to
be gained In the laying or o dam in this canal is to
av%a a s tho Of s wS ey were d
reasons OF which need mention only One-na nelly,
the deepening OF the canal above the DAM The bot
fan 10 fnn n RI mr. HrafI ON a Va
therefore caused immense expense TO deepen It..
1ne dam ls laid across the canal at the place
end OF the wood work on the south pier. owing to
the tremendous pressure on 1t aud slight rupture
already experienced, cribs and walls OF stone have
been thrown uD for further security.
The dam Itself does not leak, but the difficulty
Of rock and sandstone that are full OF assures ana
crcvices allowing the easy passa2e OF water. This
leakage could only be remedled by means OF pumps.
and before this could be properly worked c0nsldera-
bic Ice mad collected Ia the bottom.
The slope wall has been removed a. far down as
TIE guaru gate. The perpendicular part looks ex-
tremeIy ragged at present, snlrp rocks project In
every direction. bat their danger TO navigation VIII
ton instead Of the stone wall that was previously
contracted for.
The excavation Is going on admirably, notwith-
standing the great dlculty they have TO meet with
IN The shape Of Ice, some twenty inches In depth.
@ as
the sandstone Tor yards around, and gangs Of men
hanu, VINO immed ately shovel the loose stone
into Immense boxes, which are drawn-b by horses to
two gigantic aerrcks situated on the banks. These
derrcks dispose or 1920 tons or rock per diem.
They have excavated 100 feet OF the bottom, twenty
feet IN width Nv four IN depth. II must be reneIn
bered that the excavating commenced only az the
AS has been noticed before, water is the only seri-
Gus trouble they nave met with; IN lact, II mas
almost presented an insurmountable obstacle In the
shape Of tee As the work progressed the banks
seemed 10 leak from all directions. Conduit3 nave
TO be constructed aloag the walls; likewise sue.
away the water In certain localities. Pumps had 70
be sent Tor below. This Is no slight undertaking,
when We consider the circumstances connected with
our means Of transportation IN winter However,
they have now the water under complete control
by means 0f . system OF pumps that 1t would
take up too much space TO describe, The work
Is being urged ON rapidly, and will continue 80 TILL
the opening OF navigation. The depth Of water at
the mouth OF The been Increased four feet,
making now an average depth vi sixteen feet. This
for me purpose. and peculiarly adapted for II.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRIDGE Al 81. LOUIS.
The great bridge across the Mississippi river at
St. Lous promises 10 be, when completed. one OF
the grandest monuments Of engineering SIKH Hnd
genius N tns world; Between tue aIa,neals q VII
span, resting upon massive solid masonry. Mr.
James II. Eads, the chief engineer, has ISSUED
very intc, csIng report or the progress which has
been made IN this great undertaking. Among those
which most forcbly illustrate the power OF science
to overcome difficulties which would seem Almost
are somo relating to the con true
ton OF the west aDutmeut which at the date OF the
report Ia been completed from the bed rock or tho
river 10 point tnirty-one feet above low wafer
mark, height OF iUrtg-our feet altogether. Al
seventy lee ana halt higher than at the east
pier, The difficulties encountered IN building Its
loundaiion were more serious than at either Oh the
Others. It's site had been for over sixty years part
oil the steamboat landing OF the city, aud as such
mad received every klnd VI useless material thrown
overheard from the various steamers lyll9 over II
during that tune. The Oil sheet iron enveOplnG
their furnaces. WORKOUT crate bars, OH hrebrlcks,
parts OF snlokestacks, VITA coal cinders, ciinker
and mass or heterogeneous substances formed
deposit averaging twelve iect IN depn over the rock.
Not only were these Instructions In the
n
site had 10 DC put down through tue wrecks OF no
less than three steamboats, wi,ch were moedded In
the sand, the hulk OF either OF which WAS not pro-
baby or less than 400 tons meas uremont From the
enclosure within the dam were taken parts Of seye.
oil some or which had ~ be cut on; I0ur wrecks OF
barQes, some OF them In use probably bclore the era
OF steam, likewise several oak saw logs some
anchors, CHAINS ana variety OF smaller articles.
This Inconyru0us deposit made IL exceedingly DIM
quent noodings occurred which delayed and In.
creased the cost OF the work; but Gil difficulties
finally exposed TO view. The piers were sunk DY
means ol cissOns, compressed AIR ana sand pumps,
snar In many respects To those IN use Tor me East
river bridge The east per OF the ST. Louis bridge
had ON The lst OF October been cafrici up 10 tho
height OF III feet above the bel rock on which Il
rests about twenty feet ABOVE the level VI the water
at that time. IL measures at lis base, In the diicC-
ton o the current, eighty NO feet, anu transversey
SIXTY icet Tnls pier was placed OH the rock III 40
GAYS after the laying oil the nrst stone, betax
suspended on 1t during twenty DAYS OF this limo on
bridge when completed to the carriage way will Us
feet high above the bed rock of tnc river and VIII
contain Al, 500 cubic yards oil masonry.
BRIDGE OVER TIE MISSISSIPPI Ar Kg0SUX.
the railroad and wagon bridge crossing The MIS-.
sissippl river ut kcokuk, Iowa, the onty wagon
bria9e crossing the river, has just been Completed.
II cost about 81 ,00D, 000. The bridge mas eeYon
piers. two abutmcns, ana the longest draw span
In the world, being 6s feet Ia length. In the centre
are Two spans eacn $50 ect VIDE Tor the passage OF
RATS.
TUNNEL UNDER DETROIT sIvEs.
The tunnel under Detroit river, from Detroit TO
WINDSOR Will. II ~ given on, he commenced during
the coming summer. The plan ~ 10 construct three
tunnels, two vi which arc 10 DC about sixteen
feet In heiynt running parancl 70 one another
across, AMI uniting III one entrance and cxiy
ut each end third viii be made OF
smaller dimensions, say i've feet IN dalacer 70
act as a main dram. ana to be situated underneath
ana between the other two. Nork VIII be COM
meucel OIL the last named tunnel FIRST, 80 that
drainage may be elected as fast rs the others ale
carried Present appearances Justify the sur
mise that The work Will &c completed IN about Two