The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-28

the 10Th or October sixteen feet and added that he
h hrSW winch % mo a eMSa 0xner ,nsn that OF
the nth OF October to the 18th OF December lac
charges OF l2s pounds each were fired, consuming
1000 POUNDS or powder. Some sixty or
more charges were fired in water OF more
than twenty feet in depth. with. view to
the removal OF the rock to twenty-four feet.
THOROUGH SURVEY WAS MADE
IN January, 1852, and $3.50 soundings were TAKEN OF
gave nineteen ieet OF water, while io7 gave from
tWeniy-four TO thirty feet at mean low water Up
20 Pn s Rc s He sotai the removal
operations at Pot Rock on Monday, the I'd OF Feb
mary, 1882, and continued blasting whenever the
ing March. ON tina; day he took up his position on
the hoat and prepared the battery. while he sent
three OF his men TO lower canister upon the rock.
They soon returned, and his principal assistant
handed hum from the boat the WIRE to be connected
with the battery. Maeiort said is II all rgnt?''
GAN right replied the man; but at that instant
Mailleiorts quick eye detected the displacement or
the canister, and, pointing TO the noat,
40 you GALL THAT ALL RIGHT9'
he asked. The men then rowed back. and to save
tune drew up the canister under their boat and
lowered another. Returning to the float the same
questions were asked and answers returned and the
blown to atoms the man had misplaced the wires
and given to Mailleot the one attached to the can
mister under his own boat Three men were killed.
on, another had one lung blown away, but lived
long enough to explain now he had made the mis-
take; the third was never found. AS for Malefort
he was rescued, but renamed totally blind for three
months.
u
He'll Gate, but when year or more had elapsed
Maillefort began to yearn for action, and finding IL
impossible to procure aid from sources that should
have been eager to furnish 1t, he began time
time operations which he carried on at his own ex-
pense ID nus way y; ne blasted out Diamond Reef
small rocks, or "boulders," and later removed por
ttOn OF Ryander's Reef. on the New York shore. be-
low Ninety-secoud street ferry.
On the ed or January, 1855. proposition was
presented to the Legislature by Messrs. Hustled h
Eroenl containing the following points OF INTEREST,"
They proposed 10 remove all the rocks In Hell Gate
with the exception OF Great Mill Rock (which being
a small island they regarded as useful for a light
house, until depth OF ten feet at mean low water
should be reached. The time demanded for the exc
cution OF their project was ten years. TO commerce.
on the LIST OF Aprl 1856. they proposed 10 GelraY
TAXING THE VESSELS
passing through the cate during said ten years half
pilotage rates. They further estimated that In case
the rocks were not removed the accumulation or
annual losses at the END Of ten years would amount
10 sl,0oo 000 ana the tax, they aided would sti
entalled upon vessels Tor piiota2e. by accepting
their proposition the Gate to 0e cleared, and OF
course pilots ana pilot tax ior ever abolished. Ii Is
needless osay that Messrs. Hustled d hroehl pro-
In January 1867, General Newton, who was as
signed IN July OF the previous year TO the duty OF
examining Hell Gate, made his report 10 the Secre-
examination with view To Improvement for the
purpose OF Navigation, and Il was to be so suli-
plan and estimate for the necessary operations.
General Newton prefaces his paper by CHANGING At
the reports Of his predecessors Leuenants Davies,
Porter, Craven, NC, and refers to their general
agreement upon the necessity Of the removal OF Pot
Rock, Frying Pan, WAYS Reef Shell Drake and other
Point rocks near woosey's bath house al and Black
wells Rock, together with portions OF Halletts
Point and Scaly ROCK, the recommendation by some
OF the building OF sea walls on the Gridlron, Hogs
Back and on the Bread and Cheese, and the erec-
sn q 1aen stone beacon io on ayanasTs Reef
be added one upon Ryander's Reef and
another along the seventeen feet curve OF the
'Great Nip on the side Of the middle channel.
The reefs In the middle OF the pass, Flood Rock Ne
gro Head the Gridlron and Great and Little MN
rocks, have been little noticed in any scheme OF i'm
provement, notwithstanding they form
THE GREAT OBSTACLE
to the pass OF He'll Gate being converted into high
way for commerce. The middle is narrow and Is rem.
dered dangerous by the projection OF Negro ,iead
into IT. iower outlet he then recommended the re-
die channel 10 about $40 feet. Estimates for three
different projects were submitted with the report.
In october, 1851, the merchants OF New YORK pc.
titioped Congress to make a suitable appropriation
for the removal OF these distractions. and they set
forth the following reasons why such appropri
should be made-
FsrsTbat the actual annual loss the of the
country By the obsructions amounted to between Sl5oOo
scoed-hsi the loss occurred during the years when
would Increase in the same ratio as the trade and
prosperity OF the country and the number Of vessels exposed
ya,d-ihe Of tn. obs,ructions besIdes saving
vessels from Eastern States Canadian foreign
rcs to svs Of hs waters Of me
Teaa A an appeal to false These obsruc
lions can feHovcu prttoners DcHeVo NJ an
lay not at propooned the amount which would be
saved TO the commercial and other interests OF the country
In It's winter session OF lS67-6s Congress appro-
priated SS5, 000 In addition 10 former appropria-
ton OF S2O000 paid 10 Maillefot about three years
before, and advertised to let me wor1 by contract
10 the lowest bidder. Mr. ]. SheiDourne received
the contract, and began
ACTIVE OPERATIONS
on the 14th OF January, 1865 After many unsuc- |
cessful efforts, IN which he employed diver and |
steam drill ana tried u fasten the vessel on Hogs
Back Rock ne gave up the undertaking. He was |
accompanied on each trial by HERALD reporter. |