The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-29

| moval TO the onending party.
| THE CHARTER OF 1870,
| which creates the Board OF Dock Commission
| ers curtails very largely the powers originally
vested IN the Pilot Commissioners, and has given
| the two Boards with regard to harbor encroach-
ments The Pilot Commissioners are strenuous in
their opposition TO any change OF the bulkhead and
| pier lines as originally laid down by the Harbor
commissioners, under tine recommendation OF the
Davis, as above mentioned. The Dock Commas
sioners, on the otner hand, think it
water TO the extent OF 125 feet on the East River
and 1875 feet on the North River sIde Doubtless the
into consideration, and to determine fnaiy whether
the HarDor COMMISSIONER exterior line OF 1857
shall be allowed TO remain, or whether the Deck
| decrease the area or the harb0r ITSELF
Another u encroacamenI upon the narbor Of New
last year Qs7ll to private parties
| RIPARIAN OWNERS IN BROOKLYN,
| 70 engthen piers In the vicinity OF Fulton street
| about one hundred and fity feet on the Brooklyn
side at point where the river Is scarcely more
has been That the velocity OF the current largely
increased to such degree, IN TACT, that vessel
cannot be locked IN that part of the river ex-
cept at slack water. Every effort made to pre-
vent this encroacnment but without avail. After
| the Governor for his signature, remonstrance
| against It's approval was presented by the Pilot
Objections at length. Their reasons may be
briefly given thus:-FIst The bill author:
ns ana most 81 part Of
| East River, one hundred and niIy feet beyond the
unity, and, to great extent, the usefulness Of an
exterior line for harbor. Tnird-Any narrowing
IN an Increase of the Current to the damage Of
navigation. Fourtn-lt establishes precedent or
advantage resulting in mighty injurious advance
ment OF the exterior line. Fifth-To counter-bal-
advantage to private owners OF wharf property IN
narrow portion Of the rivers for, longer piers are
required by the public interests there are points on
law, as 1t now stands, allows the erection OF piers
Of the requisite length And finally, they urged the
the established pier hines, OF so much importance to
the harbor, and fixed and determined by eminent
State, may not be violated" The opinions OF emil.
nent engineers were also obtained with regard TO the
| proposed extension, and all OF them.
| CORROBORATED THE PROTEST
OF the Pilot Commissioners and argued against the
the Superintendent OF the United States Coast Sur
! yey, General Newton; Professor Mitchell, Cniei OF
| and General Humphreys CHIEF United States Engi-
neers The Efforts OF The commissioners were fruit
effect OF l6e encroachment may be observed by any
one who Will trouble himself to get on board q Fu.
the extraordinary Gyranons and struggles OF the
craft in her efforts TO dart across the contracted
| stream and get into her Slip
Great injury Is done also by The dumping OF
ASHES AND CINDERS
into the harbor from the decks OF passing steamers
fhe need for continued vigilance, ana, possibly,
OF more stringent legislation In this regard, Is Illus
| trated by the following 1acts:-
General Newton, after blasting Diamond Reef,
| mad the debris removed BY dredging. With this
debris were several tons OF ballast, which had been
thrown there by bailastmen from their lighters.
| The Pilot commissioners, deslrous Of knowing the
| changes going on in the harbor from the deposits
perntendent Of the United States Coast Survey, for
| an examination. The result showed that large
quantities OF cinders clnkers and coal ashes mad
been deposited IN the harbor and snoal OF Cover.
| nOr's Island had been diminished In
DEPTH OF WATER
q
posts in the harbOr dev0lves on the Pilot Commits
sioners but the Legislature has neglected to place
any funds at their disposal for the execution OF the
law The bill introduced into the House OF Assem-
bly, a few days ago by HON Mr. Berri. OF BROOKLYN,
Will, 1t is hoped, prevent further damage TO the
narbor In this regard.
1t Will be obvious to the most inexperienced
person that foot OF encrOachment that Is made
upon the East River must correspondIngly increase
the
DANGERS AND DIFFICULTIES
OF docking vessels. But for the current vessels
could haul out Of and into their docks at all stages
OF the tide. The length OF time during which YES
sells have to walt has been considerably increased
since the city OF New York (and Brooklyn along
with IT. was first pushed out into the water. AZ
present there three hours out Of every twelve
when vessels cannot haul in and out Of the docks
owing to the rapdity OF the cerient, an increase OF
velocity which makes the vessel unmanageabe, and
Is due entirely to the contraction Of the space
through winch the water flows. Especially Is this
the case In the East River, where even the ferry
boats, propelled by steam, are obliged 10 zig-zig
themselves across the stream IN most extraor-
| binary manner ON the Brooklyn side the encroacn.
ments upon the already too narrow East River have
been equally great with those on the Manhattan
| SIDE The influence OF the Entertainments on the
| Hudson River side Is found in a dimlnution OF
| THE TIDAL FLOW
| as far up as Newburg, and consequent diminution
OF tlle "back water TO Albany, one result OF which
is observed in the growing shoals which threaten
soon to make the Upper Hudson unnavigable except
But II is only from acts OF our own citizens
and owing not solely to the enactments OF our own
Legislature that we have suffered from encr0ac h.
| ments on our harbor. The Legislature Of New Jer-
| sey has frequently interfered
TO OUR DETRIMENT
in this regard. Last year bill was introduced into
that body which actually proposed to take over four
depth OF ten feet. from the ospacty Of the harbor
This was defeated by The exerliOns OF Mr.. Niles, of
| Morris county, who maniuly exposed the attempted
wrong, but Tears entertained that 1t may yet be
legalized The great encroachment into the harb0r
| by The New Jersey Central Railroad. amounting to
over five million square feet OF surface, Is an accom-
plshed fact This diminisnes the tidal flow
cubic feet. One cubic foot is nearly eight
pounds in weight. This amounts to 100 600 900 gal.
Ions OF Tor 12sO. 100000 pounds Of power, dis
placed at every tide the securing effect OF which Is
New York mas, unquestionably, the finest harbor Of
While lit the vessels Of the nation might anchor IN
It, yet the approaches to the PIERS where ships load
and unload, are OF limited capacity; 80 that 1t Is
easy to see why
THE GREATEST CARE
should be taken to preserve, as much as possible,
saey dsurbed Tse nes that an exaenson Of ts he
piers beyond the original line marked out BY the
Harbor Commissioners will afford greater facilities
for dockage Is q futile one. Bad as our piers are,
they are still sufficient, 50 far wharfage area IS
concerned. for the needs OF our commerce, II that
commerce Is itself to be made the criterion by which
we Judge. The extent OF accommodation Is abund-
ant Within less than three miles Of the Battery
there are
OVER TWO HUNDRED ACRES
OF dock room, more by thirty tnan the entire
OF the boosted docks OF Liverpool; and vessels
can go and come, as they cannot at Liverpool: for
In the case OF the latter there Is no available shore
line, and enclosed docks, or "wet docks" as they
the tide rises and falls there as likewise at London
from twenty TO thirty-sx feet. while in New YORK
the average rise and fall but four and half feet,
with plenty OF water at every stage. While all other
cities require everything that engineering skill can
ueVise III order that ships may load and unload at
al New YORK possesses q water front OF unparal-
Ieied extent but slightly disturbed by the tide and
where the depth OF water all times sufficient