The New York herald., 1873-12-18
HARBOR ENCROACHlGENTS.

The Evils Which Are Threatening New
York Bay-Navigation Dangerous for
Large Ships-Gradual Shoaiing of the
ChanneI-Thc Pilot of the Greece Not
mt Fauit-rhc Prosperity OF the City
Enda ngere6-What Is Going To BE
Done About Its
reporter OF the HERALD called upon Harbor
Commissioner Blunt yesterday in relation TO the
manner in which New York Harbor is being filed
up with all sorts OF refuse and filth, to the great
detrlment OF navigation and the ultimate perma-
nent injury or New York ITSELF
The grounding OF the steamship Greece, OF the
National line, In portion of the bay which here
toore has been deep enough for any class OF yes
sells, seems TO have awakened interest In this
subject and TO have at last brought the unthink-
ing pubic, who VIII ultimately be the sufferers, 10
some sort OF appreciation OF the Importance of
taking measures 10 put stop to the constant en-
croachments which are going on. ~
Mr.. Blunt, when the reporter walked into his
cce led the latter over to one corner where stood
tin can filled with mud and ashes. and in which
the ashes largely predominated. .'That can was
seut me by Mr.. Hurst. OF the National line said
Mr.. Blunt ''as q specimen OF the bottom on which
the Greece went ashore, and you may observe that
IL is almost exclusively composed OF ashes. 1t is.
III erefore the direct result OF the in which
steamers dump their ashes into the waters Of the
bay that the Greece went aground"
Mr.. Blunt then pulled out map which he stated
had been expressly prepared by the United States
Coast survey, to show the difference in the
depth OF the harbor at the last soundngs and now.
"This map" said Mr.. Blunt, 'is accurate in
every respect, and goes to show how shamefully
our naroor is being abused. Here" he said, put
ting his finger on portion OF the map near Bed.
lnass IsIp SIC No yhnra tha Craa
grounded You VIII observe that in some portions
il has actually shoaled % feet-that is to say, at
the last soundings this portion OF the bay was %
feet deeper than IL is now. Look all around here
aud see where shoalings are making annually from
three TO % ieet. This spot is directly in what is
known as the channel. The pilot was quite right
in supposlng the water was deep enough to float
the snip. If THIS thing goes on Ave years longer
tcally useless for large vessels and III
10 years Tor small ones. And when
and the value OF our real estateS 1t Is question
which the people do not appreciate, but lew more
accidents such as this ol the Greece VIII wake our
done.r
Mr. Blunt then went on to say that the conduct
or the pilot OF the Greece had been investigated,
and both the manager OF the line and the captain
had absolved him rom all blame. "When he lett
the dock" continued Mr. Blunt, ut was clear, but
when ne got into the stream the fog began to get
dense, and he told the captain just as soon as he
could get sea room 10 SWING round he would come
anchor several times, but there was always some
craft in the way until he ran ashore on the ashes
on Bedoe's g Island 3 IN view o. these iacts ne was
many years and TINS is the first charge against
him.n
But, to return TO the subject 1t seems as
If everybody were perfectly Indifferent on this
matter. Tue Police commissioners, who ought to
bs the first to obey the law, we caugh dumping
5000 loads Of city filth into the bay, from Govern
or's Island to Bay iidge. The Commissioner OF
Docks dumped three loads and, indeed, all people
no la ttf.iaat
We have now suits against over so owners OF
steamers for dumping ashes into the bay Tug
boats particularly offend In this dlrectlon and the
men on them Swear TO more lies than any class OF
men ever came across. one OF them came 10 me
the other dag and saId that he had dumped the
ashes, but his owner had told hlm TO swear that he
hadn't. You may guess then that with sucn people
as these and very imperfect law we cannot do
much.n
on the subject ~ asked the reporter.
'.well, you know" said Commissioner Blunt,
s'now there is penalty OF $50 against those who
dump any ashes IN the harbor. But we want
some thing more stringent. LOOK at the dock OF
the New Jersey Central Railroad. II stops the ebo
tide from securing out the filth that is in the
stream, and IL accumulateS up against the piers OF
the company and fills up the bay. Senator Freling-
huysen Is the counsel and one Of the stockholders
in this road, and the consequence is when my bill
TO prevent harbor instructions came up in The
Senate he had 1t taken taken before the judiciary
ever since. would wish to know II it is right Tor
United States Senator to help his private ven-
not merely this harDor, but all harbors in the
United states. This morning l learn that the
Lighthouse Board has ordered all the big buoys in
the bay 10 be taken up ior the winter. This Is
ridiculous for there is as much danger in winter
as there Is in summer. remonstrance has been
signed however, by the pilots, underwriters and
snipowners against any such measures. 1t Is
better a few huoys should be carried away by ice
than that vessels should be lost The remonstrance
is TO be forwarded TO Congressman Cox, In Wash
lngton, VINO has also got BILL which he will IN
troduce, concerning the harbor encroachments.
another matter should refer TO, and that Is the
constant encroacnments made upon the river
from the land. At present there are three hours
out OF every twelve when vessels cannot haul IN
and out OF the docks, owing TO the rapdity OF the
current, an increase OF velocity which makes
vessel unmanageable, and which is due entirely to
the contraction OF the space through which the
water nows on the Brooklyn side OF the East
River the encroachments have been equally as
great as on our own side. But in all this some
thing, hope, VIII be done to remedy the evils
which threaten our harbor and our city. II we had
more power we should know better how to put q
stop to this eternal subject OF complaint"