The sun., 1873-12-18
The Pcrila of the Hnrbor.

| The Pcriis of the Horbor.
The attention of the community has al
ready been called to the extraordinary en-
croachments on the New Jersey side of the
| Hudson river. An Interference with the
water rights and advantages hitherto en-
joyed by New York is going on there in
| favor of certain New Jersey corporations,
to an extcnt that may soon result in serious
and permanent damage to the commerce
Of this city.
The injury resulting from the extensive
| enoroachmcuts on the western boundary
and the filing of the river bod will be
| felt not only directly in the lesscning
| OF the water area and in impcdimcnts
| TO navigation; hut indirectly 10 will pro-
| duce u contraction of the main ship chan
nes i'm the bay and n dminuton i'm the
securing power of retreating tides which
will he no lees injurious. II also ap-
| pears from decisions of our State and
| Federal courts, and the opinions OF
| eminent iursts, that where enCroaChlnCnts
| on II great water highway are of such n
nature us TO interfere with or diminish the
| common right of easement and free pas
| sage. or whore the direct injury is made
| evident, the reserved powers of the United
| states are superior 10 any state action;
| aud that the Federal courts can remove
| such distractions as nusanccs AT the in
| stance Of the injured state.
In addition to what we have already
! published, We now add the statements and
/ opinion of well-known engineer Just re-
! ceived I'm answer 10 our inquiries;
"srR lnrcply TO your queries In the matterof
Ia .f.
/ rated.
nineteen years commenting In lSi4l am ot the
conviction that unless remedial measures are
forthwith Instituted, the nav CATION Of both the
h"Ib"r ahd hoN' ana the dcpth OF water IN INC
main ship channel and over the bar at Sandy
Hook viii he very materially aud injurluusly al
! iccicd 10y Tue reduction ol the tdal area coilse-
! qucut uTuu the extension of riparian lines the
/ solid nlng II piers beyond them, the deposit OF
coal ashes from steamer and steamboats, within
| the hsrh' aud bay. the deposit of silt removed
| 10y dredging from within the area OF the piers oi
] the city in the bay, ana the wash of earth and
sand from the surface ~ the streets and suburb
AN roads of this and al Joining cities and towns.
/ For tine detaucd result ot my obserNdtions,and
/ for n further expression OF my views upon this
| subject, So pregnant with interest to the cont
| incrcial supremacy Of this city, refer You to
/ the accom- panNiug copy - n report OF niinc to
/ the Bourd ot Marine Underwriters aud Common
/ council of ths city.
" Rc-j ccttnlly, CuAs. II. HAsvEtL.
! "NEN ohK, Dec. IL
The report TO which Mr. HAswIII refers
| illustrates the alarming deposit of silt in
our harbor. Aud in regard to encroach-
ment. made Ne long ago rs 1857 lac says
"Undcr the direction of Mr.. WALTER roNrs.
/ late President If the Board Of Underwriters,
! At once proceeded to make such observations as
| thought best calculated to furnish the essen
| tial elements ia thc case restricting myself tn
/ tho subject Of deposits ia our harhor The en-
! croaohmCut upun the boundaries thereof. Ivy
| ihe extension OF hulhhcads aud picrs, and the
/ INJURIOUS ELECTS therefrom, did not propose to
consider for the two-fold fact. that the ncCcssi-
/ ~ OF RESTRAINING thesc ehcroachments bad he
come so manifest to the public. that not only
/ hai the attention of our Legislature been called
! 70 the subject but that II was then receiving
! The consideration ui committee appointed for
| me purpose, OF inycsticatine aud reporting
/ such eucruachmcnt was 40 simiarto that whi IA
propos.d To- investigate, yiz.; the reduction
! ~ the udh volume oi our harbor, that the de-
| ductiuns in ono case would be equally applica-
| BILE to the other
! If the attention of our Legislature was
called TO the subject Of these cncroach-
mcuts sixteen years ago, why have they
been so negligent OF their duty1
Tl,CueAt extract from t..r. UAswrtt's
! report needs no comment from us. Re
member, these words were written sixteen
years ago:
In Illustration of the effect, Of reduction
! hy tht tucroicutncut- uuou our rlN, ls, ana the
| deposit therein, OF the quantity ot water which
! flowed into our harbar, the Hood tide through
the East river and Hcll Gate once lowing to
! sand : Point, is now arrested at Fort schuyler
! the width of thc ship channel inside OF the bar
! bad narrowed i'm lSli half a mile since the sur
| yeV Of l,G hy a report II \. BosCHKE, Of the
| United states Coast Survey, made hy Prof, a. II.
HAcgE, the surerinten4sn. tRepQif, IT. appeers
:. ". spit 10 GcLucys Channel there mas been
IN actual dePo't5 i5o in twenty years Of yol9,me
report Of the liarbpr Commits toners made To-
tue Legislature 81 M stat II appears that the
This -, In my opinion, an alarming eNhibi-
/ tiOn, and one involving considerations demand
ing the immediate attention of all who feel in
tcreotcd lh thc tumWtrclM interests ul thls
Cty for without remedial action the width Of
the channel and depth Of water GA our har Will
become 80 reduced as to preclude the admissl, u
Of vessels Of the largest SIC into our htrhor."
II the sitting up of the Jersey flats il
lsj1 was so alarming as To "dcmand the
immediate attention of all interested in
the commercial interests of the city,
what shall we ray about the deliberate
nnue up Of double the area which at that
time Mr.. HAswELL feared would be siltod
up?
In Wow of thcge facts we call upon tho
mcmhcrs of the Legislature of this state
10 give their immediate attention to this
matter. We call upon the Governor Of
this state, as general supervisor and con-
,crvutor of its Interests, to bring this sub
jcct before the Legislature in his message.
We call upon the Attorncy-Genoral of this
state, as the legal functionary acting in
its behalf, 10 take immediate steps for the
abatement Of these nuisancos, and 10 en-
join the threatened injurious encroach-
ments on our harbor.
A Reform that is Much Needed.
1t is believed that the city charter
will be again ovcrhauled and amend