The New York herald., 1874-09-12


ssSs s:s as Ts'' sca s,ss ns g ss:, e: e. n
Se.s .sd va %a' :nsa!sF sas ana sp,"S ..s Sf
navns 60: any interest re- ,o1 one way q ee PtSe IN
5SsT.: % Sss s.s ;ss NJ. o 3,
s he channels nell up up the way they are 6os io,Ss
many years from now the river won alaoant %
when used to row down there In my young dlys.'
there was thirty ieet OF water. and nov n soue
scows again rhe Captain said :-"Even il they l8ye
the right to dump up ABOVE Spuyten Duyvll ols.h
is Wsshed much Of It, on the % Westcnester sho"es
ana the tide will wash much of II down below ana
It will become constant work by and By OF dIedg-
ing up in one place to dump in another, and 80
on" Thus much for the Captain.
/ THE FIsHERNENs LAMENT.
A man who has been fisherman Tor years in the
neighoorhood OF wnere now stands the Englewood
docks told the reporter that the practice OF throw
ing the dredglngs of the New YORK docks in the
river had driven almost all the flsn away. Year
by year the shad we're getting less, as well as
every otner KIND OF nsn tnat used 10 be found IN
amount OF damage TO the fishermen. "why,"
SAID he, .even the crabs can't stand 1t and are
getting scarcer every year, and the same car be
said even Of the little fish that get along shore
Tor bait Many OF the fish we do catch nowadays
the nasty stu1s that are dumped in the river, and
1t oitentimes tastes oily and bitter.'
At Fort Lee the reporter had a conversation
with Mr.. George Annett, VINO runs the little Jerry
George, together with his brother Robert and SIX
other family relatives, have lived ali their lives
here on the Fort Lee estate, and consequently
know a great deal about the changes that have
been gong on Tor years past on both sides OF the
river. Concerning the scow business they all had
pretty much the same story 10 tell They had
scows stop on Fort washington Point and then
turn about and proceed back to the city, showing
COnCluSiVeiY. LhOuCl they could teaCi1V
to the TACT, tnat they had dropped their loads
s,ndht on the piH spot. -, Ine % narm' one Of them lem
taken place In the channel near Fort Washington
Point, as they said in some places in the river
deep Yet they coDtended that the tides might
IN time geS at the stun dropped and wash 1t dow n
to shalower places and thence along down the pier
lines. Mr.. Robert Annett ascertained some time
ago that a number OF scows were dumping or
ing them of the consequence they prudently went
further up stream. The only evidence they or
any one else IN the neignoorhood had, so
had lately unOaded below the creek, was that they
saw them come up loaded. stop lora while and
circumstantiai, is quite strong enough TO prove
tnat the sc0ws have often unoaded below the
creek, contrary to law. Besides, the manner OF
Is dropped from the bottom of the boat, and, OF
Go an; rass " m o pao aSs
tor a certainty to tell whether the load had been
dropped or not.
1t became task with the reporter during his
Investigations to ascer tain who the tugs belonged
turned out to be impossible. He was given
the names OF several tugs which tow scows,
Of them ever stopped and Waited ic
scows to UNLOAD below the legal dumping ground
TINS did not amount to mucn. 1t seemed to he the
impression OF parties at EnglewOOd and Fort Lee
that the scows all belonged to the department OF
Docks and the reporter. therefore, yesterday
paid visit to The Dock Depar tment to see what
the Commissioners had to say about it. It may be
here mentioned, en- pdSsam. that, while at Pleas
ant valley, he learned that several scow loads Of
unloaded in the river opposite Fifty seventh
street, The contractor OF the work there being the
responsible party. Alter an admOnition from the
Department OF Docks the contractor sent his
scows where the law prescrDes he should; at least
violation OF the law. On calling az the Department
OF Docks the reporter met Commissioner Budd,
partment scows were allowed to dump even one
teot this side OF the legal limit on the HUDSON
River. There were three dumping grounds he
another near Sands Point, on the sound, and
the third north Of Spuyten Duyvil Creek. TO
prove tnat the department. tugs always went
to the right spot he cited the TACT tnat the
tugs :, they hired were pa. paid py the hour, ~
the journey up the river a shorter one than
to reach the legal dumping ground would.
tans ana other s empoyes valued their places too
well TO throw them up by the slightest DIS
obedience OF orders He said morsoyer 7n, that two
short OF the limits; yet one had done so only by
mistake. There were many lrlvate tug and scow
owners who did not hesitate, when they got .
chance, to dump short OF the limits.
A BLUNT CONFESSION
Pilot Commissioner Blunt on being called upon
and spoken to on the subject, said tnat they mad
not heard OF any scow dumping short OF the limits
and II he did he would have their owners indicted
AS to dumping at all IN the river, he was dead
against ir. He had last year attempted to have a
law passed in the Legislature giving The Pilot
Commissioners the same authority over the whole
river that they now possess as TO the point be ow
Spuyten Duyvl Creek, so that no dumping OF
garbage or cinders could be done In any par; OF
the river. The oil passed the Senate, ''Dut its
object was" added Mi. Blunt. defeated in the
lower House by the free use OF money"
THE CONCLUSION.
Thus much for the scows which are said to be
dumped where they ought not TO be on the Hud.
SOD. 1t would seem from all the statements OBJ
tanned on the subject that the practice mas not
been much in vogue OF late, but that some Of the
tug captains are often willing to take the risk of
dumping short" when they can do SO with little
chance OF detection.