The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-30
H ELL GATE.
When win the Work of Improve
ment Be Resumed?
No New Appropriation Present STATE Of The
Work and What Remains To Be Done-sur.
face Blasting and Rock Drilling-what
General Newton Says About It.

In each succeeding year since the national
government practically commenced the removal
OF the formidable rocky reefs which bar the
northern approach TO our noble harbor at He'll
Gate the work has been hampered by insufncency
OF funds the disposal OF the oicer in charge for
the proper, efficient and economical prosecution
OF the work. Year after year appropriations
have been made; the drilling and blasting
have progressed with commendable energy, and
then recurs the refrain, mo more noney.'A
Then come the dischargtng Of the men,
the usual appealing to Congress. and another APP
preparation Ii made more capable OF complete
ng the great and necessary work than tho ono
made before 1t. And SO this tinkering goes on
year after year, little OF practical value 10 done
and the great city remains without an improve
ment which should nave been completed years ag0.
ana which there Is no excuse for abandoning ~
present. And yet the works remain deserted, the
expense OF beginning again will be CONSIDERABLE
the machinery, drills, &c, are rnstng and rotA
ting in their present positions andhf plenty Of
time is given they will be almost useless when the
work goes on once more.
THE MANY EXPERIMENTS TRIED.
For many years various experiments have been
tried as to the best means OF removing the opnox-
tous rocks in the channel OF He'll Gaze, and tho
essays OF French professor were not the least
useful OF these Yet the works which have been
put by the government since 1868 under tho
supervision Of General John Newton, OF tho
United State Engineers, are probably the only
ones which could ever result In any satisfactory
degree of success. The plan is q practical one Of
sinking q shaft from which tunnels divergc under
the bed OF the river, and under the very rocks
which are so dangerous at present and which, to
some extent, cause that current which the good
Diedrich KnicKerbocker fearfully describes In his
"History OF New York." and which so scared the
original Dutchman who went on voyage OF dis
cOvery up the Sound !.
1t is almost unnecessary here to 60 over the fact
perity Of the city. 1t is generally believed indeed,
that its completion will be the signal Of rev0lu.;
ton in the business Of the island. Instead or
being covered by dwellings,, the upper end OF the
rhe river shores will be crowded with the ware
houses and stOrenouses which are now cOnnned to-
the lower portion OF the city and Brooklyn. ~
IS probable that the trade with Europe will be-
done through Hell Gate instead OF by way OF
Sandy Hook, and all the more 80 because the rail-
roads will bring the products OF the West directly
to the wharves OF the European steamships indeed
the value OF the He'll Gate Improvement Is too evil
dent need any argument to prove its usefulness
1t Is paramount necessity here; and yet, In spite
OF this generally recognized fact, each year sees q
delay which Is as harmful to the interests OF the
city as 1t Is wasteful Of the public money
has employed two methods for removing the rocks
whicd crowd the channel-that OF tunneiling undet
the bed Of the and that OF drilling the rocks
from above and using the method known IS sur
with last year. and good progress was made under
18th plans During the year the works at Hal
lett's Point were confined to the driving forwar0
OF the tunnels and galleries at that work.
Up to June, 1873, the following
LENGTH OF THE VARIOUS TUNNELS
and galleries had been acc0mphshed:-