The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-30
VINO TIE UIRHOR.
Strong Indictment Drawn Against the Men
who should Protect II.


A case has been brought to the notice OF
TnF SuN which enables 1t to throw some light
upon the manner In which the New York Pilot
Commissioners attend to the duty Of prevent
ing injury to the harbor by dumping refuse ma
tefial therein. Until May, 1876, when the exist
ing act on the subject was passed by the Legls-
lature. the law authorized the imposition OF
fire Of 81 per cubic yard for rubbish thrown into
the harbor below Spuytcn Duyvil creek, the
amount to be sued for and recovered by the
Pilot Commissioners. further nue Of s. per
cubic yard was to be imposed for the removal Of
all matter dredged from the harbor unless IL
was dumped above nigh water mark. One-half
the amount OF the Hnc last nam ed was to belong
to the Pilot Commissioners.
For several years past, down to last spring, II
was well known that the dredging scows were
dumping In the North river from Fort Washing
ton Point to Yonkers The result was to mate
rally lessen the depths OF water. Where the
charts had Indicated seventeen feet, vessel
grounded In less than twelve feet. There could
be seen above water In the path OF the river
steamers a few months ago the end Of a log that
was firmly embedded In this mud of the dump.
Along the shore under the Palisades, In places
| where few years ago small boat could be
rOwed up close to the bank at low water. now II
grounds two hundred feet of. At Fort Lee,
Englewood, and adjoining places. there Is great
! inconvenience from the shoals that have formed
at the steamboat landings.
Nearly three years ago John II. Dloomor, who
| owns the property at one of the Engewood
landings, called the attention OF Pilot Commis-
soner Blunt to these facts, and offered to pro-
cure enough evidence for the Commissioners to
fasten the guilt on the offenders. Commissioner
Blunt referred him to Mr.. Blunt, Jr., his lawyer,
who, after some porley. wrote the following
letter;
NEW YORK. April IS. 1874.
DEAR sir. Lei me know as soon "a possible the
Of the !pg 9TH s sSSS thu, s12sa In the
: -" "''A' e''0 ''''' Wv u :" GEoRoE W BLUNT
MIR. Bloomer, who had already been preparIn d
| such evidence from the lst ~ December ureced-
| ing continued to do SO down to Aug. L. 1870 lie
| kept u careful record OF the number OF scow
| loads brought by every tug between Fort wash
ington Point and Yonkers, with its name and
owner when nscertanable, and The date and
n94r oil dHmplns me new i0r bdn pba ,O
| Manhattan to dump 3sS scow 10 DIS; the Louis
1i7; the Alert, LIZ. Ofthe Cornell line the Gen.
- the Ceres, 8: and the Georro ". Pratt,
load, Of the mud dredgod nj Weehawken "a
accommodate the boats Of the Delaware and
Hudson Canal Company; The A. i. Morri'
brought 2Ss: the stephen Decatur 3lS; the Is
ther Pitt, IL; and tue Williams, sscows for the
mud digging contractors IN New York, Brook
Ign, and Jersey CITY Other tugs contributed as
follows: The Rondout, - Belle, =; ID. A
Hoyey,5 William Kemp. Is; Gratitude. 8; Idt
l.. Tebo. y ; Adratic. 81 Sinds,b; keba, Rein
deer.2 There were lS2 tow loads, the names ol
whose tugs we're not secured.
This unple asant record OF 1.Qii violations q
the law was placed Ia the bands of PHO. Com
missioner Blunt from time to time by Mr.
do with them7 Did he bring them to the btten
ton VI the board or did he leave the recorI
with Counsellor Blunt, 50 that that gentleman
TO use his own language, could " make roo'
cases out ity" Whatever Pilot COMMISSIONS
Blunt did. It was inefiicacious TO stop tue dump
iue. 1t went on until this spring. 1t stopped
then only because the residents determined q
bear II no longer. anu procured the PASSAGE OF
more stringent law, May ~ 1876. Under this tn
authority to act Is not confined to the PHO
Comm ssiOners. The authorities on any OF Tn
counties can arrest offenders without war;, ni
and e Gu misdemeanOr Is punish able with IN
prlsonment for sixty days or slvO 1nc, ana tn
master and contractor are made JOINTLY liable {
nne Of t1DO An additional penalty OF $50 ca
he sued for aud recovered As soon as tn
bumpers learned that the residents were mo,
lug In ALBANY, they began TO dump ostenslbl
outside OF the hsrbor, but really oftener insid
than out.
These 1000 scows must have carried grea
many cubic yards OF mud and other refuse, an
even at ~ cubic yard. tue lesser penalty,
would seem that very handsome sum mas bee
sioners' failure to do their GUY when II wa
pointed out To them by one Of the citizens VIII
were iniu ed by that failure. hut the loss OF tn
money Is tritiing compared with the great injur
wrought to navigation. TO those concerned !
Hudson river trahspQriaion. and 10 the owner
Of property along shore up TO spuytcn Duyv
? creek.
The Pilot Commissioners cannot set up I'll
reInOteness OF the locality as All excuse for the
, defehciion. Nihin ia period OF time covere
10y this record they raidcd on the shad poles
! the poor fishermen In this very region betwee
. Yonksrs and Fort Washington; and certain
, shad poles are a lees seri )us obstruction tina
solid mud.
It's not surprising, in view % this record
+, neglected duts, to hsar that those engaged
! | dumping siiil disregard the law with impuui
, | and only make a show OF dImping outside Il
| harbor. There Is little doubt tnat there are ST
| plenty VI opportunities 60 " make good cases.