The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-05
Is HELL GATE IMPROVED !
vHdT THE SOUND CAPTAINS HAVE
TO SAXON THE SURJECr.


s.iy seven Feet OF water on the Reef at
Low Tide Navigation More Dangerous
than BEFORE the BIast-Tbc Removal OF
the Fragments Of Rock Necessity
"There Is portion of rock with only
sevon feet Of water over II, at low ude' INSIDE
The outer buoy at Hell Gate" said Capt. John
Downs OF the New Haven steamer Elm City yes
tsrday. The nrst pilot went up to-day and
law them taking soundnss, and he told me that
the sounding pole showed seven feet at GER
tain spot. II isn't safe for any boat to 60 inside
the buoy al low water. I haven't passed the
Gate often enough to say much about the tide,
though notice that the current Is swifter and
sets on Flood Rock In u true tide without any
sddies. II has been food tide when have
passed, and 1 notice no difference. though
think there will he an Improvement when all
The stones have been removed"
To further ascertain the effect OF the explo-
zion at He'll Gate as viewed by the captains and
pilots OF the large sound steamers. SUN re-
porter visited the pilot house of the steamer
stoninston. whe.c First Pilot q. c. Citizen Was
found. " rhey have archore buoys twenty-five
feet further out shan tho end of the old reef
SAID be-. "and having pas outside of them, II
IA worse for us now than beforo the explosion.
A; present the udc &c just as disduyanla-eoUs
a. ever; especially on tho ebb. going up, IT
NJ Kes a very short turn. After the fragments
OF the reef have been removed, believe IL VIII
Kfvc more room. In going up with q strong cbb
tide we hucged Flood Rock, and the TIDE took
us la a grad al sweep passing the point at dis-
lance OF fifty feet Now we have % g1 80 ieot
further out. Coming 20 New rk with the e0b
hde. we used to steer for Flood Rock, and the
ude would sweep us ~ down the channel. We
dare not do that now. With the strength OF the
sbb tide. as II Ia now, we tnke the channel
F4aN. "a. Il.
Ing from New YORK. we set along much better,
because we have more room to turn in. From
the east. with the strength OF food tide, we
take the channai around Biz Mill Rock. From
the same direction, Win the eob ;ide, we have
piways turned the point. Now We h We no rO0 IN
TO turn, andSpust 20 around BIZ Mill Rock
Al the Norwich Line. PIER 40. North River.
Capt. ". ID. Ward wa tound ON the steamer
City II Boston. he uOod tide sets closer TO
che point, Wi n not So many edd es o the upper
side" said the Captain, ".nd ifs the same On
the Flood Rock -lde. rnt explosi II has, now
ever made the tide trner. o. ihe chb tide II
sets more directly ou Flood r. than before,
but Ht present tnete u = teen ~ advantage Tor
us. Tue outer buoy seems To me 30 be litue
out Of the way ini- uiurhiu2 slw tue stelul-
or CITY OF Nurwich pass,g lntiuc, ne outer
buoy, and neir the point wlth the od tide.
When they get ROO h',k a'd tne other small
er reefs on. of tns way. tnen oniN VIII 'Visa-
ttOu bs liu prayed.
Cip,. B 90. - mons the veteran commander
OF the steamer ftoNl ehce, OF tue ran hNsr
ine. sti.: rne @ .tc Is worse titan u ever WAS
We have oeen golns around FLOOD Rock ali ne
time since the cXpiusiur. The tide II sacker
than it WAS uefurv. Out n has ueen strai- ened
around N Leu Point some. Il they u!d
clean ~ the RIVER around tue Point II would De
OF some advantage. uut DONE ser auy sian vi
u yef. For more III u tnlfty years 1 Lave been
taking my boats over the reel Wntr- the outer
buoy Is, Dut now | must 10 around ihs MAI
ROch ana tnat is an .Ctual dis dy ntIgt. IL
makes ue ueu u near people sreak # the
reef a II IL VS. blown SKY hlsn. lhey must
take the rock out now. II tners l. w.ter We
want 1t. AT present IL Is yer, uinlCult on the
ebb-iide. 70 turn around the b"oys, aud tnats
the end OF It,"
Capt. ". >. Young, OF the propellor Electra OF
the Providence ANA New YORK Steamship Com
pany, SAID ,esterd y haven't ueen through
enough 20 know and then only at nat iidcs. l
hud th,t the tide ~ true, and mat the large ed.
dies have disappeared. As the uu"ys ARE placed
now there l. nu .dvantIge to us Dut Nheh tney
clear out the stones aud take away iloVu hyck
navigation will he better. aud not IA. them
Otner well known sound Captains uud pilots
concuIred IN the Ouint, n mat unle-s the cenils
OF tine explosion IA removed from The river bed
outside Halietts Keel nO practlca adNant-g -ge
will be derived; and tAls, together with the re-
movai OF Flood Rock. the Negro II ads, aud
GuGiron Reef viii alone maze navigation clear
AUD safe iOf tue larger sound stesmeEs.