The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-06
HELL GATE NAVIGATION.
WHAT ENGINEERS AND PILOTS SAY
anon IRIS DANGERS.


soundin9s- Explosions Eject mon tho
Tide ms Explained by the Nnvisators.
90 Among the He'll Gate navigators who
have expressed opinions about the effect Of the
explosion on the tide, none doubt that Gen.
NewtOn's admirably calculated plan Of blasting
the reef into fgagmen has been perfectly sue
cessful. The result however, at present, accord
ing to experienced pilots, Is, that navigation is
moro dangerous than formerly and that the
dangerous pass will be safe only when, not alone
the debris Of Halletts Reef but when Flood
Rock and Negro Head and Gridiron Reefs have
been removed. Operations to remove these
were begun last Monday. and the tunnels under
the Middle Reef that embraces tho above-nien-
toned rocks, are to be extended on all sides
until seven acres OF sterilization have been I'M
dermlned. Already the pumps have nearly
drained the excavation, and 1t will be ready for
Mr.. H. Boyle, the mining engineer, next week
Hallett's Point has been deserted by oil except
Mr.. William Preuss, the surveyor OF the ex-
ploded reef and his assistants, who are busy
sounding the depth Of water over tho crumbled
galleries, and making perfect map Of the sur
vey for the use Of the graphing company who
will romovo the de brs. This chart, II the wealth.
er should prove fair, will be finished IN about
fourteen days. AT point over the first gal-
lCry,' said Mr. Pfeuse, where we had six feet
Of water, we have thirteen and nine tentns
feet, and on the back OF Hilletts Reef,
have seven feet below mean low water. This
must be the point spoken Of by the Captain OF
portion OF the reef Is one hundred feet from the
shore. In sounding we use a pole thirty-eight
feet long, and In rounding the point IN radius
high water, deduct i've feet for low water and
at that distance there is at least depth Of
ings am able to make the following deduc-
tions OUTSIDE the shatt IN the slme radius
where MAS formerly the Golfer dam. there is
La a. A. Il val ipn a In
shore. At a radius ground the point 100 feet
distance, there Is - to Il feet; at rs feet
distance 10 to ., feet At 30 feet dist nee ~ to
- feet at 2n feet distance from 30 to ~ feet at
mean mi Joy waie , THIS is as far as my surveys
nothing but az uneven bed Of broken fragments
from the reef
10 form conception Of the terrible force
with which the current sweeps pass this Point
one mas only To look at the immense wooden
spar buoys that were yesterday, with the
strength Of t q nOod tide, continu lily pressed
beneath the surface These are the timer buoys ;
the outer one. with It's four thousand weight Of
granite anchor, mas, either from the .loping tor
nation OF the rock. or from the strength u the
current. been pushed $50 feet west OF ITS origi-
! position. ana eau he seen only at low tide.
abont tt. in my olinion," sad old Uncle Dan
Turtle. and know Hell Gate since 1896. You
just better believe there weren't any houses
around here ~ them days. save the two brick
houses In Fort stevens on Hallotts Point, anu
which stand there IA good as ever to-day. NJ
thing but country road. On Mill Rock they had
a oia 9loek Ike house with ten cannon planted
In IT,"
Ihen Uncle Dan smoothed his long white
beard with his horny hands, and chuck d. .
well, one day the boys were going TO cele-
br4te a Fourth Of July there. ana they took
along some barrels to make bOul es md then
the thing burned down and the cannon got
spilled. he first Terry across WAS a scow, owned
bV John DdrlOn. and its more than lftv ye rs
since he IN de his rips from foot OF Eighty-siNth
street. on the York side. hen me Abel simos
with horse boat. aud four OF I've years AZ er
Mt. BlackWell's little $ Gamer Pluto was put on.
crossing from Eighty-sixtn street. 1ndt was In
io'S' anu was TUE pHvt on heI' auu continued
10 be OLc Tor more than thirty years In all hat
time the ude WAS regular. and knew 1t pretty
well. since the tx ,losion, the wster Ia thrown
on the middle chauHel aud the Hood brings the
tide more ON the Loug Island side than II did.
aud then the eddies nave been taken out some"
Before the explosion Gen. Newton EXPRESSED
the opinion that after the uphs val OF rock the
loose fragments OF stone would take up moro
room than diu the solid rock. Like ali OF ais
calculations this one has proved TO he correct,
and tits only after the debris mas been removed
that the iull bencnt Of the work can be realized.
passed, the gaze since a boy said There nas
been no advantage since the explosion TO u,
but there Is a different set In the current. On
the cub tide. where there was sharp eddy west
OF Halletts Point. Is now broken tide. neither
an eddy nor 4 true tide. Instead OF taking a
sweep To the westward OF II iiletts Point, the
tide sets now directly on the GridfOn and Flood
Il ok. ihe explosion. and ureakng up Of the
rock at Hiilelts Point mas made great diner.
ence IN the swiitness OF the current AT Hal
let's Point, where the rock was blown W, TO
the opposite side where hogs BACK bristles out
OF the water, WAS tue smallest part Of Hen Gate.
hat has been made broader toy the eN losion,
and the water doesn't 40 through with the same
force. Formerly there WAS descent there OF
three I ct on the strength OF the uOud tide, and
| one could feel vessel sluk q IVA over II. ON
the nnOd u0c ndvigdtlon Is worse than 10 was,
because e liallett'- Point when sailiul vessel
struck the tide sue was struck OH ana set
toward HOGS Back, and thlt way gpt into safe
channel. Now the tide sets along on steep
Rock, falling ~ arouad Astoria SHORE. sup
pose there will be an Improvement when the
fragments are taken away, but l wouldn't 40
| over now, and wouldn't 90 over ANYWAY, before
/ have satisfied myself OY taking sOuudiug-.
Can't. Fish OF the Gamer CITY OF New
Bedford tells lpe there Is an Improvement
| tide. lie SAYS he eau put the bow Of his
steamer into the tide and porting her helm, turn
her snort around II now. Formerly, as soon as
the bow struck the tide n would sweep her Oh
full length before she could tun. Tn Is be-
cause now there is 4 broken tide that she can
pass through easily. All tue pilots have spoken
| 20 express themselves about the same way. II
Flood Rock, the Gudron, ana Negro Point,
| from Holiness Rock t. ards Island, were re-
moved, then nayiga Ion mast b" comple.e g. As
| IL Il. anu was, can take the biggest frigate
through, for II isn't a matter OF deptn Ol water.
but skill in running tue tides. There are no
longer boats III n the Bristol ana Providence,
and tney pass through twice day. 1 haven
found the tide tTuer; besides, the true tide Is
not near Hale,rs Point, but near Hogs Back.
The BODY of the .ide gOes.up the north channel,
passes toward HOGS Blch, aud then ~ Steep
ROCAs.'
Yesterday the uGe was stronger and nercer
than at any time since the explosion.
The Chamber II Commerce passcd resolutions
Yesterday cOnerat dating aud thanking Gen.
Newton upon tue signal success Of the measures
t.ken 10 remove the Hell Gate oJS ructiOns,
anu Mr. Low suggested, a proper recognition
Nf lhls mIracle OF engineering skill, that the
Legislature should ch tii2e ile name of that
lately dangerous channel To Newton's Pass.