The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-20
DIFFICULTIES and DANGERS OF SUBMARINE MINING.
A Grand Undertaking Promising
a Great Success.
EFFECT OF THE IMPROVEMENT
New York the Commercial
Metropolis.

LIS or trade In tho United States In these days Of
railroads and steamships, telegraphs and improved
laborsavng machinery, the city which offers superior
facilities for the export and import OF home and for
cgn produce and for tho general transaction OF
commercial business will attract her wharves that
much coveted prize trade II does not matter what
rank In the order Of merit may be disposed 10
confer any particular port by Of the beauty
and grandeur OF its surroundings, the simple requisites
OF deep water safe navigation and sheltered anchorage
viii In tho end determine the great points for the
inlet and outlet Of trade this continent. The ex-
pcnsve works necessary for protection Of exposed
ports on the Continent Of Europe such Chcrbourg,
and in the British Islands such Plymouth, Dun
dec and Dublin, have been erected because these
places possessed any merits seaports, but because
the political necessities OF the several nations do
mandcd the creation OF strategic naval strongholds,
wherein fleets might be assembled for tho defence of
the and the national dependent the
maintenance OF powerful naves II will be remarked
that although immense havc been expended
tho creation Of artificial hsrbors trade avoids these
places and tends to tho ports which nature has fitted
for its reception for In dealing with the necessities
Of commerce we can only improve on natural advan-
taRes We fail whom VIC attempt to initiate them. for
the forces which have combined to produce them
entirely beyond tho control Of man.
THE NEW YORK
has been formed by nature to BIO tho grand commercial
gateway the New World on the Atlantic coast None
others possess to anything like equal degree the ad
vantages In geographical position available space and
safety for shipping presented by our grand bays,
sheltered harbors and decp, navigablc rivers, so
that in the contest for supremacy with other Atlantic
ports New York commenced with cvery prospect OF
winning the rank which she has attained. But
tho efforts to attract trade to other places which have
been persstonty exortcd since the establishment Of
national Independence, have developed many new
conditions which the superior advantages pos
sessed by New York must be adapted in order to pre-
serve her supremacy. Geographical position is now
rendered almost secondary advantage by the appica
ton Of steam to transit land and water Cities
have sprung up the unpromising sites simply
because they easily reached by railroad lines aud
formed the most convenient termin for great systems
of transportation by which the produce Of tho in
terror Is brought down to the for shipment to
foreign lands Steam our inland lakes, rivers, and
canals has created points Of concentration for
commerce which largely govern the Importance OF the
points Of outlet Thus Chicago St. Louis and Cincn-
inland points, for the commerce OF which Bos
ton, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore are con-
testing by offering all the possible advantages which
the several great railroad and steamship lines terminal
ing at these cities create To show the influence OF
position tho law OF commercial attraction it
only necessary 70 point out the growth OF Hoboken
and Jersey City, from tho fact that both cities, al
though separated from New York by narrow strip OF
water, the termini Of several great railroads,
which penetrate to the centre Of tho continent and
bring to tho port New York tho largest share OF the
commerce of the interior. II tho breadth OF single
river thus affect the development of part of
common port differently frop another, how much
must a natural defect in the navigabe character OF
channel the want OF shelter In roadstcad
Of space harbor affect the port possessed OF either
one or more OF these disadvantages New York is
peculiarly circumstanced respect to her port Tho
latter has distinct entrances through tho lower
and upper hays and the other through Long Island
Sound The former open to the ocean, and at present
receives and gives exit to all trans-occanic trade,
lying along the coast OF the American continent that
reached by voyage TO the southwark of Montauk
Point, at the eastern extremity of Long Island Tho
latter outlet used principally by ships bound for the
New England coast and the British American ports
The risk TO shipping in crossing the bar at Sandy
Hook at neap greater than that attending
the entrance OF the upper East River from the Sound
and this latter would have been favorite inlet for
New York commerce were 1t not that dangerous OBJ.
and projecting lodges, which violent currents
and cddics in the He'll Gate passage during the ebb and
flow of the tides through that we'll known passage have
operated against Its selection.
rHK CURRENTS AND EpDns or HELL GATE
are entirely due to the obstruction TO the regular low
OF the tidal wave into tho Sound through the East
River presented by its narrow channel and the rocks,
lodges and islands In the vicinity OF He'll Gate. Tho
tidal arriving from tho southcastward the
Atlantic coast begins Ill the basin OF the broad
obstructed lower bay or New York and the upper bay
through the deep channel known rs the Narrows,
and through which All immense volume Of water flows
In very limited time a reservoir Is thus created
southwark from the Battery from whence How takes
place first slowly but with increasing velocity through
the East River into the Sound The full height OF tho
tide ut Governors Island Is attained moro than
dals Island Al the mouth OF the Harlem River, and
q difference oil level Is thus created which induces
violent rushing OF the water through tho East River.
In the meantime the tidal wavo has been sweeping
along the Long Island COAT, and at Monauk Point II
turns into the Long Island Sound, and flows rapidly
westward again toward the point north OF He'll Cato
where the greatest depression OF level exists Now
by the time this Sound tide wave reaches and fills the
basin between Fort Schuyler and the city OF New
YORK the tide at Governors Island has begun to cbb
so thnt reverse flow commences through the He'll
Gate passage from the reservoir represented by the
Sound into tho constantly increasing depression
New York Bay Hence the waters which enter the
Sound through He'll Gate cause rushing current
sns. % during ne o% o. no TIDE and The
the New York bay produce ono OF equal velocity
rnn PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTIONS
These are many and varied in character, from the
exposed isandshapcd Of rock, bare all stages
OF the tide TO the submerged cluster of jagged knife
like ridges that cause only moderate hurry OF the
water as u flows over them OF Black wells
Island must DO regarded ms great obstruction tho
central position between the river banks dividing
this space INTO two channels In front or Halletps
Point there are many dangerous rocks Among them
may DO named the Halets Point Recf the obstruction
which is about to DO removed by the great Hell Gate
works The effect OF tho distractions tho regular
flow Of the water Is 10 scour the bed Cf tho East River
clear OF all deposit leaving the button formed by solid
rock from which risc up the dangerous points that
may be noticed In many places along IFS Tho
continuation southwark and norshward Of Backwells
Island, IN tne form Of reels partly submerged, Illus
ratcs in some degree the general character or tho OBJ
tbo Ifoll (s0i
beng Of the same description. only that the roofs
more distributed over larger watcr area and consc-
quently complicate the channels between thcm 10
very marked degree II object 70 describe those
dangerous rocks IN this porilous channel IN detail be-
cause although they all may be considered parts Of
the same system, different plans arc necessary Tor
their removal
THE HALLETT POINT LED0R
This being deemed a considerable source OF danger
to passing vessels, the UnBed states government de-
termined its removal and nrusted tho work TO one
OF the most experienced officers Of the United states
Engineer corps, General John Newton. The ledge
occupies the foreshore Immediately In front OF old
Fort Stevens land projects ~ long, siopng shelving