Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-09-27
History of the Work at Hell Gate

The greatest difficulties and dangers of nayi.
CATION between New York Harbor and Long
Island Sound are found in the narrow channel
known as He'll Gate, running between Wards
Island and Hallett's Point, in the East River.
From Hallett's Point reef runs out into the
channel for some three hundred feet, throwing
the tide from Long Island Sound against an
opposing rock called the Grdiron thus making the
navigation very difficult. In lS4S Lieuts Davis
and Porter of the United States Navy made an
examination Of this channel, and in very full
report made to the Government recommended
that Pot Rock, Frying Pan Rock, and Ways
Reef be removed by blasting, and also recon.
mended the Improvement Of the middle channel
by the same means. AT that time the art of blast
ing under water was in its infancy, the only
process in vogue being that adopted by Mr.. Maille-
fert. His plan was to place can of powder
against the side surface of the rock, and to ex
plode it by means of galvanc battery, depending
upon the reaction produced by the inertia of the
water to produce sufficient force to rend the rock
In the years 1851 and 1852 Pot Rock, the FRYING
Pan and Ways Reef, were very considerably
reduced by this process. From Aug. 10, 1851.
when the first blast was fred, to March Is, 1852.
Sot ShofkCc, Nouthiuluk Otkol pounds oil powder.
were exploded upon Pot Rock, removing about
ten feet of its depth. On Frying Pan and WAYS
Reef, 240 charges, containing about twenty EIGHT
thousand pounds, were exploded. This is all that
was done in this direction until the summer Of
1866, when Brevet Major Gen. John Newton was
assigned by the War Department to the duty of
examining the distractions in the East River and
making estimates of the work necessary to be
done He submitted three plans, each Of which
included the removal Of the rock at Hallett's
FONT In the spring of 1869 Congress appro.
pnated $4,000 for improvements at He'll Gate
ana lien. Newton proceeded to complete his plans
Tor the performance Of the work. For operating
on rock In mid-channel a steam-drilling cupols
| scow was constructed 1t had a well hole 10 il
thirty-two feet in diameter throu Oh which twenty
| one drills could be worked. This scow was 6rst
used on Diamond Reef in the same year Holes
were drilled IN the rock and charged with nitro.
glycerlne, which was found to be most efficient.
In 1871 operations were begun with the scow on
Coenties Reef, which in 1873 was thorouublv
broken up. In 1872 the scow was moved to Fry.
ing Pan Rock, and a number of blasts were made
In August, 1860, the work at Halett's Point was
begun. A Golfer dam in the form of an irregular
pentagon, whose greatest diameter was lao feet,
was erected on the shore, and a shaft los feet by
% feet in diameter opened. In June 1870
the funds appropriated for the improve Dent hay-
| ing been exhausted, the work on the shaft was
suspended AT that time 484 cubic yards of rock
nad been taken out at a cost Of So rs per yard.
In the latter part of July operations were resumed
sod me SHAH was sunk to a depth of thirty-three
iett below mean low water. Ten diverging tan
| heis were then commenced, and opened to dis
tances varying from fifty one to one hundred and
weLty-sM ieet AS these were sufficiently ad-
vanced concentrc galleries were excavated. The
amount OF rock taken out during the wear was
o'aoo cubic Yards, the drilling being ali done by
band In 1871 the work was pushed on more
rapidly, steam drills having been introduced. The
number OF feet Of tunnel driven du, ing the wear
was sos, and Of Transverse galleries 653 Is. The
quantity OF rock removed was s, 293 cubic wards.
10 November, 1873. operations were again sus.
pended for want Of funds. At the end of the f,cal
year. June 81 1874 work having been carried on
for four and half months only, S96 linear fee, If
tunnels were opened and 4,64S cubic feet of rock
u taken out. The total lens,h Of tunnels and
galleries then amounted to 6 $50 feet. The tup.
res are intersected at short intervals by the con.