The New York herald., 1876-10-01

bet~~sn the small slands IN the expanse Of
water opening into the sound Will " time DC cleared
and essensd Tor this purpose. thai nausIits TINT
are Al present developing in outofthe-way places
away from >e~ York vii nnd convenient and spacious
homes IA close proximity 10 The market aud the steam
sap 90 railroad that TO convey the productions TO
The consumer. IL - utter nonsense 10 say that this
of Tor shprnx and that oxs that do not often occur
AM curreo,s that wii b moderated as TO be unm
poftant can delay tho growth Of New York along hcr
natural lines of EXPANSION.
ofEsise nARLEn RvER
: Almost from the res'nning OF the growth OF New
iork from unlmroftsnt Town 10 It's present slze
tue value Of the Harlem RIVER hno of water
munication has been recognized by thoughtful mon.
IA forms . natural connection between the chief
channels altng winch the commercial interests OF tho
city have sro~n and early days tho rights OF
navigation ON lhe Harlem River actively defended
~ AL those Who kncw their then and prospective
value. Numerous Efforts haze been IRON time
10 time by shorssxnted advocates Of public improve
meats ~ well by selfish railroad anu other corpora
tons. 10 destroy this by dsmming and brdgng
without regard TO It's navigabc characters but. fortu-
nAtey, the nrst were delayed IN the prosecution OF
their proposed improvements ~ and the atter were
comptilca 10 recognize rights which thor selfish
ness and arrogance would have destroyed forever
The present oosiructsons 10 navigation have caused
the channel q, the junction OF Harlem kiver with
spuyten nuyyh Greek TO harrow almost to onethrd
ia original wioth, and consequently through COM
muncation IL possible except for very small rowboats
The consequence s, that instead OF having diurnal
tidal seour through both creek and river oy winch the
beds OF both would be cicanse OF their mud deposits
eacn converted nto simple creek running INLAND
short distance and growing shalowcr every year. Tho
mulats vast quantities OF mud In both courses
which tend 70 render the neghborhocd unhealthy, the
alternate ebb aad aow Of the tide exposing the mud 10
the Of tho atmosphere
The ch,ei CHOKING Of the channel occurs between
Kingsbrdee and the fordnam Bridge both OF which
structures merely wooden viaducts, halt rotten
with ago aud neglect The absurdity OF permitting
them remain thcr present condition, as obstruc
tons TO navigation apparent 10 any one VINO visits
the locality. For the sake OF tho convenience Of
crossing the narrow channel which they afford
srous interests 70 local commerce are SACRIFICED and
yaiun MA chn we'd ~
It's important purpose without interfering much with
navigation, and small steamers and soops can ascend
the Harlem River ~ high the Fordnam Bridge with
moderate cargoes OF building materials, manure and
other nccessares to tho adjoining farms and settle
menta SouthwArd OF kingsbrdgc ~ the Macomb's
Dam Bridge SO called on account or the mill dam shat
at ono time constructed across the river at this
point. The dam IS now almost entirely removed,
whc the high wooden bridge that spans the river II
furnished with draw for the accommodation OF pass
ing vessels.
Further south the Fourth Avenue Bridge OF the Hud-
River and Havicm Railroad IS a drawbridge as Is
also the Harlem BRIDGE which the river tho
northern end Of Third avenue From this point south
ward 10 the Est River no other brdges exist and the
channel In consequence, much used for commercial
purposes The mouth OF the Spuyten Duyvil Creek is
closed by the Hudson River Railroad drnwbridge,
structure built on piles and easily adapted 10 pro-
posed Improvement in tho channel Latterly propo-
sition has been made both TO bridge anu tunnel tho
Harlem River for the extension o the Man
naltan Island into the wards lately annexed; but
these works except with special regard to the
opening OF the river IRON the East River 10 the Hud
son tor vessels OF at least fifteen feet draught
THE HyDRoGRAPnY OF the HARLEM RivRR.
Owing to the cGuses already mentioned the bed OF
the river 10 most uneven one regards the level OF
low water. Commencing ut He'll Gate. north Of the
great Mill rock. the depth OF water IN the middle OF
tho channel Is about 80 feet at mean low oe IL do
creases from this depth nor.hward to opposite the
feet except at one point, where hard bar with deep
water each side OF IT, runs across tho channel with
feet OF water about midway between the island aud
the New York shore. Opposite the western end OF
Little He'll Gate channel which divides Wards from
Randas Island the Harlem River is % feet Deep aud
between Randall's Island and the main land Of New
York II deepens at some points 70 81 ioet but at the
northern end OF this section Il shoals TO
about q feet, then suddenly TO II feet
and opposite TO the channel. between Randalfs
Island and the Port Morris shore decpcns
again to 25 eet Below Harlem Bridge the mean depth
l6 feet, while north Of It increase ~ icet
Again, the north Of the railroad bridge we lind %
icet increasing 10 27 feet and diminishing 81 feet
and IL eet as Macomb's Dam Bridge Is approached.
Immediately above the dam the water suddenly
deepens 80 feet but rapidly shoals again TO TO- L.
Is and II feet as High Bridge is neared. North Of
High Bridge tho channel feet Deep with the sound
ings OF IL, a. aud 10 feet 70 the entrance Of
| Sherman's Greek. Thence 10 Fordham Bridge the
depth varies follows, IL, IL Z, lO. To- and d
ham and Kings bridges tho channel gives 3,s
feet Of wuer and from the last named point 10 the
mouth Of spuyten Duyvil Creek which forms the con-
tiLuaton OF the wator way IL, =, l3 Is Il ~, s.
t00 o. ~ ana feet at the railroad bridge BY the
! Hudson.
| the character OF the channel through which the
foregoing soundings are gwen is very variable both
as 10 width and the nature Of the bottom. Sand,
| mud and gravel mixed IN somc places with largo
| stones being chiei materials found Between
Wards and Randali's Islands and New York the
tion broad aud unobstructcd save at the point
OF Wards Island already described. The deposits
along the shore lines narrow and slcepIy siopcd
clearness OF the river bed being due to tho tidal
currents flowing through the Port Morris channel and
Little He'll Gate, which scour the lower Harlem River
clear OF all muddy matter But us the river proper
tered the mud deposit Is found to invade .he channel to
higher tho river IS ascendcd THIS the channel be-
tween the brdses marked by series Of depressons
separated by ridges OF deposit which are created by
the eddes and counter currents OF the river Itself
largely influenced by the bends IN It's course and the
substrata oil rock which underiie the mud.
sherman's Greek, which is an estuary o the Harlem
River penetrating inland and northwcstward between
two high ridges, Is also mud bed. bordered by
stretches OF snt mars which originally part OF
the bed OF the creek. This area, when filled by the
tide, forms reservoir. whence ebb now is created
which helps TO keep clear comparatively deep the
southern section of the channel A similar estuary
penetracs inland nOrthcastwardly from the eastern
side Of the river below MacomD's Dam Bridge, and
er.ises an equal influence as tidal reservoir Both
of these creeks shown the accompanying map
the Harlem River and its approaches.
LATERAL APPROACHES RIVER.
IN order TO connect the improved and dcepcned
Harlem with the East River, that the purposes OF
the improvement may be entirely fulfilled and direct
ne OF communication established between the
Sound and the Hudson, II will be necessary to open
the several available channels that now exist between
the islands themselves and also separating them
from the main land OF Now York and the Westminster
shore. Little He'll Gate and the Port Morris channel,
which lies between Kandals Island nnd the mainland,
must be rendered naviaaDle before the main work
the Harlem River assume any great utility. The
eastern entrance OF Little He'll Gate covered by
largo area Of salt marsh. called "sunken Meadow
which rests a subtr rock and is surrounded
on It's northern, southern and western sides BY mud
shoals having depth oil water at low tide varying
from twelve ieeL These mud fats susccpti
bic Of enclosure and reclamation by a comparatively
inexpensive system OF liking. which will add
considerable area 10 that now available
for building purposes. The channel Of Little Hell
Gate has AN average depth oil water OF about fifteen
feet but is broken here and there along its course by
rocky promincnccs which must DO removed before
the channel be considered open. Little He'll Gate
would afford passage OF about 800 lect wde but
would not be either sale or easy Of navigation
for the Harlem River the Port Morris
channel, especially during the prevalence OF north
easteriy and northery winds The last named passage
is narrow and OF variable depth with mud bottom
intersperseu with rocky projections and averaging
present depth about the Little Hell Gate. But
unlike II The lands each side low and the cost
and difficulty widening would not be 50 great