The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-22
ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR GUILT.
How the Dock Commissioners Came
to Their Own Defence.
THE STREET CLEANING DEPARTMENT. SILENT
JubilatiOn in - Shipping
Circles.


mendous sensation. The proof furnished that the
port channels even now almost closed up fairly
electrified the commercial and shipping circles who
hitherto have been in possession OF mere fraginen
tary data regarding the matter The fact that no
chart of the pres ,nt condition Of the harbor is in
existence recalled to mind with weight
attached to it. II the amount Of ashes aud mud
daily dumped in the bay continue what Is to pre-
vent the great channels from becoming unnavigable
any day. and leaving New York cut of
from maritime commerce9 Even the harbor officials
ignorant of the extent to which the work of
ruination has progressed. The danger which threat
ems to cut of Rockaway from communication with
New York by water a matter which. although
known to pilots and steamboat captains. stu
diously kept from the general public, lest feeling
Of insecurity might tend to injure the profits Of
stsamboat companies
The persons most interested were the Dock Com
missioners and Police Commissioners, whom the
published evidence places in o dangerous position.
Placed face to face with the most minute particulars
Of the violations. they helpless to make
any defence The Dock Department hold
the Union Dredging Company responsible for
the offences. Yesterday HERALD reporter called
on Mr. c. II. LOOMS. superintendent of the COM
pany After few moments OF conversation Mr..
Loomis. pointing to q man seated in the Office.
the steamtug Aanson Sumner. He was il charge
when the tug caught in the act Of dumping.
This company fully informed to the proper
place to dump the dredgings. as the Pilot Commits
sioncrs have taken great pains to have fully in
structed. Our tugs arc capable Of going far out to
sea. Icannot therefore. see any way in which l
can offer a shadow of excuse. am fully aware of
the Importance of having the harbor kept open.
and, therefore. decline to make any efforts to
shield our company.
10 PLEADS GUILTY.
1.-The HERALD set watch We were fairly caught and
cando nothing but plead guilty. There is no doubt
that We dumped inside the legal limits in such man.
obstruct the channels. The mud carry out
from the docks weighs 200 pounds to the cubic yard
This sinks to the bottom like lead. aud clipgs in
shoals. The eight scow loads dumped by the Alan
son Sumner Sunday must have helped to shoal
space of quarter OF mile. But we could not help
it. Instructions given to Captain Dobbie to dis
pose Of the dredgngs legally. There is one thing
want to emphasize. The Pilot Commissioners have
had 10 part in the offence Thay have always prose-
cutdA US when we were detected III the
act Of breaking the law. Captain Conway
has repeatedly visited US and complained that
our scows did not dump directed. The Dock De-
partment have compelled US to hoist their hsg in
order that our boats which dump illicitly may be
more easily oetecteO Lie captain Ot INC Is the
one to blame He offers excuse. but We do not
ask it to be taken for more than it is worth
what will you do in the event of prosec ution?"
IL suppose we will have to suffer. But promise
that every effort will be made to abate the nuisance.
You can take . statement from the captain OF the
Summer for our excuse but do not offer it on the
companys part. officially / do not deny single
statement made by the HERALD
VERY POOR EXCUSE
Captain Dobbie said that no had dumped inside the
limits but was compelled to do so. timberhead
Of the scows gave way He hoped that the
matter would not go hard with him. What tho
breaking Of q tmberhead had to do with breaking
the law was. unfortunately. not explained. Super
intendcnt LOOMS was very manly III his manner OF
meeting tho charges aud concluded the interview by
declaring his desire to be that OF the blame
should DO attached to either the Dock Police
Department. They had done their whole duty and
were wholly guiltless. This statement. when COM
pared with the section OF the State laws published
yesterday. roads rather curiously.
The feeling IN the Office of the Department OF
Docks was strong. Commissioner Vanderpoe was
found in his Office consulting the terms of contract
between the department aud the Union Dredging
Company. Whom asked for statement regarding
the guilt of tho department and their responsibility
to the State for the damage done tho harbor he
fessed his entire Willingness to giveit I'VE used to
do our own dumping" said he. but some time ago
we found II too expensive system. and decided
to lot the work out by contract The lowest bid or
twelve cents cubic yard for the removal OF the
dr.driuss was accepted. This was immedi-
ately followed by scores of complaints that
the scows were being unloaded in the chan
nels. wo made an nvcst.gation and found that
the money paid was not enough. We then sdser-
tsed for bids to carry the mud out to stpuat-
ing that the parties bidding must own large piece
OF shore land which to dump in case of bad wca-
ther or storms The lowest bid WAS twcnty-sx cents
a cubic yard by the Union Dredging Company. who
claimed to hundred acros OF dumping ground
on the Jersey shore In contract 1t Is expressly
stated that IL tho dumping is not carried out to the
strict letter OF the state laws shall not pay thom
until suitable proof is shown that they have settle
their fines and penalties with the Pilot
II they not comply with the demands of the latter
body all moneys due the Union Company are for
feltod. Last summer ON complaint or Captain Con-
way, the harbor Inspector, W. withheld the pay
inent all bills until the fines had boon paid Since
then we have had frequent complaints, but without
any evidence. Yesterday signed four bills OF tho
Union Dredging Company against us. but on reading
tho UsnAIp disclosures TINS morning immediately
stopped all payments. We shall not pay Que cent
until the Pilot Commissioners have received the
a FINE THAT SHOULD ne coLLEcrEp.
"what are the amounts OF fines in such cascY'
swell, this oucncc which inc HERALD
detected, IL will coat the Union Company line or
over $4,000 No have sufficient money due them in
our hands now to fully cover all the nne. We shall
hold 1t, too. We much mortified ut the damage
done the harbor. AMI Will cnuoavor to have this
made an example case. We shall probably have to
do our own dredging hereafter and Withdraw all
contracts. We can hnd no other way to supervise
the work. IL placed spies on tho contractors
tugs they would be open to brides. We put the flag
or tho Dock Department, ten feet SQUARE. ~ means
of detection, but even with this the offence con-
tinues"
.what do you say to the Pilot COMMISSIONER
declaration that the Dock Commissioners alone
responsi bic to the State for their agents actsr
I'VE can only admit the fact and deplore past
inability to remedy tho state of affairs. The Pilot
Commissioners have been very vigilant in the mat
ter and have done their whole duty" This ended
the conversation.
The oihcc OF tho pilots headquarters in Coenties
slip crowded IN the morning with pilots, who
discussed the exposure of the narbor abuses. The
accuracy tho HERALD's data valuable news
Tor them. and they compared the new shoalinns In