The New York herald., 1879-08-06
NEW YORK'S WATERS.
General Newton's Report on the
Work Of Improvement
THE CHANNEL DEPTHS.
Dredging and Dyking in Bay
and River.
[nr TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD,


WASHINGTON. August 8, 1870.
The annual report OF General John Newton, en-
gneer in charge of river and harbor improvements
in and about New York. for the period ending July
has been received ut tho War Department. On the
subject OF the improvement Of the East River and
He'll Gate he says with reference to Diamond Reef
upon which there has been performed a vast
amount of work. that it contains about one and
half acres. and is covered for the greater portion of
its surface by formation of clay gravel and sand
boulders and concreted mass. through which
the bed rock occasionally projects. The work has
not hitherto been regularly conducted upon this
reef. At times only. when operations temporarily
ceased upon Coentes Reef. drilling scow has been
put to work upon the outlying portions of the bed
rock. 1t finally determined to resume opera
tions and pursue them steadily until the whole
should be reduced to proper level. After the
Frying Pan in He'll Cato shall have been removed,
the next position will be from Pot Rock. which is
the last of the channel reefs enumerated in
the original report. It is designed to
cavate first under the lower portion of the Middle
Reef. including Negro Head. by this operation
alone great step toward radical improvement will
have been made The amount Of rock excavation
has been small for the past year. owing to the
necessity Of purchasing and establishing entirely
new plant. but the large facilities furnished
will be required for the completion of the existing
project. The amount which can be effectively used
in the fiscal year ending June &c. 1884, and which is
asked for, Is $450,O0O.
RESULTS ATTAINED AT HELL GATE
Captain James Mercur, who had charge Of por-
tions of the work under General Newton. submits q
detailed report of his operations. At Haletts Point
he has removed Is. FOG l0iO0 gross tons OF sunken
rocks at q cost Of 81 % per ton. This done by
the Atlantic Dredging Company under contract.
Their contract ceased on May l. and advantage was
taken Of the absence Of their machinery to make
examination OF the reef by means Of survey. The
shallowest point found was fourteen feet below
low water. while that part of the reef to
which the dredging has been applied the depths
ried from about twenty-one to twenty-eisht. the
required depth of twenty-six feet having been OBJ
tanned q largo part of the reef The total
amount Of rock removed since the final blast is
57O2 TONS leaving about thousand tons be re-
moved.
With reference to Flood Rock he says that the
water which filled tho mine stopped the work for
some time but after while drill started. The
broken rock taken out Of the mine up to the 7h Of
June, 1879. used for building an island large
enough to give place for machinery. &C., for carry
ing the work. The total number Of cubic
feet put on this island is approximately 5.722 and
it's above low water is $500 square yards In ad
dition to the work done on the mine permanent
rangements have been made for carrying the
work. The head frame and cages for hoisting
nearly completed. The island has been arranged SO
to afford facilities for unloading all supplies.
There remains to be completed wharf on the east
ceiving their loads. and the necessary chutes and
pockets for passing the stone from the cars to the
cages s, sna
Of a,f'-'' pow powerful tug and two dumping dumping
scows for removing the broken rock. With these
facilities it is proposed to increase the present
of working about four times more if the amounts
appropriated from year to year justify it. The
Point to Tood ROCK being made for wear
and deterioration and present low prices is about
5000.
PAssAIc RIVER FLUSHING BAY
Other details OF the report are as fol-
lows:-on the work in Passsic River. N.
priaton Of sa6oo. made Marcn 5. 1879. between Hsn
the Midland Railroad bridge and the mouth Of tho
river subject to the survey between these points.
80. 1881. is Sll,92i.
In Flushing Bay. under the appropriation OF
March 3. 1872 Of $4,000 is proposed to construct
q dixie. starting from point near the entrance OF
Flushing Greek into the bay. thence parallel with
the north shore OF bay about three thousand
feet. This being the first appropriation for this
Improvement work has yet been done. Tho
posed project Of dikes and dredging will be SITS 500
The amount asked tor the next year is $400 which
will be applied to the continuation Of the dykes.
IMPROVEMENTS wESrCHEsrER.
The appropriation heretofore made for East Ches-
ter Greek has been expended to obtain draught OF
1t is proposed to from the channel material
fallen in from the undermining of the banks aud
to construct dykes ysI from the he, lower % end % Of
bridge to Goose Island. distance OF
$500 ieet The amount required to complete the
project will be 0U and 1000 Is asked for the
next year. of which $4,000 is TOR dykes and 5000
for dredging.
Rochelle, n. Y. was not completed. aud the ap-
propri ,tion of $4,000 made March 5. 1879. Is no.
Sufficient Tor the removal OF sheepsheai Rock,
fnrlh lhnr W nl.ttl
another appropriation is made. The amount
asked for 1884, which is s25955. will about complete
the removal OF Shccpshead Rock.
HARLEM RIVER
In addition to the appropriation of $500 ,0O0 made
June iS. 1873. there appropriated by act of
March 3, 1917. 100000. Both of these approprs-
tions subject 70 the provision under the act of
June 49, 1875 that the amounts are not to be avail
able until the right OF way Is secured to tho
United States tree Of cost. As no money
could DO expended from these appropriations an
allotment male from the appropriation for ex-
aInnations aud surveys and contingencies OF rivers
aud harbors for the purpose OF making detailed
yeys OF the different routes for cutting a canal
the mainland to connect the hudson and Har-
lem rivers. These routes were Laid down map
aud holders oil property affected by the propo cut
were addressed by letter to ascertain IL they would
cedc to tho United States their claim to the
property. A. but very few signied their
Willingness to do measures ken
by persons Interested the Improvement
To have bill introduced into tho State Legislature
which should provide for the appointment of u COM
mission to bonehts aud damages. and To con-
denim such land may be necessary for the pro-
posed canal. Since this Ull became 10
maps of oach piece of property in any way acc ted
by the proposed cut have pcen i'll progress prep
sraton to be submitted to the supreme Court. this
beng necessary under tho law. Tho amount esti-
mated to competc the proposed project liz ST. 100000.
The estimate Tor q hfteen foot channel would be
$2.lU0.UW.
rnk CHANNEL BETWEEN STATEN ISLAND AND NEW
JERSEY.
No work done during tho year. 1t has been
Judged expediont to delay the commencement of
operations until increase the draught of the
sells should demand additional depth in the channel
The amount required to complete the work would
bo Sl5.lS0. contract made under the appro-
priaion of 1878 the construction of 1880 feet
of pile dykes at the Middle Ground. In the
Raritap river. N. J. AS the timber aud
piles In these dykes had to be carbolized no work
was done until the month of May. A number OF
feet of the dyke completed ut the close of the
year. The appropriation OF $GD.OOO mado in March
will be appcd to the construction of other dykes.
The amount asked for next year IL S1O00O0.
WORK IN HUDSON RivER.
There IL reported here the result of the work