The New York herald., 1879-09-10
GARBAGE IN THE BAY.
Examination Of the Offenders by the
lIarbOr Authorities.
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION
The Waste of Money by the Present Sys-
TEN of Destroying Refuse.

terday. Although the guilty parties exposed by the
HERALD relied the cooling ardor OF the officials
to protect them the harbor authorities do not seem
TO lack any enthusiasm in updoing what their neg
loct and carelessness have encouraged their EN-
ployes Notwithstanding all their reform preten-
sions the shoalings in the bay remain as monuments
OF disgrace to the city which allowed the abuse to
continue long The Pilot Commissioners held a
meeting yesterday Of nearly three hours duration
l. WAS opened at twelve o'clock, and after the mill
utes had been read President snow inaugurated the
investigation of the harbor question. The hrst evil
dence offered sworn communication from
Francis Pidgeon, the owner of the accused tug. In
he reply he denied tho charges made in the affidavit
of the HERALD reporter. The next was witness IN
defence of the Union Dredging Company, who on
being sworn said:-
My name is Peter Donelly; am the pilot who
the tug Aanson Sumner on August II; the
statements given III the evidence of the HERALD
porter are not true left New York at ten minutes
after ten A. NJ. on sunday, the 18th of August; we
went down far as the Narrows to the point at
Couey Island; from there went to buoy No. is;
then steered south southeast for quarter OF an
hour at the rate of three knots an hour; the scows
began to break up here and timber head broke the
seows were then dumped the edge of the East
Bank l know we in this locality by making
soundngs with the lead line and from the positions
of the beacons from us; the West Beacon was open
to the southward of the East Beacon, about
one hundred feet; had eight
with us. all OF which were dumped; while doing SO
saw steam yacht; she came alongside OF us. but
the parties board OF ner did not say anything to
US; should have gone out to twenty minutes
longer If the tow had not broken up there
great danger of losing the scows, part of them
was adrift; 1 have been the tug Alanson Sumner
six weeks, in the employ of the Dock Department all
we had been down before the way. and the
scows had not broken apart; the ropes six to
eight inch hawsers; believe they eight
inch with these the
nccted, but three of the ropes broke and
one tinperhead pulled out of scow;
Col.isc owen W tness said:-"Mhen we got TO buoy
No. ~ the hospital ship was west southwest; no.
tieedst. and continued my southeast course the
hospital ship always bore on our starboard side and
quarter; went below a line from the hospital
ship to East Bank before dumping. and the hospital
ship at no time bore ON our port bow or ahead OF
us; the water was flying all over the scows before
we dumped; after we dumped AID started back had
to pick up some OF tho scows which had got adrit;
directed by Joseph Conway where to dump;
did not know the exact place.
AN OVER READY WITNESS
Lawrence Charleton next called for the de-
fence. On beng sworn the charge of the HERALD
reporter was read to him and he was asked what he
had to say.
''Its ali true" said he loudly perfectly correct.
.'what are you sayng?" said Mr.. Owen excitedly
TO the Witness
ooh mean its all. false; not word Of truth in
it. for listened Closely
After this little exhibit of elastic virtue the wit
ness continued :-..I have heard The testimony OF
Donelly and believe to be correct: on one Of
the August II; think it was the second one
from the tug the scows broke adrif and alter wait
ing for ten minutes TO see ii anything was done.
dumped: am not acquainted with the barbor
although am sailor would not be able to find the
The enthusiastic counsel. Mr. Owen then drew the
following from the wtness:-
cat the time dumped the safety OF the scows
and lives of the mon were in danger; have been
down the Bay before. but have never ropes
break"
The captain OF the accused tug, Thomas Dobbe,
put the stand. He said:-I have been
employed by The Union Dredging Company for six
weeks; the dredgings taken from che slips by
the Dock Department; the Union Dredging Com
pany ordered me to take them between Coney Island
Point and buoy No. l6, and further east to place
pointed out by Mr.. Dorm. an inspector employed by
the company; understood that the buoy showed
as by Captain Joseph Conway was the place to
dump; Captain Conway showed it to the Gay after
the offence committed; before Captain Conway's
instructions we were ordered to dump where Mr..
Dorm directed us; took bearings when
dumped as Mr.. Dorm and the pilot took them; tho
leau thrown before the scows were dumped to
6nd the depth of water in; understood
that We dumped because the scows broke adrift
the men on the scows were halloOing.
AT this point Mr.. Looms. the superintendent of
the Union DredGing Company, got up ana made an
elaborate speech. in which he was reciting.
personal grievances, when he stopped by the
president. The case then adjourned. After the
meeting the affidavit OF another HERALD reporter
ton.
Inspector Conway reported that the scows placed
in the East and North rivers by the Police Depart
ment for the reception OF ashes from tugs and
steamboats, UNIT for the purpose, they are
deckcd scows and have no sdeboartis of any height
Mr. Conway complained that tho ashes are not
trimmed or ieveled. but allowed to run into the
water as fast AS thrown board while the middle
Of the deck remains almost clear.
MEETING or TIE DOCK coMxIssIoSERs
An informal investigation was held before the
Dock commissioners yesterday morning regarding
the charges against the tug A!anson sumner, which
dumped eight scows loaded with dock dredgings of
NortOn's Point on Sunday, August IL. The Two
HERALD reporters who were watching in special
yacht the violation of theiaw on that occasion
examined by the Commissioners at length. and the
particulars repeated substance they de-
tailed il the HERALD. Tho Commissioners said that
the pilot and other employees on the tug
stated positively that the dumping was
done much further DOWN tho bay. But
the spot designated y the pilot was shown 10 be u-
side o4 the limit prescribod by law. Tic Commis-
sioners said, further, that the defence that the
scows were broken loose from the tul by a heavy
sea and the lives OF the imperiiIed. Sonse-
4uently they were forced 10 dump poss-
bic, and no wilfu violation OF the law intended
The pilot and the captain had said that they
entirely misrepresented. The HERALD reporters
planned to the Commissioners the chart and the
HERALD map that they the reportersl could not DO
mistaken, as a skiltul pilot took the bearings by
chart and instrument at the time the violation
committed, and on reaching the place OF dumping a
greasy scum was found hoating IN patches on tho
water i'll such quantities hat tho engineer Of tho
HERALD yacht spoke OF it a. the time, and said that
II came from tho dock dumpngs taken from somo
district where oil grease had settled and soaked
into the slime OF the bottom.
OFFENCE coNsEQuEScE.
Tho Commissioners urged that the iino WIS heavy
and the consequences dismissal OF the offenders
from service. They therefore wanted to be certain
that violation OF the law had actually occurred.
The reporters referred the commissioners to tine
pilot and engineer, who both witnesses OF the
hagrant offence which was so openly committed on
that sunday afternoon. In conversation which
took place subsequently, tho Commissioners wero
OF the opinion that the garbage question would
be satisfactorily settled until steam wero
used aud the refuse removed to the country the
fu a "A.
'Why, the treatment of the whole question of
street cleaning and the dumping Of refuse rs simply
q farce" said Secretary Lynch. II really can't
how tho money appropriated for that purpose is
disposed by the Police Department. l thiuk that
the city ought to have train OF garbage the
east aud west sides OF the city every night. that
tho garbage could be deposited In them and sold 10
farmers throughout the country, who would gladly
take il 90 cultivate their lands. The present stem
rcaulres dumping docks. II our depArtnont had