The New York herald., 1879-11-23
DIAMOND REEF.

DIAMOND REEF.
THE WORK OF QUARTER OF A CENTURY Al
MOST coMpLErED-AN ALDERMANIc REMINIs-
cENcE-GENERAL NEwroN's OPINION OF THE
OBSTRUCTION.
large party, composed OF members OF the COM
mon Council and representatives of the press. went
on board the steamtug Ajax, on the 10th Of July.
1885, to be carried out the East River to witness
the process of blasting what then and is still
known as Diamond Reef. The rock is situated mid
way between Governors Island and pier No. /. East
River and 1T is so great an mpediment to commerce
that its removal has always been regarded As u
necessity. Work was first begun upon it in the be-
ginning of June. 1885, the Common Council authoriz
ing Messrs. Hustled & Kroehl to remove it, under q
contract for s365OO. The Corporation expected Con-
gress to reimburse the city. and it was confidently
expected that the work would be finished in Septem
ber of the same year in which it was begun. The
contractors also seemed to be hopeful of its carly
completion and it upon their invitation that the
official junketing party went out on the Ajax for
day ON Diamond Reef
WHINING AND A WARMING.
The mode or blasting at that time was that intro
duced by General Paisley in 1889. The powder was
enclosed in canister and placed the edge of the
reef. the rock being torn Off by tho explosion and
thrown into the bed Of the river The usual charge
of powder hundred pounds On that day
five blasts exploded for the de ectation of the
City Fathers--one of 100 pounds, two Of 200
pounds and two or 500 pounds. The last the
largest charges made under General Pasey's system
up to that time. The day was beautiful one and
the show was In every way success. When the
first blast was exploded q cloud of water shot
up into the air IN the shape Of cone
to a height Of hundred feet with ba,
of fifty feet The City Fathers were in
ecstacy and the subsequent operations tended
to increase their admiration. Indeed. the larger
blasts lifted so great body of water that the East
River was in danger being raised out of its bed and
Buttermilk Channel Of being churned into the bay.
But somehow before the feasting was finished some
OF the City Fathers conceived the idea that this de-
hghtful junketing might have some Interior mo-
tive, and Alderman Ely, who still lives TO recall
these "reminiscences. proposed that the under
writer's, merchants and shippers Of New York should
appoint committee to examine the work when the
contractors had completed it to that it had been
properly done. Inc suggestion was REGARDED as y
good one aud with very good reason, for they had
recent example before them to give them warming
in this instance. Some time previously French
man had undertaken to improve the channel ut He'll
Gate. Under this contract the rock to be
moved to depth OF 20 feet inches below
water. but the contractor not to be paid
til he produced certificate FROM Lieutenant Bartlett
that its terms had been complied with. 1t after
wards found that the rock had been removed to =
depth of only IL feet inches. There was q great
scandal in consequence, and investigation revealed
the fact that the Lieutenant had been deceived by
the contractor Everybody has seen the toy dagger
with which the American youth Of q theatrical turn
of mind frightens his elder sisters 1t the theory
piled to engineering. The measurements were made
by pole with an iron end, SO constructed that
two feet and on being hoisted out Of the water re-
sumed its usual length. AS the contractors on Dia-
mond Reef had nothing to offer their Aldermanic
guests but the wine this little anecdoe was related
over the walnuts, and, in consequence, there was
spirit of determination to guard the city treasury
and protect the interests Of commerce.
WORK ON THE REEF.
It Is plain. however, that the contractors, Messrs
! Hustled l. Kroehl were paid or their names would be
more familiar to the present generation than they
now 1t is equally plain that they really
finished the work they had undertaken. for some
body has been blasting that reef almost SINCE
| Rock enough has been removed to build city Of
gueiss. Where the stone all came from is mystery
and the Whitehall boatmen have q favorie theory
| that the same scows which carried it away in the
daytime came back and dropped their cargoes into
OF speech to say that Diamond Reef has become the
richest jewel i'll the crown OF catboat jokers, and
what is more remarkable. it has been increasing in
size in geometrical ratio with the efforts of engn-
neers and contractors. In 1856 1t described as
200 feet long and. on an average 80 feet wide and
twenty years later it was 400 feet long and
$50 feet wide within the 26-foot curve of low
water. When work was first begun upon IL 1t pro-
jccted to within thirteen feet the surface Of the
water ut high tide; after twenty years its depth was
nineteen feet below the low water surface. Every
series Of years to remove the obstruction. At one
time ntro-gycerine was employed but 1t proved as
ineffective as the Paisley system had been before
Then when General Newton undertook the work he
put into operation his dredging which he had
used with success on Ways and Coenties reefs.
lodging about two hundred tons Of stone. Early in
1876 it was believed that only months more
would be necessary to reduce the work to the re- e.
General Newton as still blasting away Ut the reef
believing that
Patient dint and powder shock
Or n