New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-19

wu,r VIII NJ ACCOMPLISHED WHEN IT Is CON-
p,rrpp-, CHANNEL DEEP ENOUGH FOR THE
LARGEST OCEAN STEAMERS TO BE MADE.
The improyemcnt OF the East River channel Mt
Hell Gate has advanced very RAPIDLY since tle sue
ccssfu destruction of the reef at llalletts foIht
This made the navigation of the river nj that pohu
co,,norotivelv safe Yet further up the channel
yyrr, several submerged rocks which only had
from ten to twenty feet OF wafer above 'iieH III
low tide OF these Shclldrake, way keei, ana
Trviuo. Pan have already been dcmollNhed ana inc
work of reno wing IIccltop il now IN progress; Inc
Great work however, which yet remains L" DE ac-
compshed is the removal oil 1000 no, anu VIII
this is once destroyed the chahlel Viii nc SUI l"i
the largest ocean steamer that loatS ne import
ance of the work is. Therefore, great ana report.
of The tribune recently visited .ie loTN III oiuoi
to learn how the work was advancing; lie WIS CoI-
dialIv received by Captain James Mcrcur me en-
gnecr i'm charge. who willingly gave INN all Inc III
Inad Eonk is situated in fhemidde Of the channel
at Hell Gate. and the Thole reef Wheb Is 10 be re-
moved an area OF niue more ,ll MY d'!gs'
or three times much rs lialletts keel: Nh.h iue
work is completed the channel oi Inc river III luS
point will be from 1000 to 200 lset VIDE, WIN
an average depth of twenty-sX ieet OWlnR 10 t,le
narrowncss of the channel at the present linr the
current during ebb and Hood tides between Ioo9
RocN and the Long Island bank Is very sTllt, ana
fine water rs il PUSHES along. suggests 10 the NINA
an old-fashioned milracc OF glganllc proper uohS'
This disadvantage is also expected To be ObNaieu,
in great measure. by the successful removal Oh
Flood Rock. for then the current VIII CONFORM Iolt
to the natural shore Of the river ana VIII hot
prouahlV be any sWiter than II Is now IN the LiS'
River ut points below. At present sailing N'sStIs
generally 90 around the rock IN preference To TAX
me- the regular channel, IN order 10 avoid IHe fapH
current AMI being OF light draft, they run no
danger from the shoals IN TINS course. 4 ca,..i.
Since the publication OF the last report, NaPlHn
Nercur saws the excavations under Flood kocA
have been pushed forward as rapidly rs possible
Thu amount of money expended last year on the
worl, was about = 10 OOO and the appropriation of
Congress for the present year is S2Uo,UuO Tor the
entire work TO be done in the East River. As the
work advances, greater "u!Iial' vi Vo''isV, -
needp and the greater part o ms appIopl1atln ION
III be applied 4" Tho work at l09d hp.k mere
are now 10 men constantly crploycd: Ihey are
dividrd info three shifts. each working eight hours
q day Eight compressed alr0rlIls are also AT
work ell the time, and 1t IS pronabie thdt inns
number Sll soon DC increased. he permanent
machinery is now all placed, with the exception OF
that for ventilation, which is in process oil con
struction. This viii supply want long ielt' as the
atmosphere of the mine Is 50 FILED win smoke ana
VA. after the blasting is done each day that the
men suffer great Inconvenience ana even their
health is endangered. .... -,
works a 80 with Foreman Boyle. Enveloped in oil
coats and hats for protection AGAINST the lnuu ana
the water which is continually dripping from the
roof of the tunnels, headings" aS they are
called and each with little lamp, they descended
the shaft which is fifty feet deep. As the foreman
took this occasion make his daily rounds. the re-
porter had an opportunity OF inspecting every part
of the excavation. Running across the river are
twenty headings: at right angles to these are
eleven crOs--hcadings, none OF WHEN nave YET
been extended their entire length. lDey average
seven feet hi1l and ten feet wide and are situated
aIout twenty feet apart. Near the main shaft,
however where more light and space are required
for worlin. they are larger hree acres nave
thus been undermined, or one-third OF the wholc;
II is not intended 10 enlarge the headings until
each one has been carried out to Its tull length.
Then fine chambers will he widcncd and made
higher so that the whole excavation Will Resemble
an immense cave, the roof being supported by the
rocky pillars which form the sides of the
headings. The thickness of the rock forming the
roof will then be about ten feet. varying according
TO the character of the rock, whereas 1t Is now
from fifteen to thirty feet in thickness.
The work of tnnneling proceeds very slowly.
owing TO the hardness of the rock Of when the reel
Is composed. The rate Mt which II Is now gong on
~ from 500 TO coo feet a month, representing an
excavation of about 800 cubic yards it is i'm
possible to tell when the whole VIII he accom-
nlishcd even at this rate. Frequently seam IS
struck in blasting which stops the WORK In that
heading altogether, account of the leakage. in
sucL a case il is customary to WORK around the
leak. According to the last report the work done
during the past year was much greater than IN any
previous wear; $1,000 cubic yards OF rock were re-
mayed Is 900 blasts made and 57,O66 drills
sharprncd. The number of blasts made each night
now averages 100. The rock thus broken up Is
loaded on scows AMI dumped in the deep water to
the south of the reef Part OF it also used 10 ill
up the space between Big ana Litte MIL ROCKS,
which lie to the north.
Since the destruction OF Ialetts Reef the num-
Der of ships passing through He'll Gate has more
than doubled Especially has excursion travel IN
creosed rs the growth of the many pretty resorts
on the Sound shows. Besides this a few ocean
steamers of the carrying trade have long used this
route uccessfully BY the completion of the work
no q IN progress at Flood Rock. the channel Will be
made available for the largest ocean steamships,
and il is thought that large numbers of them Will
take advantage of this route, and thus save forty