New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-13
HARBOR ABUSES.

The improvements In shipbuilding have
been gradually lessening the time to Europe,
but there is danger that this advantage may be
in part lost to New York by the deterioration
of its harbor-one of the finest in the world.
The channels have been injured by the dump
ing into them of ashes and mud, which form
bars and threaten to create serious distractions
to navigation. The bad effect is already felt,
and it promises to be of rapid growth from the
fact that ocean STEAMERS constantly being
increased in size and constructed with view
to greater speed. If the harbor, through the
careless administration of the laws for its
protection becomes too shallow and dangerous
for such boats, they will 60 elsewhere. Within
n short time three largo pecan steamers have
grounded while passing in or out of the port,
and several other cases have been reported
since the beginning OF the year. Last week
the City of Rome was detained outside the bar
at Sandy Hook because of the fear of ground
ing in entering the harbor during fog.
The trouble ia caused largely by dredging
boats, which commit their unlawful acts at
night. The Coney Island channel and the
fourteen-foot channel Just south of it have
been badly damaged. Neither the Swash
Channel the main ship channel, nor Gedney's
Channel has been much injured but if the un-
lawful dumping is permitted to go on it is only
q question of time when those channels will
also begin 10 fill up. The Swash Channel is the
fayorite one for ocean steamers. But it has
been obstructed for more than year by the
wreck of the Nankin, about which a shoal has
been forming 1t is not creditable to the Fed
eral authorities, whose business it is to remove
IL hat thn haa
long ago. There Is sixteen-foOt shoal near
the Swash Channel, and the wreck of
schooner lies between Sandy Hook and the
Southwest Spit. The Government should re-
move those distractions at once, and then there
would be no difficulty in bringing any existing
vessel into the harbOr. 1t appears absurd to
spend large sums in improvements at He'll
Gate and OH the Harlem River, while permit
ting the harbOr TO be shOaled tor lack of the
expenditure of a few thousand dollars in re-
moving sunken wrecks, and for want of care in
other ways.
While it has been decided that the National
authorities have the power to prevent the
shoaling of the harbor, there are State and city
officials who are specially appointed for that
purpose. There is a Board of Pilot Commits
sioners, and there il Shore Inspector, whose
business it is to prevent mud and ashes from
being dumped into the harbor. They complain
of insufficient appropriations, and that while
the law prohibits the dumping of mud and
ashes there is no provision for the enforcement
of the prohibitOry section. These officials have
been long time in finding this out. If they
were as earnest and active in protecting the
harbor from injury as they ought to lie, they
would either enforce the law or have secured
the necessary aid from the Legislature. A
Board of Pilot Commissioners which invariably
transacts public business in secret, and which
uphods the pilots in exacting fees to the
amount OF about 1900 OOO ~ year from the