National Republican., 1883-08-01
RIVERS AND uARBoRs.
Gen. Newton's Report OF What Has Been
and Should BE Done In and About New
York HarbOr.

Gen. Newton's Report OF What Has Been
and Should BE Done I'm and About New
York HarbOr.
The report of Col. Newton, the engineer in
charge of the improvements of rivers and har-
bors in the New York district, was received
at the War department yesterday. The fol-
lowing is synopsis of the reports on the sew
eral works under his direction:
Improvement Of Hudson rver-The object
of the improvement is to obtain naviga-
BILE channel of eleven feet in depth mt mean
low water to Albany and of nine feet TO Troy.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1888,
S5,465 were expended on this work. and cross
dikes were completed at Shad island and
Papscanee island. The appropriations that
have been made for this Improvement amount
to S93I2SS, Of which $4,000 were appropriated
by the act of 1892 S5iS wer5 received from
other sources, and $735 were restored to tho
treasury of the United States, which left
available for tho work since it was begun
$097,20l. Of this sum S164G0 remained un-
expended July /, 1853, and this balance will
be expended during the present fiscal year in
the construction of new dilScs and in the
necessary repairs TO existing dkes. 1t is es-
timated that S65,102 additional will he re-
quired for the completion of the existing
project, of which sum 100000 can be profita-
bly, expended during the next fiscal year.
Improvement of the harbor ut Rondout, n.
Y.-The original project for this work was u
prOlOngatiOn of the channel of Rondout creek
into the Hudson river by the construction of
two parallel dikes and also of branch dixie
,.Ato direct the current of the river and TO pro-
p6irt-+hD north dixie from the floating ice.
There has been no modification of this pro-
iect. During the past fiscal year the expen-
dituros ON this Improvement were S3,5O9 and
repairs have been made to the dikes, consist
ing of refretting with stone, replacing fender
piles at the end of the north dixie, and
raising 600 feet of the south dixie TO the level
of high water. The entire amount appr0-
priated to date for this work is $4,000, of
which the act of 1889 appropriated ~, 900. Up
to June 80, 1883, 392,24O had been expended
on tho Improvement leaving available for the
present year $3.50. lt Is estimated that SO 600
will he required for the entire and permanent
completion of tho work, and that that sum
can be prohtably expended during the next
year.
Removing the distractions in East river
and Hell Gate, N. y:
Reef at Halletts point--The engineer re-
ports having been engaged at this point dur
ing the year ia removing some few points of
broken rock found projecting above the re-
quired depth of 20 feet ut mean low wator
mark.
Flood rock-During the year the expend-
ituro Of the appropriations have been confined
TO building the galleries, TO reducing the roof
of the cross galleries TO a thickness of IL feet
and to drilling the large holes for the final
blast. lie reports that when work was sus-
pended nearly all the roof holes had been
drilled that the length of the galleries
driven during the year was 204.3 linear feet
and that l2,202G cubic yards of stone (meas-
ured in place. had been removed from the
galleries aud roof. Ho adds that the progress
of the work was materially retarded during
the year for the want of sufficient funds to
carry on opera tions with force equal TO the
capacity OF the plant; that now when opera
tions are suspended it is necessary to continue
running the pumps in order to keep the eX-
eayation from filling with water, the cost of
this being tho same as when the full force is
employed, and that if the appropriations
asked for in his last report had been granted
this reef could have been blown up in Sep
tember or October 1883.
Steam drilling scow-A number of col
lisions of vessels with the scow at Pot Rock
without damage to the scow OF any conse-