New-York tribune., 1884-02-04
HELL GATE IMPROVEMENTS.
A TALK WITH GENERAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF
AN APPROPRIATION.

AN APPROPRIATION.
@General" said a TRIBUNE reporter 10 ten
ers Newton the distinguished engineer who has charg
Of the work In the River how Is the work at He
Gate going on Z" IL is not going on at ALL ne ans" feu
with a smile @The work stopped in April OF last
wear because there no appropriation understand
tot President Arthur made IL the subject of memo
randum and have hopes that Congress will grant IT,
Then the business will go again This Is not the iHt
nor yet the second time that have had To snspeh
operations the want of appropriation But We pea
u calmly conscious that sooner later the money viii be
granted"
"How much is the appropriation p
CT asked for half million dollars. and i would 10
economy to give It, but stated that 42OOOO was an aO
soute necessity The work of clearing the East RIVER AT
Hell Gate has been going on since 1876 On septehDe'
"a OF That year blew up Haetts Point Reef and then
much time was consumed in removing the rock used
81 900 pounds OF explosives which were all arranged In
the Galleries tunnelled under the rock If the appropra-
ton is glven will treat NcwIork TO much greater ex-
plosion tins fall The works until suspended for
Lack OF means on Flood Rock, sometimes called the
Middle Reef. Under this name are included Niger
Head the Hen and Chickens, the Grdiron and Flood
Rock itself These you may have remarked TO the left OF
the channel going up the Sound. The tunnelling Is
nearly finished and the charge wil he no less than 100
tons OF explosives. pounds 2240O, which as you
will notice is almost four times the charge used at
Halett's Rect"
"WOn't that smash the windows on wards lsand anu
the neghborfng part OF Manhattan island. General y
"NO think not. The explosion OF 1876 hardly caused
a tremor though the people round about were terribly
scared and at the Magdaen Institution in Eighty-
ejghths the Mother Superior considered II her duty 10
remove all her charges OF course there is always ihe
the direction Of New-York City. ia ~hch case consider
able vibration might be transmitted enonSh 10 nake tie
plaster fall from badly constructed cei@ IuU thiS -
n possibility not Il probability, you understand .
How long would 1t take TO remove the focA alter
the explosion =
About two years
And how much more money would be required for
that z" ,
About 100000. The rock would have 10 lie removed
hy craupcrs and If permitted 20 build our own
craWiinc boats we shOuld not exceed that estimate
IL we contract graphing boats the cost wOuld prob
alv be more When Middle Reef Is removed, there
win I've "A first rate channel. Few II any improvements
are needed and these must small and inexpensive in
character Thon'he largest steamers from Europe eOud
come In by way the Sound without the necessity OF
waiting outside the bar until high tide makes"
DO Won consider that the channel from SANDY HOOK
has been injured 10y dumping Z" ..
Well don't think there is any possibility OF injury TO
the main channel Not long since dumping was allowed
M or near the bar, and great Injury done IL would
have been better actually 10 have dumped IN tho man
channel opposite Governors Island. 30 dumping should
pcrmite ed except when confined by buIEheadr or IN
closures save sch long distance scaward as TO make
il refuse be borne back into the mar
Dor by the waves. great many causes combine IN
making shoals Undoubtedly cTcry scoWload that Is
depth before tie dumping began the result OF all the
natural forces employed in making that channel the hd-
ditional work is much in excess or These powers
Hence shUaliug -