New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-25
PROTECTING THE HAkBOR.
WORK TO PREVENT ILLEGAL DUMPING.
SUCCESS OF INSPECTOR rERGusoN-soME OF Ills
DIFFICULTIES.

succrss OF INSPECTOR FERGusoN-soME OF His
DIFFICULTIES.
There is o general IMPRESSION that the average
captain of the garbage scOw is abont IS dark ana
ieyious in his ways as the average Alderman; tnat
he is as much given to casting his bread upon the
waters in forbidden places as the City Father is 10
taking stock in a Broadway railroad ms lnptes
sion NAV have been more or less justified by facts
in the past but since Shore Inspector cornelius
Ferguson and BIS deputies have ,patroIled tnese
waters with his flagship Governor Hlll, the way oi
the impatient garbage bumper has been long ana
weary. ., b;h .ho lou,
saws shall not he dumped in rivers and harDors
are garbage and street Sweepings, wnch noat anu
dredgings and cellar dirt, when sink' ne lVIineI
is offensive and injurious 70 heStn anu uno ,ut1er
ipterfcres with navigation. The system UNDER
which the dumping of the former Is now controlled
Is rigid and efficient The contractors who do the
work for the city have perverse desire 10 drop the
garbage in mdstream aud thus save tOwage. The
law says that it must he taken down TO the lower
bay and dumped at least three miles from C0ney
leland shore Inspector Ferguson and his men have
n complicated system of permits that enforce the
law No scow can leave the dock without permit
deputy is sent down with each scow or boards II
at the NarrOws to see that 1t is dumped IN the
proper place and at the proper state OF wlnd ana
tide. full report OF each trip is maze 10 the
inSnector and deputies also visit the Sc0ws as tney
ere loading and daily report their position and con
dItion as to cargo. Thus the inspector knows AT
cvery moment the exact position and CONDITION on
earh scow. Men are also employed to watch the
movements of the scOwS from shore and 10 patr0l
the coast in summer and collect any offensive sub
stances
pcity of reports any discrepancies may he dls-
covered. ,,:L
ellis up the channel, has been under tHe reputation
of the inspector and his permit system since last
June Previous to that II was under cOntrol OF the
Pilot Commissioners. But the vigilance OF the
insnector IS not as fruitful of good il this case as
with the garbage people because the penaitles lor
violation are light and the employees NOT the C9u-
tractors the responsible persons william AHen
Bntler who counsel for the Pilot commissioners
has struggled with this evil for thirty years SAYS
that the only remedy Is to " let the dumping con
tractors understand that their own pockets are 10
be dredged by operation OF the law when tney
break it, THIS is the object OF bill now before
the Legislature introduced by senator worth Oh
Brooklyn. 1t places mud uncer the same rceuia-
fions as garbage and holds the contractor respon-
sjble for all violations The efforts OF the inspector
under the present imperfect law have been success
full in preventing great deal OF lIie9a uImpr p
however. Small tags that used to charge 10 lot
towing because they SIMPLY dragged the ScOW OUT
into the middle OF the river now charge So ne
cause they have 10 90 to Execution Light, when is
ont beyond He'll Gate nineteen miles from INC
BATTERY or else down 10 the bar. Big tugs that
uSed to charge go now want no ana many OF the
smaller lry have been driven out of the business.
Tie depost of sludgc acid is another evil against
which the forces of the Inspector are directed
This refuse from oil retneries is disgusting thlng
t. bathers and eats up bathing suits. mere ar. are
steamers bull; so to discharge this under water,
and the greatest watchfulness is necessary 10 head
them oil. Garbage and sludge acid reduced the
number of batheTs 30 per cent the second season t
Manhattan Beach Since that time the number
has been steadily on the lncIeass; ,
The little steamer Governor Hill, under command
of Captaln = y. Lauabee and manned Ivy deputy
inspectors viii Peter II. Gates at Their head lodges
about among the piers at night watching sco"S
which they know TO he loaded and SUSPECT OF a
desire TO dump III forbidden waters. w hen caught
in tbe act the strong arm of the law reaches out and
gathers in the delinquents, who are tIled IN inc
nearest court in one of the i've COUNTIES OF New
York Westminster. Richmond, Kings aud queens,
that contribute to the $4,000 appropriation for
supporting the inSpeC tlon