The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-22

BLASTED or Untn the Depth OF water There
Now IL Twenty.six Feet.

Mariners who havo occasion to pilot their
craft through the channel between Manhattan
and Governors Islands are rejoicing that
Dimond Reef. known generally rs Diamond
Rccr. exists no longer as nm obstruction to
navigation. Where 1t once lifted its Jagged
front is now u depth 81 twenty-siS foot Of
water Mt low tide. according to the new chart
Of New York Harbor. issued from tho Office OF
tho United States Coast and Geodetic Survey.
The reef was midway between the Fargo
Office and Governors Island. 1900 feet
from each. and was directly In the pnth
Of YES. els entering and leaving the East River
Until about 1S4o. Dimond Reef had been an
nmbushcd enemy and severely wounded many
ships that ran upon tho hidden danger. The
tides run through tho channel with such
swittness that tho clevercst pilots sometimes
have had their vessels caught on tho reef.
As the danger of accident increased with the
increase OF ocean commerce ut this port. tho
Chamber Of Commerce took up tho matter OF
tho removal of tho reef Private subscriptions
to tho amount OF sl2.500 wcro obtained and
French engineer. NJ. Mailofcrt. was engaged
to prosecute the work. That was about 1Sf!
by blasting. NJ Maillcfert succeeded in
lowering the surface of the reef Ave fcct. 1t
was only twelve fcet below tho surface when
he began the work OF removal 1t was sevon-
further work. aud so it remained. until tho
Government took tho matter in hand. In
1870 Gen. John Newton OF tho Engineer Corps
merged ledge and it took him ten ycars. with
all tho Appliances of modern engineering
CURED 'lcvc@au feet below tho surface.
With the completion OF tho work on the reef
by Gen. Newton. 1t was thought that that part
shoals. and that vessels 81 twenty six feet
drnught could traverse it WITHOUT the rossibl-
as haweVer "a % was found about seven Years
later. when steamship went aground about
300 feet east OF the location OF the old Dmon!
to he fny thirty fS w Of water That Is tie
way many Of the refs e the barber h Es
River. where the tides run SC, swiftly that &C.
cnrnte soundinEs have been difficult to make.
Tho sure but rather disastrous manner OF dis
covering reefs has served to give the names to
several Of these distractions to Navigation.
like Pilgrim Reef, which was nc not known to tho
Coast Survey Office until the Fal! River steam
A survey Of tho newly discovered rccf north
Of Governors Island was ImaIIe by tho officials
found to consist OF two hummocks Of solid
rock. one twenty-five and the other, nineteen
feet below tho surface Of tho water at low tide
The depth Of water between them was thirty
The namc Dlmond Reef. which had disnp-
peurcd from tho pilot charts. was restored and
given to the two. rocks. and Lieut.. Col. Giles
pie OF the Engineer Corrs proceeded to, tho
completed Five thousand six hundred and
tons OF rock wore removed by drill
md surface blnsting and dredging. 4 hori-
1ontal steel bar has been passed over the SPOT
'or the purpose Of proving that not n single
Of rock Is nearer tho surface than
wenty-siN feet ut the lowest tide.
Tho broken rock that was removed. with all
othcr rocks that the engineers have removed
rom the bed OF the harbor was dumped into a |
ioep holo opposite East Eighty ninth street. |
Tear the point of Blackwells. Island. When
ho War Department began to NAL thu: a
dumping ground. soundinrs showed depth
thousands Of tons of rock have been thrown |
nto tho hole. but it has ~ feet OF water now
Another reef opposite Houston street in the |
East River is covered By only sixteen feet of |
vptrr. A tank Steamship grounded on it the |
oon to remove it. He is ut present dovotine
lis efforts to the removal of the reef opposite |
cast rhirty,tou street and Shell Reef. op
,oste East Ninth street.
The photography Of Dimond Reef is disputed
,ctween the Coast Survey and the Engineer
'orps. tho former nd herring to tho old spelling
-Dimonl-.and tho latter inserting an ada.
nond. 1t Is said that an engineer misspelled
he name in an early report on the reef. and
he u" has been retained over since.