New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-03

F1c IN TWO MONTHs-How THE LOWER
HARBoR WILL THEN EE RELIEVED.
The desire of John Jacob Aston to be the first to
send boat through the Harlem Ship Canal was
rude,y interfered with Wednesday. when Inc
tug Lillian NJ. Hardy made the trip. MI. As'or
owns a great deal OF property along the canai ana
was therefore interested in it. He hoped 10 so
through Il his launch
1t is probable that the canal will be IN reauness
for NAVIGATION within sixty days 1t will be
waterway not less than nine feet deep al an! pm
at low water. and varying In width from y' , "
feet. Under a contract made by the 'n'eu $50 49,,
Government with the Morris ~ 'u"I's7 'e9
COMPANY dated April q. 1S'5. WORK az 'i'o va,
through Dyckman Meadow was vigorously Cd, ~
on ,tiI last nber when operations were cIoSeh
on account of unfavorable weather "ork VIII oe
resumed by the company as soon as the u""ee' ~
boov, storms and winter weather mas passed. prop
ah1,. before the end of March, and If nothing un-
oxnec,e1 interveneS the contract WORK shouiu De
completed in months. The excavation OF
noes Of broken rock near the broadway crossing
the removal of two dams and some dredging WORK
are all that remain to be done under the Morris
& Cummings contract and that are necessary to open
a navicah,e channel from the mouth of the Har-
lem River to the mouth of Spuyten Duyvi Creek.
This channel will afford safe passage for canal
boats lighters towboas and craft OF not more than
eight feet draught 1t will not be obstructed
by the various bridges that span 1t. these have
been constructed or altered allow free passage
In spite of inadequate appropriations. damage by
storm and various vexatous delays. the work has
gone forwarixn a fairly satisfactory manner and
the Harlem Ship Canal, first projected in 1874. Will
probably be open by the Is; of May, and Manhat-
tan Island will tnen be of an island than ever
The citizens living near the new canal are en-
thusiastc prospect Of approa ching open
ing. and they will celebrate the affair with an APP
propriae demonstration. The increase in value OF
properties situated along the new waterway ana
suita1!e LOT WnaridSe nuSineSs;; ana he eonsd
cradle. 1t is the benefit TO river traffic however
that Will make the work Of the Harlem snip canal
apparent in the greatest degree The canal VIII
only be of advantage to canal-boat and lighter
the southern part Of the city from many of the
small craft and unweldy lows of canal-boats mar
and captains OF sea going steamers and OF ferry.
boats and other large craft Boats coming down me
Island Sound. and boats bound in the opposite d-
reetion. of all OF which there are great number
every year loaded with brick. lumber. truck. ice
coal. etc. viii be able to make the "shor; CUT
from one side Of Sew,York Eiiy to the other ,so,
after navigation is opened. is sure TO show great
amount Of freight handled by the New-York New
Haven and Hartford Railroad Company at TIE
New-York and Putnam Railway Company, near
High Bridge. has hitherto been large. large
Harlem on railroad car-hoats and transfer boats
CONNECTING the railroads termnatng at Meeh nav
land roads. while The general comi mn 81 me
river is handled manly IN Ddfees ana CdlaI-Dodts
In tow of steam tugs and in schOOners
Lieutenant Colonel @. l. Gillespie |. 5. y. the
engineer officer having in charge the Improvement
OF the Hudson River and New-York Harbor. and
of rivers and harbors in their vicinity. New-Iork
and New jersey" and who has had the Harlem
ship Canal operations under his direction and SUI
perVi|ion has devoted much time ana attention TO
providing an unObstructed channel for seagO.ng
vessels bound to and from this port He has 50 far
succeeded in opening free chanel that the steam
ships of onP transatlantic line now leave New
York irrespective of the tides and other companies
dispatching liners from New-Iork have been max
ing inquiries Of him regarding the adoption OF the
same plan An important point. in Lieutenant Colonel
Gillesples estima ton is the Riding of the lower
harbor OF the canal-boat and lighter traffic which
going round the Battery. makes plenty OF trouble
for the large craft The main purpose in building
the Harlem Ship Channel. says the COlOnei. was
attract this slow and troublesome traffic. and b"
expressed a Tribune reporter hope that as soon
as the new waterway was opened II would be
utilized by captains Of craft able 10 make the
passage.
The Improvement OF the canal will be continued
I'm the immediate future with the money appropri-
ated 10y Congress last Augusi-$lZ500l Under THIS
tract 20 deepen and widen the channel let 20
Rttenhouse Il. Moore. OF Mobile. Ala. This CON
tract calls for the dredging OF channel twelve feet
deep and as wide as the Government engineers may
direct and also the building o. pile revct emcnt
The dredging will be done in the Harlem. IN Spuy-
ten Duyyil Creek and in the new cut through Dyck-
man Meadows. and the operations under The 5000
appropriation Will probably be begun as soon as the
weather opens u is possible that through ncgotia
tons already begun the new contractor VIII use the
machines Of New-York company 10 do the work.