Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-06-17


 marched in the parade There were more than l3O floats in the procession represent ing tho different industries of tLe north side. Tho Webb school of ShipbuildinS was represented by a large float bearing the partly finished model of a ship which the students wero putting together as they went
 The parade started from the foot of West One Hundred and Thirtieth street at the samo time that the naval parade started at Spuyten Duyvil and marched along Manhattan street. Ono Hundred and Twenty fifth street and Madison avenue across the Madison avenue bridge, Tho land and naval paradcs arrived at the bridge at the same hour and were review cd together from there, Then the land pa rado proceeded along One Hundred and Thirty ii Lhth street to the rendezvous at Oak Point Governor Morton and other dis,nitaries were present.
 The feature of the day was a ceremony symhuliAing the joining of the waters of the Hudson river and the sound. A young woman dipped tlas'; of water from the Hudson as the parado started and when il came to anchor at Nak Point she poured the water into the sound. Tho Helmonts. Astors, Gouverueur Morris and other large land owners whose lands will he greatly tnnbnCtCl Ill NaluS anu WHO WILL SeS tho most valuH out uf tho canal have contrib utrd larg'.y to the expenses of the cole hratiun
 cut Through Marble Hin.
 Whom tho problem of connecting the Hudson at Spuyten Duyvil with tho head water of the Harlem river first confronted tho engineers the plan of simply drpdg ing thr Spuytou Iuyvil creek to tho need cd dimensions was proposed.
 It was fnund, however, that this would be most expensive work. inHsmuch as the bed of the creek is Of solid rock whore it winds ahuut Marle hill at Eiugsbridge, and the routo is too long and tortuous. I ho most direct route and simplest method were followed.
 The engineers profted by the soft mud bod of the creek until it reached Marble hill and tlTn made a straight cut through that rocky hill to the Harlem river. say ing fully half mile
 So now ship passing from the Hud- son river to the sound enters the canal at Spuyten Duyvil, where the creek runs through the break in the hills that skirt the eastern bank of the river. up the broadened. deepened bed of the creek for three quarters of a mile to where the canal turns and goes through the great cut in Marble hill, and thence through to
 
 river to the sound.
 The first suadetul of earth taken from the canal was lifted from the western side of Marble hill on Jan. 2l, 1SSS. At that time the hill, now covered with preten- tious houses and cottages was dotted with rickety cabins inhabited by Italians One of these. which had a ground area of 19 square feet. was built entirely of macaroni boxes, and. according to the old inhabit- ants of Spuyten Duyvil. was a wonderful structure in appearance.
 The cutting through this hill was the hardest nut the engineers had to crack. Today the work is complete 4 broad waterway 1000 feet in length joins the Spuyten Duyvil and the Harlem river where once little Dykman's creek ran.
 The cut is $50 feet wide at its narrowest point. which is in the middle, and 400 feet wide at its greatest. The mean depth of the water at low tide is Is feet The least depth that exists at present. between the Hudson and the Harlem is ten feet.
 To appreciate the work that has been accomplished one must stand on the new draw bridge where the Kingsbridge road crosses the canal and look up at the pre- cipitato rise of solid white limestone rock at either side which in one place sheers out of the water to height of 70 feet, From this point is seen the seven acres of land on the western side of the hill which Is piled high with the stone from the ex- cavatiOn.
 In addition to making the big cut the Spuyten Duyvil creek had to be dredged for three quarters of a mile until an aver age width of l4O feet and an average depth of ten feet had been obtained In two places, In order to avoid too sharp turns and to shorten the course. an entirely new waterway was cut out of the marshy ground.
 During the construction of the canal the excavations in Marble hill were flood ed four times, the dams which held out the water giving way. In the first three instances the water had to be pumped out. The last time was in April, 1893. when the dam at the eastern end broke and the place was prematurely filled with water At this time. however. the work was almost finished. The little rock that remained to be removed was blasted and dredged out.
 As tho result of tho construction of th' ship canal 1t is expected that the Harlem river will eventually be lined with docks and the pressure on the water front st th' lower end of the city will h0 relieved, Ant