New-York tribune., 1896-10-04
VAST WATERFRONT PLANS.
DEEP CHANNELS, BIG WAREHOUSES;
AND EXTENSIVE PIERS
HOW REAL ESTATE WILL BE BENEFITED By TIL
IMPROVED wATERwAYs-A TALK WITH

JOHN W. AMBROSE.
The projected deepening and widening Of the
channels in the Upper Bay, plans for which
have been prepared by John w. Ambrose anI
others. will have great effect in developing the
Brooklyn waterfront along the Gowanus shore
and still further advance the values along the
entire front by admitting vessels of the deeper
draught to the Brooklyn piers.
The removal of Red Hook Shoa will open up
splendid waterway through Buttermiik Chan-
mel. There is already a ship channel through
1t 500 feet wide. but the entire shoal must be
cleared out and the waterway ultimately deep
ened to thirty-five feet in order that Brooklyn
may enjoy the full advantages provided by
nature in her magnificent waterfront
There is now depth of thirty feet on the
Sandy Hook bar but that was only gained by
fifteen years of rncessant labor and the ex-
penditure of 81 ,5OO0O1 1t is still far too lit
tie, in view of the big ships now In course of
construction, which are only the precursors of
others larger still.
John w. Ambrose. by his energy and cease
less work. has succeeded in obtaining for the
local improvements named appropriations APP
preaching S110000O Mr. Ambrose is well
known in connection with Ambrose Park and
as the president of the Thirty-ninth-st. ferry
enterprise. Speaking of his experiences at
Washington Mr. Ambrose said yesterday:
-"When went before the Committee on Rivers
and Harbors and asked for an appropriation for
the Bay Ridge Channel one Of the members said:
oh here's another fellow from NewYork who
wants money: it seems TO me that out of every 81
appropriated New-York gets S4 80 When
heard this l replied: Gentlemen if you are cor
rect. and if New-York has received 81 80 out Of
each s. appropriated by this committee. then
New York does not deserve one single cent; but
l doubt that New-York has received any such
proportion" l walked away and returned to
Washington with statistican and set to work
We dug up every harbor appropriation bill ever
passed. beginning at 17SS. and went through
them all down to that time. What was the re-
suit? That instead of New-York Harbor having
received nine tenths of the appropriations Tor
such works she had received barely one-tenth.
/ went before the committee again. and secured
part at least of what / asked for. But these ap-
preparations are not granted by Congress on mere
application They say: You must go to the Sec
retary of War and get the opinion Of the oincers
employed for this purpose as to the cost necessi-
ty value of the work and on and when we
have these details we will consider the matter
These being compiled with. when / asked for a
o6-foot channel along Bay Ridge. 1000 feet wide,
they agreed to give a 21-foot channel 4oV feet
wide Now there is large appropriation for the
widening of this channel, Red Hook Channel and
the removal of Red Hook Shoal. Better Sui.
the contract is continuous, and there VIII DE no
stop to the work. 1t can be done much more
cheapy in this way If 1t was not continuous 'he
W. H. Beard Dredging Company would propaoiy
have asked II cents a yard for the work instead
of Il cents the present price. l was an interest
ed spectator at the opening OF the Dids the other
day at the Army Building. and was pleased 10
see that the Beard people got the contract DIS
they are the only local firm that has piah' lot
the work owning dipper dredges The ordinary
clamshel dredges will take up the first four feet
of soft mud all right. but underneath that comes
the hard sand, that nothing but dipper dredge
can remove.
There is an appropriation of S2o.OOO TOT the
digging out of the last few hundred feet OF the
Gowanus Canal up to and west OF Hamhtoh-
ave- bridge. 1t is fifteen years since got the
first appropriation Of 100000 for that work My
interests there were sold and the other owners
succeeded in getting 100000 of the second Sloo.-
Ono in driblets They asked me to aid them. ana
7 went to Washington and got the balance at
once When this last sum is appropriated 'here
will be 26 feet of water from the Atlantic ocean
to Hamilton bridge. and there Is a water
way of 1870 feet wide and 20 feet deep IN the Red
Hook channel. Ultimately. hope to see all the
channels 30 feet deep the Bay Ridge channel
loo feet wide and the Red Hook channel l'-Vo
feet vide one great advantage these chahheis
will have is that they will never silt up having
been once dug out.
CURIOUS FACT ABOUT TIDES.
az will tell YOU curious thing in this connec-
tion which learned after years OF investigation
and studying the conditions Of the harbor OF
New-York Not a drop of Hudson River water
ever enters the East River All the water In the
latter comes either from the Sound or the ocean
The shape of Manhattan Island gives the Hud-
son River a natura! trend toward the Jersey
shore This is increased by the obstruction Of
Governors Island and the current OF the East
River. The shoal south of Governors Island and
parallel to the Bay Ridge shore. known as the
Middle Ground shoal, still further throws the
current to the westward. What is the cOnse-
ouence? The Hudson draining millions of acres
In its watershed. carries down a vast quantity Of
sand in suspension reaching each day TO an
enormous number OF cubic yards. This Is 10 be
found in the lower 20 feet of water. In the deep
channel there are 10 feet Of water; of these the
upper 80 are pure the lower ~ are full OF SAND
In suspension. that the sx-mile current IL hurry
ing out TO the ocean. 1t does not all get there'
The piers on the NewYork side begin to project
into the river at about Sixty -fifth-st: each pro-
lection catches the current which forms an EDDY
and the suspended sand gradually sinking to the
bottcm soon fills up the slip. and so requires con-
tinual digging. a similar result occurs on the
Jersey shore. the piers beginning opposite about
Forty-sccond-st. This sand with the western
trend of tho current accounts for the vast area
~ salt meadows accumulated along the Jersey
shore They are all formed from the deposit of
Hudson River sand, accumulated in the course
Of ages. ,,... - J.,
..In the East River the conditions are entirely
different The Long Island shore is low rarely
more than few feet above high water: the Con-
necticut shore Is principally of rock formation, sc
that there Is hardly any detritus held I'm suspen.
sion 10 silt up the slips. and whatever is found In