The sun., 1897-01-31
A DEEPER SHIP CHANNEL.
REPORT OF COL. GILLEsPIE OF TEE
CORPS or EN0TNEERS.

ne Urges That the M-in ChsunsI Ne
Deepesed frou no 60 rs Feet. s.d Essi-
mates the Cost OF Doisg I, 4. Forr Ycsrs
at . Little More Thsa Two Miiiioss.
Under an act OF Congress providing for It,
Col. q. l.. Gillespie Of the Corps Of Engineers,
U. s. A.. who 10 In charge OF hsrbor improve
ments at this port has submitted 10 the SEQ
retary Of War q report . project for the
deepening Of our main ship channel from the
Narrows to the sea. The present depth 10 80
feet at mean low tide. There are vessels coming
to the port with drsueht Of 30I1 feet, so that 1t
IL not possible for them TO cross the bars at low
water and II 10 the desire so to deepen the chan
mel that any ship In the world shall be able to
enter or leave the tArbor At any time irrespec-
tive Of tides.
Col. Gillespie said last evening that his report
had beon received In Washington and extracts
from It had been made public and he thought
the whole would DO put In printed form this
week. He called particular attention In his re-
port not only to the necessity for q deeper chan.
mel, but to the fact Of Now York's right to ask
for any improvement which the interests of
commerce demanded. because this 10 the ma
tional port Of the United States. and work done
toward the Improvement OF the harbor OF Now
York benefits every part Of the Union.
Ono thing tho steamship companies want Is .
wider channel. The present width is !. 900 feet.
Some OF the companies want . $500 foot chan
mel. but that Col. Gillespie considers excessive
Just now. He believes 1000 feet to be ample
for the present, . depth Of 35 feet being more
important now than greater width. and is con-
ndont that with the increased depth once
secured the widening will follow. more water
will do no harm and will not be wasted" he
said. ut will be used every minute To-day the
day. The Greater New York !: .o%ethins ,S.,
II will be Is hardly conceivable. The national
port should have whatever facilities are de.
quired. / have called attention in my report to
upon Congress this neces.iiy for this work.
Congressmen. Chambers OF commerce. Boards
OF Trade. newspapers. all should use their en-
deasor- to bring about favorable action. to show
Congress that II is not q question Of money for
one port, but Of benefit to the whole country.
and perhaps convince them Il were better TO
port Of the country than TO expead the money
on some Of the smaller ports elsewhere"
cisiy eon"srue,sa drsdses would be t.o"lr.S To-
take out tho l2.0o000O cubic yards which It
would be necessary TO br ng up to make chan
work pu, and soss ss. 81 rspor, S S say.
.um uamed is actual cost tsstimated); al
lowing proper return to contractor
ehsnnsl i.o6o feet W wido ' and ID IS feet deep g..
1000 cubic yards OF materials would have TO
be dreuEed up aud the estimated tactuaD cost
is put at $2.772,O00. or S3,326,4o0 At contract
orr' figures.
The dredging alone for a channel of 1000
feet In -idth and 35 feet in depth would cost
IL is -aid. SJ.263. .oo0 and the total lsctuaD cos.
figures S5.0l6.O00.
To com pete . 90 foot channel 1000 feet wide
In four years an enlarged plant would he neces-
sary. Five hredges with annual capacity OF
5O00 cubic yards each would do the work.
BY the use NJ . sixth dredgs the work could DO
done In thee and . halt years. Tho report
says that ali tho material to DO dredged up
could be raised easily ana economically by hy-
draulic pumps.
Col. Gillespie said that when ten years ago
the channel depth was increased from 22ls TO
80 feet erie. went mp from all over that II would
DO impossible to maintain IL. There has been
NO difnculty In maintaining II. and the consid-
Grafton OF maintenance doos not enter into the
question Of a 36-foot channel, he says. as there
would be no trouble In keeping the deeper way
clear.
He says In his report that the main ship chan
mel has shoaled somewhat the west aide be-
tween Quarantine and the Southwest spit
within the past year owing to the cutting OF the
propellers Of tho big steamers. This cutting 10
one OF the effects Incident to tho insu fncieat
depth Of the channel. All Of the shoal,ng, how.
ever. has been cleared away By dredgsa