The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-17
DEEP HOLES IN THE HUDSON.
The Rivers Deepest Spot is Near West
Point.

The Rivers Deepest Spot is Near West
Point.
| Attention was called recently to the
deep hole in the Hudson river off Fort
Washington Point by the suggestion
from the chief of engineers of the army
| that the enormous mass of stone eXca-
waited from Dyckmans Cut might be
dumped there. How to get rid of the
stone with the least expense is a pro-
blem, and, though General Wilson has
concluded that another Misunderstanding
the stone upon land purchased for the
purpose--would be more economical
than throwing it into the Hudson, the
fact that there is deep spot in the
channel available as dumping ground
for the three hundred and forty thou
sand tons of broken rock is somewhat
interesting.
The depth of the river In the channel
at mean low water from the Battery up
to Haverstraw bay, beyond Sing Sing.
varies, generally speaking, between
about three and half and seven faith
oms. In two or three places-such as
the stretch from Canal street UP to
Fourteenth street, and from near the up
per end of Central Park northward for
about a mile-the average depth is lit
tie more, ranging from eight to eleven
fathoms, but above Fort Washington
| Point there Is scarcely a spot, as far as
| Sing Sing, where more than seven faith
ons are usually found. Directly off the
Point, however, the hole referred to af-
fords striking exception 1t has
depth of more than twenty-four faith
oms Gone hundred and forty-four feeD,
and this very near the shore. The deep
water extends for some distance. for
about a quarter of a mile below the
sounding line gives twenty and one-half
fatfoms. Thence it shoals gradually
southwark, until mile below the Point,
| it has come down to nine and one-half
fathoms North of the Point the regu-
lar five or six fathom depth begins al
most Immediately.
| The deepest stretch of the Hudson is
in it's course through the Highlands,
where the magnificent bluffs rise sheer
from the water and extend as perpen-
dcularly far below its surface. In this
part of the river the depth is seldom
less than twelve ,fathoms, and for most
of the way is considerably more than
that. Almost directly after leaving
Haverstraw bay, where the river pre-
sents the widest eXpanse of its entire
course and is comparatively shallow af-
fording only four or five fathoms in the
channel the deep water begins Off the
long, low point known as Kidd's Hum
bug which makes out from the eastern
base of the frowning Dunderberg, the
depth has already reached eleven faith
oms. This is on the west bank, and
from there northward and diagonally
across to Anthony's Nose, on the east
ern shore, thirteen fathoms is the least
water From Anthonys Nose to the re-
mains of Fort Montgomery, nearly op-
posite, though trife further up on the
west bank, the depth reaches sixteen
fathoms. 1t was between these two
places that distractions of chains, boom
and chevaux-de-frise were placed, early
in 1777 with the hope of checking the
British advance up the river. They
were ineffective however, for the ships
of Sir Henry Clinton succeeded in re-
moving them in October of that year
and in capturing the forts From Fort
Montgomery up to West Point, dis
lance of five miles, there are twelve and
one-half or thirteen fathoms Of water all
the way. Then, in the sharp bend just
above West Point where the Hudson
runs almost directly east for about half
a mile, there is a spot which can boast
of being the deepest hole in the entire
two hundred and sixty miles Of the riv-
er's length. Between Constitution is
land, which is near the east bank, and
the north side of West Point, the bend
is locally known as the Worlds End
and a line dropped in the channel there
will go down thirty-six fathoms before
it touches bottom. The river is very
narrow at this place, being barely a
quarter of mile wide. 1t was here, be-
tween West Point and Constitution is
land, that the famous great chain, re
mains of which are still preserved in
Albany and at other places, was
stretched across the river on a log boom
in 1873 to prevent the ascent of British
vessels. But its strength was not put to
the test, for the British never got so far
up the river, after their expedition of
two years before. From the Worlds |
End on upward to the southern base Of |
the mountain known as the Crows Nest, |
a little more than a mile, the water is
still very deep, measuring twentyfour |
fathoms-the same as that In the hole |
off Fort Washington Point. Near New !
burg, about five miles above the Crows |
Nest, there are thirteen fathoms.
The last really deep spot of the river |
is that at Blue Point, about twelve miles |
above NeWburg, where the stream Is not !