New-York tribune., 1900-07-19
SUPERVISING NEW-YORK HARBOR.
LIEUTENANT FREMONT RE-
PORTS TO THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS.

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER FREMONT Rh-
PORTS TO THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS.
washington. July IS (specaD.-Lieutenant Com
wander ! c. Fremont supervisor of the Harhor of
New-York has submitted to the Chief Of Engineers
the annual report of the duties and operations ol
his office for the fiscal year ended June So l9V WIN
an estimate for the fiscal year ending June S0 lSoz
Under the rule adopted the latter is not now made
public. The supervisor says that the a'allo'e
patrol force for the protection OF the cEannels anu
tributary waters from violations of the law pro-
hibiting the deposit Of injurious and obstructive
material consists OF five steam tugs and three
launches The new tug Vigilant inspects the Hud-
son and East rivers and Long Island Sound, max
ing daily reports OF the condition Of all scows and
bumpers receiving mud or other refuse materlal
along the water front. The three tugs. Lamont
Scout and Nimrod. patrol the Bay and Harbor day
and night TO the deposit Of material outside
the HarbOr at the points designated on the per-
mits issued from the supervisors office. TO prevent
the deposit of stone and other ballast by incoming
vessels at any point north OF Sandy Hook hghtship
and to enforce the provisions of the River and Har
Dor act of August H. 1894 forbiddng small craft to
engage in oyster or shell fishing the main chan
nels In addition the master of the Sandy Hook
Lightshp makes daily report, giving the name
and time OF all toVes passing bound out All tows.
the supervisor bs8Ssc containing prohibited matter
are therefore- practically under surveillance from
time theyi leave the loading point until dis
charged The launches Active and Alert, for lack
of funds. have not been brought out during the
year The engines are old and not worth repairing.
The launch Lookout is stationed in the Kills to
watch the waters around Staten Island the entrance
to Newark Bay and the Passaic and Raritan rivers.
The Nimrod lacks facilities for quick handling and
efficient patrol work night. The steam tug
Argus is maintained an auxiliary.
Lieutenant Commander Fremont says:
The establishment to maintain this office. how
supervision over the customary, and regular work
of this harbor and the neghbOrhood, coming under
its Jurisdiction
Here follows an important suggestion. The Su-
pervsor alludes the authority vested in him to
prescribe the limits within which IT shall be law
full TO deposit material saying that such limits
within the law might be fixed at such a distance
seaward from the mouth of the harbor as to amply
protect the channels; but the character and type
Of boats now used IN this work such to
preclude their venturing sufficiently far from the
coast under all conditions of weather. He adds
that the policy of his office has been gradually to
extend the limits within which the deposit of ref
use matter must not be made and by vigilance.
compelling strict compliance with the law and reg
uIations to open some cheaper method of final dis
position The largest and most injurious deposits
come from city refuse, and when the city has
demonstrated that its waste be expeditiously
disposed of shore. little difficulty will be
perienced in bringing about a similar disposition
of cellar dirt
The report contains letter from Lieutenant
Commander Fremont to the Secretary OF War,
dated January 10, 1900 concerning the gradual
shoaling of the dumping ground at the mud buoy
two and half miles south of Coney Island He
also furnishes copies of circulars dated in Feb
ruary ending with which gives notice that
and after September l, 1900. the point of deposit
for all refuse material proceeding to under the
cognizance of the Supervisors office will be a
point not less than half mile to the southwark
and eastward of Sandy Hook Lightship Again
the Supervisor says:
The effect Of the increased patrol force is shown
IN the marked abatement OF Illicit deposit. and
manifest in the noticeable Improvement In the
dition of the waters OF the harbor and bay There
is still much difficulty in controlling the deposit OF
ashes from small craft in the harbOr.
He regrets that the State Legislature has not as
yet acted the amendment suggested by him.
He states what has been accomplished in connec-
tion with the long tows in the harbor and the
smoke nuisance. As to the former. the Treasury
Department is formulating a general bill The
House of Representatives reported measure miti-
eating the smoke nuisance. pending which the
| Standard Oil Company has stopped using soft coal
In the fiscal year 1891 sos cubic yards of material
mud city refuse, garbage, cellar dirt, ashes lime
etc.-were moved and deposited outside the harbor
at properly designated places and behind bulk
| heads.