New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-10
DISCUSS HARBOR TOYS.
Representatives Of Shipping Inter
e8ts Here IN Conference.

A conferences Of business men representing the
shipping interests Of this port was held on BridaT
1T the ONCE OF Commander Harry H. Hosey' Su-
psryiscr OF the Port of New-York. Those present
we're Commander Hosiev Gustav II. Schwab, rep
resenting the transatlantic iinersi w L GuAlsnden'
president of the Old Dominion Steamship Company,
representing coastwise steamers Senator D. T.
Chase Pennsylvania Railroad Company, represent
ing the railroad ferries; Edgar T. Luckenbsch
Iuckenbach Towing Company. representing coast
wiss and ocean towing; Eugene E. Moran. Moran
Towing and Transportation Company. representing
harbor and sea towing interests Fred CoykendaIL
Hudson River towing companies. and p G Toneaus
representing the Sandy Hook Pilot Association.
The question Of kawser towing. spoken OF IN
The Tribune last week, and the serious menace
Il is to navigation In the channels Of the Lower
Bay under present conditions, was fully discussed
Last year total OF eighteen million yards OF ma
teria consisting of harbor dredging street sweep
ings cellar dirt and refuse. disposed OF at the
dumping ground of Scotland LightshtP To dispose
Of this vast amount Of material required the ser
vices Of sixty tugs and hundred and twenty
scows for each working day, For the relief OF thia
amount Of traffic and to permit Of it's passage in
and out Of the harbor there is at present only
one channel open for its use, the Gcdney channel.
This channel is situated that it is used by all
the coasting steam vessels. some Of the smaller
transatlantic liners. and ali Of the coastwise sailing
vessels The mud and refuse towing feet makes
an almost unbroken line Of traffic. When It is
considered that TO use the Gedney Channel this
feet with its scows and b2rges must cross the
path Of the transatlantic liners four times and at
the same time rub in the same channel with
the coastwse feet, the initiated appreciate
the dangers of catastrophe which the government
is inviting in not having special channel for this
mud feet TO use in going to and from the dumping
grounds. That there has not been serious acci-
Gent is due to the skilful handling of these tows
by the captains OF the tugs CT this port. Among
all classes OF men a few negligent and incompetent
Will be found. and so it is among the towboat
men, and to these few the blame of careless navt-
cation and the wrath Of the Lighthouse Depart
ment ts brought down on the towing fraternity
generally.
At Fridays meeting Iaany plans were suggested
TO obviate the dangers and to relieve congestion IN
the Lower Bay caused by the towing feet. After
q long discussion the plan suggested by Eugene F,
Moran unanimously adopted. Mr., Moran's
plan is to move the present dumping ground to
position north by west of the Sandy Hook Light
ship deepen the present Coney Island channel to
depth Of twenty feet, at mean low water, and
buoy the channel at points indicated chart
submitted to the committee.
The committee called on Major Marshall, who is
in charge OF harbor improvements, to ascertain the
cost Of the suggested Improvement of Coney Island
Channel. Major Marshall approved of the plan
suggested, and stated that the original cost would
be in the neighborh0od Of $4,000. and the main
up the matter with Chairman Burton Of the River
and Harbor Committee, and with the assistance
Of Lieutenant Commander L R De Stiguer who
succeeds Commander Hosey Supervisor Of the
Port he expects to obviate the difficult navigation
OF the Lower Bay channels.