New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-26
RUSH CHANNEL WORK
Large Vessels May Enter Hdrbor
Through NeU Course Soon.

The army engineers engaged in dredging the
Ambrose Channel now bending all their en-
ergy to completing clear stretch one thousand
feet wide OF the required depth Of forty feet The
channel when finished will be two thousand feet
wide. and when the first half Is completed, so that
the dredges be drawn to one side for work on
the other half, 1t is the intention of Colonel w
Roessler who is in charge of the project TO throw
open the channel least to all the larger vessels
entering the harbor.
At present while active dredging is going on in
the direct path of incoming vessels only those
drawing twenty-nine feet and six hundred
feet In length admitted, which limits
the of the channel the Lusitania, the Maure-
tania and TWO Of the German steamers.
The latest charts Of the channel show that com
paratvely little dredging remains TO be done be-
fore il be made a less exclusive gateway with
out retarding the work. The last official report
gives the depth the channel thirty-seven feet,
which means that in no spot in that half OF the
channel which most Of the work is now being
done is the depth less than thirtyseven feet. AS
matter OF fact this half has already been dredged
70 n depth OF forty feet over almost its entire
area There is however a bit Of middle ground
which the soundings show is thirtynine feet deep
and in a few spots" which look on the chart
about the size of a quarter but in reality are as
large a good sized house lot the depth is about
thrty-eight feet.
The project was authorized by Congress in 1899
and work II has been going on ever since
Colonel RoessIer says 1t will take at least two
years more TO complete the channel Four sea
going dredges-the Manhattan, the Atlantic the
Raritan and the Navesink-are kept continually
busy scooping out the sand and rocks One thing
that has delayed the work and made IL more ex-
pensive than first contemplated Is the pres
of large quantity OF loose rock, which seems
have been dumped there. as on a common dump
ing ground, before the days of the harbor police
This IS being removed by clamshell dredgess The
total amount Of material removed up 10 the present
time is - 90 eco cubic yards.
A survey boat is kept work all the time taking
soundings to plot the channel and take immediate
account Of the changing depth The channel al
present is buoyed for the convenience OF the dfedg
ers and not for general purposes Of navigation
But the harbor pilots keep in close touch with the
engineers and receive maps Of the channel ana
buoys whenever there has been a change or suf-
fcfent Importance to make this necessary.
The main ship channel by which vessels enter
the harbor now is thousand feet wide and has
a depth Of only thirty feet at low water. 1t was
completed in 1891. with the removal Of 4s15'"r
square yards Of material One dredge has been con-
stantlZ employed in its maintenance since Colonel
Roessler thought that when the Ambrose Channel
had been completed II and the main ship channe!
would be used interchangably by ali incoming and
outgoing craft But this will be question for the
harbor police 20 settle.