Identifier: appletonsannualc13newy (find matches)
Title: Appleton's annual cyclopedia and register of important events: embracing political, military, an ecclesiastical affairs; public documents; biography, statistics, commerce, finance, literature, science, agriculture, and mechanical industry
Year: 1875 (1870s)
Authors:
Subjects: Encyclopedias and dictionaries
Publisher: New York: Appleton
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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important works recently un-dertaken by the United States Government isthe deepening of the channel in New Yorkharbor. In view of the greater length anddeeper draft of ocean steamers, it has becomenecessary to deepen the channels, and at thesame time to straighten them, because quickturns are impossible for very long ships. Largesteamers are obliged to fix their hours of sail-ing so as to reach the bar at high tide, and in-ward bound vessels are frequently obliged toanchor outside and wait for high water. In1884 an appropriation of $200,000 was madeby Congress for the improvement of Gedneyschannel, and Col. G. L. Gillespie, of the UnitedStates Corps of Engineers, was directed to makea survey with a view to determining the bestcourse of procedure. The result of carefulsoundings showed that no shoaling whateverhad taken place since the first accurate coastsurvey of 1835, a channel twenty-three feetdeep having been maintained by the naturalscour of the tides. It was held, therefore, that
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304 ENGINEERING. the natural forces were adequate only to main-taining this depth, and that a greater depthcould be secured only by contracting the tidalprism. To effect this, it was recommendedthat a dike be built from near Coney Islandin a southwesterly direction toward SandyHook. Such a dike would close two of theleast used channels, but would increase thenatural scour of the Main and Swash channelsand would presumably deepen them to thirtyfeet at mean low water. The appropriation, however, was specifi-cally for the deepening of Gedneys channel, wheels near the deck. The scoop is loweredto the bottom, where it runs on wheels. Thesteel connecting pipe contains a ball-and-socketjoint, and includes also a short length of heavyIndia-rubber pipe re-enforced with steel bands,in order to prevent breakage when the vesselis rolling or pitching in a seaway. By meansof a steam jet connected with the top of thecentrifugal pump, a vacuum is produced withinthe pump and pipe, under the effects of

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