HELL GATE, a narrow part of the East River between Long Island and Manhattan and on the east and west sides of Ward's Island. The passage between Ward's and Randall's Is land is called Little Hell Gate. It was called Helle Gat by the Dutch settlers of New York. The rocks which were in Hell Gate were of such form and so situated as to make navigation i dangerous, and the difference in the times and heights of the two tides which enter East River increased the dangers. The East River receives at one extremity the Sound tide and at the other the tide from off Sandy Hook. sailing vessel out of every was the pro portion damaged seriously when trying to pass through the channel between the reefs. Much had been said and written about the necessity of doing something to remove or at least lessen the dangers of Hell Gate, and officials of the United States navy, Lieutenants Davis and Porter, made a survey of Hell Gate in 1848. They reported the necessity of making the chan nel safe, and suggested the destruction of some Of the most dangerous rocks, but nothing was done until the year 1851, when the work of destroying the rocks was begun. The process used was that of surface-blasting introduced by Maillefert. A portion of some of the rocks was removed, but this method of overcoming the dangers to navigation was found practically useless. In 1866 another survey was made by Brevet-Maj.-Gen. John Newton of the United States Engineer Corps, and in 1867 he sub mitted his report, in which he advised the removal of the reefs— the work to be done by blasting, and the drilling of the surface to be made from a fixed platform. Soon after the work of making Hell Gate safely navigable was resumed and placed in charge of John Newton. For the work Newton invented a steam-drilling cupola scow, which served as a transport and a working platform from which the drilling-en gines were operated. The new machine proved
satisfactory. A new system of explosion had to be devised in order to protect Ward's and Randall's islands and Astoria. Diamond, Coenties, and Ways reefs were removed, also Rock, ock, before operations were begun on Hallett's Point Reef. The last mentioned was an obstacle to both large and small vessels. The excavations, begun in October 1869, were completed in June 1875. The drilling was com pleted 25 March 1876. The area operated upon was about three acres. The method of ex plosion was most successful. No damage was done to the windows or buildings near; it had no perceptible effect on the air, but little on the water, and the underground shock was slight, but was perceptible on Manhattan and the western part of Long Island. The removal of Flood Rock, which was in the middle of Hell Gate, made the navigable capacity of the char nel more than double. The work of removing this most formidable obstruction was begun 7 June 1875. Lack of funds caused delay, and the explosion did not take place until 10 Oct.
1885. For the removal of Flood Rock about nine acres were tunneled and drilled; and the aggregate length of the tunnels was 21,670 feet, and of the dnll holes, 113,102 feet. The object sought to be gained by removing the rocks and reefs was to make a channel of the uniform depth of 26 feet and of sufficient width for the largest steamers. Dredging which has since been in progress together with the rock re moval by blasting now provide a channel 200 feet in width at the narrowest point and with a depth of 26 feet through Hell Gate. A rail road bridge, with a steel span of 977.5 feet sup ported on concrete bents was constructed across the East River at Hell Gate in