{"product_id":"opening-the-east-river-9781476682983","title":"Opening the East River","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e   After the Civil War, the New York City''s East River was a massive unsolved and dangerous navigation problem. A major waterway into and out of the Harbor--where customs revenue equaled 42 percent of the U.S. Government''s income--the river''s many hindrances, centered around Hell Gate, included whirlpools, rocks and reefs. These, combined with swirling currents and powerful tides, led to deaths, cargo losses and destruction of vessels.  Charged with clearing the river, General John Newton of the Army Corps of Engineers went to work with the most rudimentary tools for diving, mining, lighting, pumping and drilling. His crews worked for 20 years, using a steam-drilling scow of his own design and a new and perilous explosive--nitroglycerine.  In 1885, Newton destroyed the nine-acre Flood Rock with 282,730 pounds of high explosives. The demolition was watched by tens of thousands. This book chronicles the clearing of the East River and the ingenuity of the Army engineer whose work wa\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface\t1\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction\t3\u003cbr\u003eOne. A City of Islands\t5\u003cbr\u003eTravel on Land\t6\u003cbr\u003eNew York, a Maritime City\t7\u003cbr\u003eThe Sandy Hook Problem\t8\u003cbr\u003eThe East River Passage\t9\u003cbr\u003eFulton on the Hudson\t10\u003cbr\u003eClinton's Ditch\t12\u003cbr\u003eShipbuilding, Commerce and New York City\t14\u003cbr\u003eFamed Ships and Shipbuilders\t14\u003cbr\u003eTwo. The Business of the City\t18\u003cbr\u003eSome Studies Are Begun\t18\u003cbr\u003eThe Channels of the East River\t19\u003cbr\u003eFrom Throgs Neck to Little Hell Gate\t20\u003cbr\u003eLittle Hell Gate\t20\u003cbr\u003eHallet's Point Reef\t21\u003cbr\u003eChanges in Ships and Ship Building\t23\u003cbr\u003eThe First Glimmer of Funds\t25\u003cbr\u003eCoasters\t25\u003cbr\u003eMaillefert at Work\t28\u003cbr\u003eThe Politics of Funding\t29\u003cbr\u003eThree. General Newton Takes Command\t31\u003cbr\u003eNewton Is Chosen\t33\u003cbr\u003eThe City Changes\t36\u003cbr\u003eFerries, Pilots, and The News\t37\u003cbr\u003eNewton Designs the Projects\t39\u003cbr\u003eSome Solutions, Some Problems\t44\u003cbr\u003eNewton Includes Nitroglycerin\t45\u003cbr\u003eFour. Newton's Needs\t47\u003cbr\u003ePlanning and Progress\t47\u003cbr\u003eHazards and Virtues of Nitroglycerine\t50\u003cbr\u003eThe East River Association\t52\u003cbr\u003eAt Work with Sidney Shelbourne and Benjamin S.H. Maillefert Again\t56\u003cbr\u003eThe Case of the Thatcher Magoun\t59\u003cbr\u003eWork Begins on the Reef at Hallet's Point\t61\u003cbr\u003eFive. Newton Adapts\t64\u003cbr\u003eThe First Steps\t64\u003cbr\u003eShips and Vanderbilt's Trains\t66\u003cbr\u003eDockage and Piers\t67\u003cbr\u003eDespite Nitroglycerine's Deadly Accidents Newton Trusts It\t68\u003cbr\u003eNewton's Confidence\t70\u003cbr\u003eSix. Newton's Marvelous Machine\t73\u003cbr\u003eThe Creation of Newton's Steam Drilling Scow\t73\u003cbr\u003eNitroglycerine Is Studied\t77\u003cbr\u003eThe Handling, Transportation and Storage of Nitroglycerine\t78\u003cbr\u003eNewton Adapts to the Steam Drill\t79\u003cbr\u003eThe Railroads Show Their Promise\t80\u003cbr\u003eHallet's Point Reef: The Tools and the Workers\t81\u003cbr\u003eInterested Parties\t82\u003cbr\u003eThe Danger Remains; the Funds Arrive\t83\u003cbr\u003eSeven. The Scow at Work\t86\u003cbr\u003eProgress with Some Obstacles in the River\t86\u003cbr\u003eChanges in Ships Verify Newton's Work on the River\t87\u003cbr\u003eThe Importance of Julius H. Striedinger\t88\u003cbr\u003eNewton's Refining of the Scow's Operations\t88\u003cbr\u003eThe Accidents Continue and the Tunnels Move Under the River\t90\u003cbr\u003eImprovements in Steam Drills and Other Tools\t91\u003cbr\u003eEight. The Long Depression Begins\t95\u003cbr\u003eThe Work Goes On Even as the Appropriations Fall Short\t95\u003cbr\u003eNewton's Additional Duties on the Hudson as the Economy Crashes\t96\u003cbr\u003eAdvantages and Dangers of Nitroglycerine\t98\u003cbr\u003eDivers and the Positioning of Explosives\t99\u003cbr\u003eChanges and Adaptations in American Shipping\t101\u003cbr\u003eHallet's Point Reef Preparation Continues\t102\u003cbr\u003eNewton's Jurisdiction Extends into Vermont\t103\u003cbr\u003eExplosives, Fuses and Continuing Dangers\t103\u003cbr\u003eThe Newton Steam Drilling Scow at Work\t107\u003cbr\u003eChanges in Newton's Plan\t108\u003cbr\u003eTwo Rocks and a Reef: The Frying Pan, Way's Reef, and Pot Rock\t110\u003cbr\u003eSpuyten Duyvel and the Harlem River\t110\u003cbr\u003eUp and Down the River\t113\u003cbr\u003eClose to the Finish\t114\u003cbr\u003eNine. Newton's Many Plans\t118\u003cbr\u003eThe Country Is Attentive\t118\u003cbr\u003eHallet's Point Reef\t119\u003cbr\u003eA Decision on Explosives\t121\u003cbr\u003eMaking the Cartridges\t123\u003cbr\u003eWiring the Cartridges\t125\u003cbr\u003eConnecting the Wires\t127\u003cbr\u003eThe Danger Remained\t129\u003cbr\u003eThe City Reacts\t130\u003cbr\u003eTen. Newton's Triumph of Science\t133\u003cbr\u003eThe Crowds Assemble\t133\u003cbr\u003eBlast Time\t139\u003cbr\u003eReaction and Judgment\t140\u003cbr\u003eEleven. Newton's Aim of 26 Feet\t146\u003cbr\u003eNewton's Second Decade\t146\u003cbr\u003eSome Results\t147\u003cbr\u003eA Challenge\t148\u003cbr\u003eNewton's Argument\t148\u003cbr\u003eDelays at Hell Gate\t149\u003cbr\u003eThe New York Central\t151\u003cbr\u003eThe Delays Go On\t152\u003cbr\u003eThe Harlem River Studied Again\t153\u003cbr\u003eTwelve. Newton's Work Slows\t155\u003cbr\u003eNewton's Strategy\t155\u003cbr\u003eProgress at Flood Rock\t156\u003cbr\u003eExpanding the Site\t159\u003cbr\u003eNewton Considers\t162\u003cbr\u003eInterest Increases\t164\u003cbr\u003eOther Projects at the Same Time\t165\u003cbr\u003eThe Working Force\t167\u003cbr\u003eSlowdown of 1882–1883\t167\u003cbr\u003eNewton in Charge\t169\u003cbr\u003eThirteen. Newton Readies the Explosion\t172\u003cbr\u003eStrategies Are Decided\t172\u003cbr\u003ePreparing the Cartridges\t176\u003cbr\u003eInstalling the Cartridges\t178\u003cbr\u003eThe Guests and the Police\t179\u003cbr\u003eExplosions Explained\t180\u003cbr\u003eFourteen. Newton's Violent Triumph\t182\u003cbr\u003eSaturday Night Preparations Before the Sunday Blast\t182\u003cbr\u003eSunday Morning's Tasks\t183\u003cbr\u003eBlast Time\t186\u003cbr\u003eNewton Arrives at the Firing Point\t187\u003cbr\u003eAfter the Blast\t190\u003cbr\u003eEstimates of Work to Be Done\t193\u003cbr\u003eSome Measurements of the Explosion\t194\u003cbr\u003eFifteen. Newton's Last Decade\t195\u003cbr\u003eDeath\t196\u003cbr\u003eHonors\t196\u003cbr\u003eA Gazetteer of the East River Obstructions\t201\u003cbr\u003eChapter Notes\t207\u003cbr\u003eBibliography\t215\u003cbr\u003eIndex\t225\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"McFarland \u0026 Co Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51040483443031,"sku":"9781476682983","price":24.64,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781476682983.jpg?v=1750946892","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/opening-the-east-river-9781476682983","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}