76 REPORT OF THE 



The action of a strong eastern current on Coney Island, witli 

 this improvement made, would be, to strike the Manhattan 

 shore with great force, being warded that way by the Rockaway 

 bar. Being now retarded on one side by the jetties there, the 

 course of the tide is deflected shoreward, and as there is no 

 inlet yet for it to flow through, it has to double on itself in a 

 small bay, and swirl around in contracted quarters, scooping 

 up the sand as ib goes. In its natural tendency to straighten 

 itself out it would break over the southeast corner of the con- 

 course lands, thus destroying them. The tendency of its 

 course seaward is attested by the fact that sand has continued 

 to form on the shore at the west end. With the improvement 

 made, as referred to, the result would be that the current 

 closely following the coast would strike against it obliquely 

 and be driven to sea, where it would come in contact with the 

 heavy off-shore current and be carried with it straight down 

 the coast. This breakwater would, under the present condi- 

 tion, be struck at the opposite angle to that at which the 

 Manhattan breakwaters are struck* 



In making this sea wall 12 feet high above mean high tide, 

 the sea would never wash over it, but would only wet it with 

 the spray. The drives should all be 10 feet above tide. There 

 would be no danger of the lands being flooded, and whatever 

 flowers, grass or shrubbery might be there would be safe, if the 

 coast line should straighten up again between the concourse 

 and the Manhattan and the current strike the breakwater from 

 the southeast. The coast line can easily be maintained by 

 taking it in time, and using light fascine mattresses at exposed 

 points, similar to those now being used. 



The building of this sea wall is not a matter of such magni- 

 tude as might at first appear. It would need to be 1,000 feet 

 long, 20 feet wide, and would average 20 feet deep. The driv- 

 ing of piles is not expensive, as it is quickly done by hydraulic 

 forcing. The rock ballast can be had in many cases for the 

 hauling of it, while the filling in of earth at the back can be 

 done; for 47 cents per cubic yard. It can thus be seen at a 

 glance that the whole improvement would not be an expensive 



