Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 $14.24 28,000 00 28, 014 24 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884.. $14,745 43 July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities.. 3,464 40 18,209 83 July 1, 1885, amount available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... harbor acts of 1566 and 1867. 19, 000 00 Abstract of proposals received September 3, 1884, for dredging and rock excavation, improvement of Cocheco River, New Hampshire. 9,804 41 19,000 00 *Section 1: 1,029 cubic yards hard-pan, 1,138 cubic yards sand, gravel, and bowlders, 5 cubic yards solid ledge, equal to 2,172 cubic yards. + Section 2: 2,244 cubic yards ledge, 463 cubic yards hard-pan, 116 cubic yards gravel and bowlders, equal to 2,823 cubic yards. Contract awarded to Thomas Symonds, September 22, 1884. A II. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF SOUTHERN ENTRANCE TO OWL'S HEAD HARBOR, MAINE. PORTLAND, ME., September 1, 1884. GENERAL: The act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, appropriating for rivers and harbors, &c., contained an item providing for a survey of the "Southern entrance of Owl's Head Harbor," and the examination preliminary thereto having been assigned to me, I have the honor to report as follows: I heard of this item in the "river and harbor bill" soon after it was reported to the House of Representatives, and took immediate steps for ascertaining its origin and the object of the survey. From the postmaster at Rockland, Me., and also from the keeper of the Owl's Head Light, I learned that Mr. George W. White, until recently residing in Rockland, but now near Owl's Head, was the originator of the matter, and this was confirmed by the Hon. Nelson Dingley, jr., M. C., who, in reply to my letter of inquiry, stated that "the item was inserted at the request of 'George W. White and a large number of other petitioners, who represent that the passage is used by a large number of vessels, and that it has been so filled up that vessels of heavy draught frequently ground." I communicated with Mr. White, who in reply made no very definite statements, except that last fall an Italian brig grounded in the channel somewhere near the "red can buoy," and remained aground two or three hours. His description fixed the locality in the southern entrance of Owl's Head Channel, and that the little cove called Owl's Head Harbor at the northern entrance of that channel, near Owl's Head Light, was not in question. The Coast Survey chart of this entrance having beenkindly furnished me by the Coast Survey Office, an examination of it showed no signs of any shoal water or other obstructions at this point. Between 1879 and 1883, I frequently passed through this channel, in the United States light-house tender Myrtle, the master of which, Captain Foster, has no superior as a pilot on the coast of Maine, and whose knowledge of its harbors and channels is most minute and accurate. He knew nothing of the alleged shoal. Mr. Charles Edwards, superintendent of construction, first light-house district, whose knowledge is almost equal to Captain Foster's, was equally ignorant. This statement of Mr. White's that the channel had filled or was filling up was the first I had ever heard on the subject. I concluded that it was more than probable that Mr. White was mistaken. I took no further action, and the matter rested until after the passage of the law and my assignment by the Department to the preliminary examination required in this as in all similar cases. I then detailed Mr. A. C. Both, assistant engineer, to obtain on the spot the information necessary for a report. Mr. Both, proceeding to Owl's Head, saw first the light-keeper, who stated that he saw the Italian brig when she was aground, and that she appeared, from the light-house, to be about in mid channel, west of the buoy. The keeper further said that— Many thousand vessels pass through Owl's Head Channel yearly, mostly coasters, and that few run aground on Sheep Island Bar, as the masters all know it to be shallow and dangerous; therefore, in tacking through this passage they stand into the western shore too far, and run aground, being deceived, he thinks, by the fact that the western shore is high, and would therefore indicate bold water close inshore, which, however, does not exist. Most vessels run aground on the western shore, some distance north of Maddock's (formerly Sleeper's) Point.* The Italian brig, he said, ran aground at dead low water, and remained two hours, when she got off with the tide. He made no statement, nor is there any evidence whatever that any vessels have ever been wrecked in this vicinity. They simply grounded, and got off with the rising tide, like the brig. This being all the lightkeeper had to say, Assistant Engineer Both visited Mr. White. Mr. White, it seems, is not a seaman, is in no way connected with the navigation, and does not assume to have any special knowledge of Owl's Head Channel. He has only lived at Owl's Head about a year, previously at Rockland. He saw the Italian brig while she was aground, and had seen several other vessels aground on the bar." He talked the matter over with others, and concluded to get up a "petition to Government" to remove the (assumed) obstructions. He accordingly did so, signed it himself, and took advantage of a town meeting at Rockland, to obtain signatures thereto. It does not appear that the signers to this petition had any personal knowledge as to its subjectmatter, and it is supposed that they signed because they were asked to, as is customary in such cases. Mr. White informed Mr. Both that certain persons living near Maddock's Point told him that the brig grounded on a Sunday, about noon, west a little northward of the buoy, and remained fast for about three hours. Mr. Both requested Mr. White to go down with him to Mad *He further said that his wife's father told him that he sounded across from Maddock's Point to Sheep Island fifty years ago, and found from 25 to 30 feet of water. dock's Point, and point out such places as he thought had shoaled, and give an approximate idea where the vessels generally run aground, and especially locate the spot where the brig grounded. He could not give any definite information, but thought that the bar must have shoaled very much, or that it might have shifted. He also said that vessels went aground on the west side, above Maddock's Point. Mr. Both took a boat with a boatman, an old resident, and, accompanied by Mr. White, took three lines of soundings across the channel (at dead low water), near the buoy, finding deep water everywhere, much to the surprise of Mr. White, who evidently seemed to think that the bar extended clear across. The boatman was also astonished at the great depth found. Mr. Both's conclusion is that the shoaling in the channel is a myth. On his way to Owl's Head from Portland, in the steamer City of Richmond (which has traversed the channel several times a week for many years), Mr. Both conversed with her captain (Denison), who stated that he know of no trouble. He made a statement, however, which appears to me to give a key to the matter. The red can buoy, he says, is not on the edge of Sheep Island Bar, as shown on the charts, but nearly in mid-channel, where it is very convenient for steamers, which can use it as a mid-channel buoy, passing on both sides of it. If vessels are guided by the charts, or by the usual rule for red buoys, they will naturally suppose that the whole width of the channel is to the west of the buoy, and in beating through stand more to the western shore than they otherwise would. This sufficiently accounts for the touching ground on the west side. There can be no doubt that the often referred to Italian brig was, when she touched, entirely out of the channel. In view of all the facts, I, without hesitation, report that Owl's Head Channel is essentially unchanged, and that no improvement is needed there. The whole thing seems to have originated in imperfect knowledge on the part of Mr. White. I transmit to-day in a separate roll two drawings relating to this subject, which explain themselves. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. E. BLUNT, Colonel of Engineers. A 12. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF HARBOR AT PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, FROM THE SEA TO THE WHARF. PORTLAND, ME., August 5, 1884. GENERAL: The act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, directed, conditionally, a survey of "Portsmouth Harbor from the sea to the wharf," and the duty of making a preliminary examination and report was assigned to me by Department letter of July 31. Portsmouth Harbor was carefully and thoroughly surveyed in 1842-44 by officers of the Corps of Topographical Engineers. The charts of this survey, eight large sheets, are on file in this office. In 1878 a project of improvement was adopted, after consultation between the district engineer and the Portsmouth Board of Trade and others familiar with the harbor. This project, which may be found in the Annual Reports of the Chief of Engineers, 1879 to 1884, is not yet fully executed, and an appropriation of $20,000 was made for its continuance by the act of July 5, 1884. In my annual reports for 1883 and 1884 I recommended that operations on Portsmouth Harbor should be confined to one item of improvement until completed, and that whatever sums may be ap propriated should be expended in removing Gangway Rock until that was completed, after which the removal of (part of) the Badger's Island southwest point ledge should be taken in hand and finished. After thus completing the approved project (and not until then, in my judgment), examinations at points of minor importance, should it then ap pear that there are any, may properly be made, as a basis for estimates of further improvement. Nothing has taken place since 1878 to render any minor improvement immediately necessary, and it would be bad management, in my opinion, to divert a dollar of future appropriations to such matters, until the approved project is completed, three or four years hence. My recommendations in this regard were intentionally made, knowing that improvements outside of the approved project were talked about in certain quarters. I am constrained to repeat that, in my opinion, Portsmouth Harbor is not at present "worthy of improvement," except, of course, as to the approved project now in process of execution. Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. JOHN NEWTON, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. A 13. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF WINIPISEOGEE LAKE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AT A POINT CALLED "THE WEIRS." PORTLAND, ME., August 5, 1884. GENERAL: The act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, directed, conditionally, a survey of Winipiseogee Lake, New Hampshire, at a point called The Weirs, and Department letter of 31st ultimo assigned it to me. I have the honor to report that, in my opinion, Winipiseogee Lake, at The Weirs or any other point, is not worthy of improvement at the expense of the United States. This lake and its tributaries lie wholly within the State, their waters being the chief source of the Merrimac River. A dam built at its outlet forms a reservoir of these waters, which is under the control of an incorporated company, by which the water-power is regulated, and supplied to factories along the Merrimac below. They do not form by themselves, or by their connection with other waters, a continued highway over which commerce is, or may be, carried on with other States. The lake is not a navigable water of the United States, but only of the State. This quotation is from House Ex. Doc. No. 64, Forty-eighth Congress, first session, pages 1, 3. It seems to me unnecessary to further extend this report. Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. JOHN NEWTON, Chief of Engineers, Ú. S. A. CHAS. E. BLunt, Colonel of Engineers. A 14. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF LITTLE HARBOR, AT PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, WITH A VIEW TO ITS IMPROVEMENT AS A HARBOR OF REFUGE. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY, Washington, D. C., January 9, 1885. SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a copy of a report, with accompanying papers, from Col. C. E. Blunt, Corps of Engineers, of the results of his preliminary examination of "Little Harbor, at Portsmouth, N. H., with a view to its improvement as a harbor of refuge," made in compliance with requirements of the river and harbor act of July 5, 1884, together with the copy of the report supplementary thereto. This is a small harbor, near the entrance to Portsmouth Harbor, frequented by the coasters and fishing vessels of that vicinity, and only accessible at high water. Its inner anchorage ground has a depth of 9 feet at mean low water, but the channel leading to it has a least depth of only 3 feet at that stage of tide. At the instance of members of the Marine Society and of the Board of Trade and other citizens of Portsmouth a survey was made of this harbor in 1882, under the direction of Col. George Thom, Corps of Engineers, at the time in charge of the improvement of Portsmouth Harbor. The improvement which appears to have been desired at that time was to have this channel of entrance opened to a depth of 9 feet at mean low water for a width of 100 feet, and also to have the inner basin enlarged to a width of 300 feet for an average length of 700 feet, which, with the addition of a rubble-stone breakwater to protect the channel and basin from easterly storms, was estimated would cost about $33,000. Colonel Blunt in his report herewith considers that this project should be enlarged to serve a useful purpose, and, estimating the least cost of a suitable harbor of refuge at $150,000, concludes that Little Harbor is not worthy of improvement at that cost. That a harbor of refuge of moderate size is a necessity to the numer ous smaller vessels engaged in the commerce and fisheries of that coast, as well as to those seeking entrance into Portsmouth Harbor in certain conditions of winds and tide, is strongly presented in the numerous communications herewith submitted as accompanying Colonel Blunt's reports, and I conclude from this evidence that an improvement, such as was suggested in 1882, as above stated, will be sufficient to meet the wants of navigation, and that this harbor is worthy of improvement to that extent. No further survey will be required to prepare plans and estimates for the work. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. ROBERT T. LINCOLN, JOHN NEWTON, Secretary of War. REPORT OF COLONEL CHARLES E. BLUNT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Portland, Me., August 5, 1884. GENERAL: The act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, directed, conditionally, a survey of "Little Harbor, at [near?] Portsmouth, N. 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