LETTER OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE WESTERLY BUSINESS MEN'S ASSOCIATION. WESTERLY BUSINESS MEN'S ASSOCIATION, Westerly R. I., January 13, 1885. MY DEAR SIR: In behalf of this association I have the honor to submit herewith certain facts and figures relative to the commercial interests of Westerly, which I trust will be of some service to you in estimating the needed improvements of navigation on the Pawcatuck River. A committee appointed by the association have presented the following statement, which is submitted for your examination: During the year 1884 15,473 tons of coal were freighted up the Pawcatuck River; 3,635,423 feet of lumber, 160,000 bricks, nearly 100,000 bushels of grain, about 1,200 tons of stone, 200 tons of salt and fish. There were more than 65,000 passengers carried on steamers up and down the river during the year, and 225 vessels and barges with cargoes towed up the river. No statistics have been obtained as to the number of schooners and sloops which has passed up and down the river. Thirty-two vessels laden with lumber, which was consigned to Westerly, had to be discharged at Stonington for the reason there was not sufficient depth of water, even at high tide, in the Pawcatuck River for the vessels to discharge their cargoes, thereby increasing the expense 75 cents on each 1,000 feet, which could have been saved if the vessels could have been brought up to the docks in Westerly. I have endeavored to give you a brief statement of the importance attending the navigation on our river. Our association, as a body representing the varied business interests of Westerly, regard it as a matter of vital importance that further necessary improvements should be made, and we trust that you will give the matter careful attention and assist us in so far as is consistent with your position. Yours, very respectfully, Col. GEORGE H. ELLIOT, U. S. A. J. B. FOSTER, President. C 14. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF WARREN RIVER, RHODE ISLAND, WITH A VIEW TO THE REMOVAL OF OBSTRUCTIONS FROM THE CHANNEL. ENGINEER OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY, Newport, R. I., September 19, 1884. GENERAL: In compliance with the requirements of the river and harbor act of Congress of July 5, 1884, and the order from the Chief of Engineers of the 4th September, I made a personal examination of Warren River, Rhode Island, on the 9th instant, and have the honor to report as follows: Warren River is an arm of Narragansett Bay, north of the harbor of Bristol. It is about 1,000 feet wide in front of the town, and about onehalf mile wide at its mouth. Just above Warren, which is almost 2 miles from the bay, the river divides into two branches, the eastern branch being named Palmer's River, and the western branch Barrington River. The former is navigable to West Swansea, a distance of about 3 miles, but there is no commerce by water above Warren. There was formerly an extensive traffic at Warren with the West Indies, and many whalers were sent from here, but these businesses have decayed, and the principal occupation of the town now is manufacturing. There are several large cotton mills, giving employment to about 1,000 persons. The supplies to these mills, and considerable quantities of coal, grain, and corn, are received at Warren by water and distributed to the surrounding towns. Vessels of about 11 feet draught can be carried to the upper part of the water-front of the town at high water, but the navigation is difficult and dangerous on account of obstructions, which deter commerce by water and increase the cost of freights. The obstructions to navigation are 1st. A rocky reef below Little Island, off the upper part of the town; and, 2d. A large submerged bowlder near mid-channel, opposite the lower wharf, on the eastern side of the river. There is a narrow channel through the reef just mentioned, through which vessels drawing about 11 feet can be carried at high water; but it is narrow, and vessels frequently strike on the rocks on either side and suffer damage. It is believed that the bottom is not ledge rock, but is formed of hard pan and gravel, on and embedded in which are numer ous comparatively small bowlders. The distance across the reef is from 250 to 350 feet. Whether the reef is in whole or in part ledge rock, or, as is believed, it is composed of bowlders, more easily removed, can only be determined after a survey with boring apparatus and other proper appliances. In the latter case an increase in width of channel can be cheaply obtained by removing bowlders by means of a vessel with steam hoisting apparatus and the labor of its crew and a submarine diver. The expense of removing the isolated submerged bowlders from the channel opposite the lower wharves would probably not exceed $200 or $300. My attention was also called to an ancient pier near the mouth of the river. This pier, which is about 80 feet long by 40 feet wide, was built for a foundation of a pyramidal masonry beacon, which marks some rocks just above the pier, called Allen's Rocks. These structures were erected by means of an appropriation of $4,000 in the river and harbor act of May 23, 1828. The top of the pier is not far above high water of ordinary tides, and in storm-tides in winter it is swept by the ice, which has carried considerable portions of it into the narrow channel which lies to the eastward, between the beacon and Jacob's Point. This has not as yet caused any serious obstruction to navigation, but if the further destruction of the pier is not prevented, and the beacon itself should fall into the channel, which it seems likely to do, the débris will no doubt endanger vessels beating in and out of the river. The beacon is in the beacon list of the third light-house district, and it and the pier probably now pertain to the Light-House Establishment. I send herewith a statement of the amount of commerce of Warren, in consideration of which and of its probable increase, if the obstructions in the river be removed, as they probably can be at an expense not exceeding $2,500 or $3,000, I deem Warren River worthy of improvement, and recommend a survey of it, or as much of it as may be found necessary, with a view to the removal of the obstructions. I estimate the cost of the survey at $200. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. JOHN NEWTON, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. GEORGE H. ELLIOT, COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. WARREN, R. I., September 8, 1834. DEAR SIR: In response to your inquiry, I beg leave to submit the following re port: The whole number of vessels arriving at this port for the year 1883, exclusive |