APPENDIX D. IMPROVEMENT OF CONNECTICUT RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT, AND OF RIVERS AND HARBORS ON LONG ISLAND SOUND, CONNECTICUT AND NEW YORK-IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VICINITY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, OF HUDSON RIVER, AND OF THE HARBORS AT RONDOUT AND SAUGERTIES, NEW YORK. REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WALTER MCFARLAND, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885, WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORK. IMPROVEMENTS. 1. Connecticut River, Massachusetts and 15. Echo Harbor, New Rochelle, New Connecticut. 2. Thames River, Connecticut. 3. New London Harbor, Connecticut. 4. Clinton Harbor, Connecticut. 5. New Haven Harbor, Connecticut. 6. Breakwater at New Haven Harbor, Connecticut. 7. Milford Harbor, Connecticut. York. 16. Mamaroneck Harbor, New York. 17. Greenport Harbor, New York. 18. Port Jefferson Harbor, New York. 19. Flushing Bay, New York. 20. Newtown Creek, New York. 21. Buttermilk Channel, New York. 22. Gowanus Bay, New York. 23. Harlem River, New York. 24. Hudson River, New York. 25. Harbor at Rondout, New York. 26. Harbor at Saugerties, New York. 27. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation. EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS. 28. Horton's Point, New York, near Dutch Pond Point, for breakwater. 29. Huntington Harbor, New York. 30. Breakwater at Falkner's Island, Connecticut. 31. River and Harbor at Niantic, Connecticut. 32. Hudson River, New York, from Troy to mouth of canal. ENGINEER OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY, New York, N. Y., August 15, 1885. GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith my annual reports upon the river and harbor works in my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WALTER MCFARLAND, Lieut. Col. of Engineers. Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. Brig. Gen. JOHN NEWTON, D 1. IMPROVEMENT OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT. This river, rising in New Hampshire, flows in a generally southern course, passing between the States of New Hampshire and Vermont, and through the States of Massachusetts and Connecticut to Long Island Sound, into which it empties at Saybrook Point, Conn. It is naturally divided into two parts; Hartford, which is practically at the head of navigation, being the point of division, and appropria tious for the improvement of the river, made by Congress, have been divided in the same way, the acts stating to which part of the river the money appropriated should be applied. The divisions are as follows: (1) Above Hartford, Connecticut.-Embracing a length of about 66 miles from Hartford, Conn. to Miller's Falls, Mass. (2) Below Hartford, Connecticut.-Embracing a length of about 50 miles from Hartford to the mouth of the river at Saybrook Point. (1) ABOVE HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT. Miller's Falls, Mass., is at the head of possible navigation of the Connecticut River. From this point down to Holyoke, a distance of about 32 miles, the river is susceptible of improvement; but it cannot be used on account of a dam crossing the river and falls at Holyoke, which entirely obstructs navigation. The lockage required to lift boats from the lower to the upper levels at Holyoke is about 60 feet. From Holyoke to Enfield Falls, a distance of 18 miles, there is a fair channel from 4 to 5 feet deep at low water, which could easily be made 8 feet deep. Enfield Falls or rapids cover a stretch of river about 5 miles long, having a fall of about 32 feet at low water. The bed here is rocky and very uneven, the slope not being uniform, but consisting of a succession of long, shallow reaches, separated from each other by rapids. From the foot of Enfield Falls to Hartford, a distance of 11 miles, the river has a broad, sandy bed, with a depth of 3 or 4 feet at low water. The improvements made by the United States Government in this section of the river have been confined to that part of it which lies between Hartford and the foot of Enfield Falls, under a project approved in 1871, "for giving an increased depth to the channel by the construction of wing-dams and by dredging." By various acts of Congress $100,000 have been appropriated for the improvement of this part of the river. Of this amount the following balances are yet unexpended, namely, from the appropriation of June 10, 1872, for improving the Connecticut River on or above Enfield Falls, $10,702.92, and from the appropriation of June 14, 1880, for "improving the Connecticut River between Hartford and Holyoke," $13,669.80; total, $24,372.72. Under a charter granted by the State of Connecticut in May, 1824, the Connecticut River Company have constructed a canal with locks around Enfield Falls, which allows vessels to pass through. The locks are 80 feet long and 18 feet wide. The company collects tolls from passing boats, but the canal is chiefly used for water-power. A project for improving the channel and constructing a larger canal around Enfield Falls was submitted to the General Government in 1878 by the engineer officer in charge of the Connecticut River improvement. This project was amended in 1880. (See Annual Report of Chief of Engineers for 1881, page 566.) It provides |