asked for. The bids received were opened September 22, 1884, and were as follows: 2 C. W. Parker, Rockport, Mass., Isaac A. Sylvester, Newton, Mass. Waldo Danforth, Bergen Point, N. J. 3 4 Alexander J. Howell, New York, N. Y The prices bid being considered too high, it was deemed advisable to reject them all, and during the season of 1885 to ask for bids by letter. Riprap laid on a foundation of either brush or timber should be used instead of timber-work filled in with stone. It is expected that this will be done during the present season. Changes are reported to have taken place in the harbor since the dike was built and since the last survey was made; it is therefore intended, before asking for proposals for the extension of the dike, to make a hydrographic survey and also to make further borings along the proposed line of extension of the dike. The dike could readily be completed in one year, and in the interest of economy and safety this ought to be done; $100,000 is asked for this purpose and for the necessary dredg ing across Fort Hale Bar. There has been a slight settlement of stone, both in the shore-arm and in the channel-arm of the dike; about 600 tons of stone are needed to bring the work to its original height, which would cost about $1,000. The encroachments of oyster growers upon the channel are becoming serious, and will be investigated when the proposed examination of the harbor is made this fall. Daring the winter the barrel beacons on the dike were carried away by ice; they were replaced in May. Appropriations for the improvement of New Haven Harbor have been made as follows, viz: New Haven, the port of entry for the collection district of New Haven, is situated at the head of New Haven Harbor, about 34 miles from Long Island Sound. There is a light-house at Southwest Ledge at the mouth of the harbor. Fort Hale, below the city, commands the channel. Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount available..... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount available... $53 110,000 00 10,503 18 226 2 10,276 100,000 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. The following statement of the commerce of the port of New Haven, Conn., for the fiscal year ending June, 30, 1885, is by the courtesy of the collector of customs firnished by the records of the custom-house: The project for this work was submitted to the Chief of Engineers November 24, 1879, and is printed in the Annual Report of Chief of Engineers for 1880, part 1, pages 448-456. The plan provides for the construction of two detached breakwaters, forming a harbor of refuge for the benefit of passing vessels at the month of New Haven Harbor and securing a large anchorage-ground in the inner harbor. The easterly breakwater is to extend from the light house on Southwest Ledge northeasterly 3,300 feet to Quixes Ledge. The westerly one is to commence in the vicinity of Luddington Rock and will extend about 4.200 feet in a northwesterly direction. The exact location and length of this has not, however, been yet determined. Both breakwaters were to be of riprap, their tops being 12 feet wide and 6 feet above mean high wa ter, and the side slopes being 1 on 3 on the outside and 2 on 3 on the inside. The average height of the east breakwater above the bottom is 32 feet, that of the west breakwater will be 28 feet. Under date of February 11, 1880, a modification of the cross-section proposed by the Board was suggested by Maj. J. W. Barlow and approved by the Chief of Engineers February 14, 1880, by which the side slopes were changed to 1 on 2 for the outer side and 1 on 1 for the inner side. This reduced the estimated cost of the east breakwater to $480,000. But as the location and length of the proposed west breakwater has not been finally fixed, its cost may be larger than that at first suggested, and it has been thought advisable to retain the estimate first given, viz, $1,311,134, of which there has been already appropriated $220,000; still to be appropriated, $1,091,134. OPERATIONS. Under the appropriation of $40,000 made by act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, proposals were invited for an extension of the east breakwater 400 feet, more or less, and were opened September 8, 1884. One bid only was received, namely, that of John Beattie, of Leete's Island, Conn. Mr. Beattie being a responsible bidder, and the price, $1.19 per ton, being satisfactory, a contract was entered into with him, dated September 25, 1884. Work under this contract was begun in September, 1884, and was closed May 27, 1885, during which time 28,006 tons of granite were placed in the work, which completed.330 linear feet of the structure, making the total completed length of the breakwater 2,147 feet. It contains 189,898 tons of granite. The total cost, including contingencies, is a trifle more than $100 per linear foot. The report of the Board of Engineers for fortifications and for river and harbor improvements, dated November 24, 1879, stated that "after the completion of a certain portion of the easterly breakwater the westerly should be commenced." Under the lee of the projected west breakwater there is better holding ground as a rule than behind the east breakwater, and it would seem advisable to commence its construction, and to push it as rapidly as possible, as soon as the necessary funds can be procured; $500,000 could be profitably expended on the two breakwaters during the ensuing year. Appropriations have been made as follows, viz: New Haven, the port of entry for the collection district of New Haven, is situated at the head of New Haven Harbor, about 4 miles north of the breakwater. There is a light-house on Southwest Ledge, the west terminus of the east breakwater, and Fort Hale, 2 miles north from the breakwater, commands New Haven Harbor. Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. $608 08 40,000 00 40,608 08 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884... -.. 37,575 59 July 1, 1885, amount available.... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... D 7. IMPROVEMENT OF MILFORD HARBOR, CONNECTICUT. This harbor is a broad open bay, terminating in a narrow tidal stream, which extends three-quarters of a mile up to the wharves of the village of Milford, on the north shore of Long Island Sound, about 9 miles west of New Haven, Conn. The original depth of water in the channel was 2 feet at low water ou the bar, and in some places from there up to the wharves the channe ran nearly bare at low water. The first project for its improvement. ⠀ adopted in 1872, provided 1. For a riprap breakwater 890 feet long at Welches Point at an estimated 2. Protecting 2,100 feet of the east shore from erosion by small jetties.... Total..... $67,000 5,500 6,250 5,000 1,250 85,000 Under this project the protection of the east shore, the construction. of jetty, and the dredging in the channel were completed prior to 1881. In the same year Major Barlow made an estimate for dredging a channel across the bar 8 feet deep and 100 feet wide, the estimated cost of which was $11,000, of which $5,000 have been appropriated. With this amount a channel 65 feet wide and 8 feet deep has been dredged from outside the bar 2,700 feet up towards the wharves; $6,000 are asked for the completion of the project. No work has been done during the fiscal year. In 1882, under an act of Congress, a survey was made and a project submitted for a harbor of refuge at Milford (see Annual Report of Chief of Engineers for 1882, Part I, page 632) The project was briefly to build a riprap breakwater at Welches Point costing $87,000. It was, however, estimated in the same project that to give a large harbor of refuge suitable for the commerce of the Sound three breakwaters would have to be constructed, at a total cost of $425,000. The breakwater projects have never been approved. Milford Harbor, Connecticut, is in the collection district of New Haven, on Long Island Sound, about 9 miles west of Fort Hale, New Haven Harbor. The nearest light-house is on Stratford Point, 4 miles to the westward. With the exception of the oyster business, which is conducted on rather a large scale, and one fish-oil works, the harbor is of only local importance. Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount available. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884. July 1, 1885, amount available $383 50 114 21 * 269 29 | Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1887 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. 6,000 00 6,000 00 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. The following statement of the commerce of Milford for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885, is furnished through the courtesy of William M. Merwin: IMPROVEMENT OF HOUSATONIC RIVER, CONNECTICUT. The Housatonic is a long, shallow river running southward through Massachusetts and Connecticut, and emptying into Long Island Sound, east of Stratford Point, about 15 miles west of New Haven. Although it might be rendered navigable above Derby, which is regarded as the head of navigation, the only attempts to improve the river have been confined hitherto to the stretch of 13 miles lying between Derby and the mouth. A project for the improvement was submitted by Lieut. Col. G. K. Warren, Corps of Engineers, in 1871. This provided for the formation of a channel 100 feet wide and 7 feet deep at low water, from Long Island Sound to Derby by means of jetties, and dredging inside the bar, and by dredging over the bar after the channel had been protected by a break water. |