10 feet-as below that point. The plan includes, also, the raising and strengthening of Long Beach to carry it above the storm waves and currents and to hold it there, in order to prevent the filling of the improved channel above by material abraded from the beach. The amount expended on the present project up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, including liabilities outstanding at that date, was $14,738.80, and the result was a channel through and above the upper bar to the wharves, with a width not less than 100 feet and a depth of 10 feet at mean low water. No work was done in the lower part of the harbor under this project. Long Beach, of which a large portion was originally submerged at low water, was raised above high-water storm tides, except in a few places, so that the major part of the wash of sand into the improved channel inside the beach had been stopped. With the remainder of the appropriation of July 5, 1884, it is proposed to carry on the work of improvement according to the present approved project, and as far as the funds will permit. It is expected that the current contract will be completed and the appropriation of July 5, 1884, will be exhausted September 15, 1885. The work required to complete the existing project will be the excavation of the channel to its full width and depth from the point to which it will be carried by the current contract down to the deep water above Long Beach. There will also be required the expenditure of a few hundred dollars in the further building up of Long Beach. July 1, 1884, amount available... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 $261 20 10,000 00 10 10,261 30 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 18-4.. $1,103 55 July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities 625 08 1,728 63 July 1, 1885, amount available ...... 8,532 67 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 19,050 00 19,050 00 (See Appendix C 4.) 5. Taunton River, Massachusetts.-This river empties into Mount Hope Bay, a name given to that part of Narragansett Bay lying mainly in Massachusetts. It is about 44 miles in length, measured along its course. Taunton, at the head of navigation, requires large quantities of heavy articles for its extensive manufactures, which depend on water transportation for successful competition. The condition of the river before its improvement was commenced was as follows: Beginning at the mouth, near the city of Fall River, for 6 miles to Somerset it had sufficient width and depth for the largest coasting vessels. Thence to Dighton the ruling depth was about 11 feet at mean high water. From Dighton to Berkeley Bridge the channel was narrow and obstructed by bowlders, with a depth of not more than 7 or 8 feet at mean high water. From Berkeley Bridge to Weir the channel depth was not, iu places, more than 5 feet at mean high water. A vessel of 30 tons burden was as large as could go up to Weir. Just above Weir a bridge without a draw crosses the river. The approved project of 1871 and its subsequent modifications provides for a channel 60 feet wide and 11 feet deep from Weir Bridge to the Ship Yard; a channel 80 feet wide (100 feet at the bends) and 11 feet deep from the Ship Yard down to and through the Needles and Briggs' Shoal; thence to Berkeley Bridge a channel of the same width and 12 feet deep, and from Berkely Bridge to the deep water at Dighton the channel was to be 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The depths are estimated from high water. The ledge which crosses the bottom of the river at Peter's Point, and the numerous bowlders which lay on the bottom and sides of the channel from Weir to Dighton, were to be removed. The amount expended on the improvement of the river up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, including the liabilities outstanding at that date, was $129,532.79. With the exception that but 40 feet of the 60 feet of width conld be dredged between the bridge at Weir and the Ship Yard on account of interfering with private property, and that on account of the hardness of the material the bends in the 80 foot channel could not in all cases be dredged to their width of 100 feet; the channel down to Berkeley Bridge had been completed. The major part of the work of dredging below the bridge had been done, but this part of the channel still lacked width at some places. The channel had been cleared of bowl. ders from Weir down to Berkeley Bridge. The ledge at Peter's Point had not been removed. The amount expended during the last fiscal year, including liabilities outstanding on the 30th June, 1885, was $4,937.65. Between the 1st and 15th of July, 1884, the channel opposite Wikamount and the channel just above Peter's Point were widened as far as the remainder of the funds would allow. The work under the current contract has removed the major part of the gravel and bowlders which covered the ledge at Peter's Point. A considerable portion of the shoal below Peter's Point has also been removed. With the available remainder of the appropriation of July 5, 1884, it is proposed to carry on the work of the improvement according to the approved project, for the completion of which it is hoped the funds will be sufficient. The current contract will complete the channel from the upper part of the Nook down to the lower end of the improvement at the deep water of the river off Dighton. There will then remain the enlargement of the channel to its full width from Berkeley Bridge down to the upper part of the Nook, and a little widening of the channel at a few places above the bridge. The completed improvement will enable three and four masted schooners, carrying from 600 to 1,400 tons, and barges of equal capacity, to reach Taunton. The estimated cost of this project was $94,000, the entire amount of which has been appropriated. July 1, 1884, amonnt available... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 184. July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities. July 1, 1885, amount available (See Appendix C 5.) 6. Pawtucket River, Rhode Island.-The Pawtucket (or Seekonk) River, an arm of Providence River, extends from Providence to Pawtucket, a distance of about 45 miles, and forms a tidal basin of about 11⁄2 square miles. Extensive manufactories are carried on at Pawtucket, which has a population of about 30,000. Before improvement the channel in the river had a ruling depth of about 5 feet at mean low water. The original project for the improvement of this river provided for a channel 75 feet wide and 7 feet deep at mean low water. This project was completed in the years 1868–276. The approved project of 1883 provides for the excavation by dredging of a channel 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep at mean low water from the deep water above Red Bridge to the ledge opposite Grant & Co.'s Wharf at Pawtucket; thence the excavation by blasting of a channel through the ledge to Pawtucket Bridge of the same depth and 40 feet wide. The amount expended to June 30, 1884, was $51,476 38. The channel had been excavated to a width of 75 feet and a ruling depth of 7 feet at mean low water. In August, 1883, a thorough survey was made, in compliance with the river and harbor act of August 2, 1882, and a project was submitted for the further improvement required by the increased navigation of the river. A contract was then made for the work, but there being no nearer available dumping place than below Prudence Island in Narragansett Bay, and the old bridge over the Pawtucket below the work, known as the Washington Bridge, forming an obstruction to the passage of tows of loaded scows, that was difficult and dangerous. The specifications for the work did not require it to commence before ten days after the removal of this bridge, which had been provided for by a law of the State of Rhode Island. The work of removal commenced in June, 1884, but at the end of the fiscal year it had not been completed, and the work on the new channel had not been commenced. It is expected that the removal of Washington Bridge will be completed and that the work under the current contract will be commenced within a few weeks, and that the contract will be completed in the time agreed on, viz, within nine months from the removal of the bridge, or before the 1st of May, 1886, exhausting the appropriation. July 1, 1834, 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.. $529.58 50,00 00 50,529 58 1,242 06 49,287 52 July 1, 1885, amount available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. 332,478 00 75,000 00 (See Appendix C 6.) 7. Providence River and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.-Providence River is an estuary of Narragansett Bay, extending from Nayat Point to the city of Providence. Its length is about 7 miles and its width varies from 1,000 feet to 2 miles. At its head it is joined by the Pawtucket River, extending 5 miles further, to the town of Pawtucket. Before the improvement of the river was commenced in 1853, at one point in the channel, a place called "The Crook," at the junction of Providence River with the Pawtucket, the available low-water depth was but 44 feet, and Bulkhead Rock, with but 7 to 8 feet of water upon it at low water, with deep water around it, was a dangerous obstruction between Pawtuxet Shoal and Field's Point. There was expended between 1852 and the 30th of June, 1882, $290,459.34 in deepening the channel, first to 9 feet, then to 12 feet, then to 14 feet, and again to 23 feet, as the increasing sizes of vessels and the growing commerce of Providence demanded. Bulkhead Rock was also removed during this period to a depth of 20 feet below mean low water. The approved project of 1878, modified in 1882, under which the work is now in progress, provides for a channel 25 feet deep and 300 feet wide, suitable for large ocean vessels, extending from Fox Point, in the city of Providence, to the deep water of Narragansett Bay, and for an anchorage basin between Fox and Field's points, of the following dimensions in cross-sections, viz: 300 feet wide at a depth of 25 feet, 600 feet wide at a depth of 20 feet, 725 feet wide at a depth of 18 feet, 940 feet wide at a depth of 12 feet, and 1,060 feet wide at a depth of 6 feet. The 25-foot channel has been laid out in straight reaches (with enlargements at the angles), with a view to lighting them by range or leading lights, such as are in use in similar cases in Chesapeake Bay, Delaware River, and other localities, if it should be found necessary. The amount expended on the present project up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, including liabilities outstanding at that date, was $125,846 49. At that date about one-half of the excavation required for the anchorage basin above Field's Point had been done. Bulkhead Rock had been removed, and the condition of the six straight reaches into which the 25-foot channel 300 feet wide is divided, was as follows: The Fox Point, the Sassafras Point, and the Field's Point reaches had been completed; the Pomham Reach had been commenced, and the Pawtuxet and Gaspee reaches had each been excavated to a width of 200 feet. The amount expended during the last fiscal year, including liabilities outstanding June 30, 1885, was $84,334.47. The Pomham Reach and the Pawtuxet Reach were excavated to their full width of 300 feet and full depth of 25 feet. The turn at the upper end of the Pomham Reach was widened to 420 feet, and the turn at the upper end of the Pawtuxet Reach was widened to 440 feet, with the same depth as in the main channel. There has now been excavated a continuous ship-channel 25 feet deep and not less than 300 feet wide from Fox Point, in the city of Providence, to Sabine's Point Light. Under date of December 20, 1884, the Senate passed a resolution calling on the Secretary of War for an estimate of the cost of removing Green Jacket Shoal in that part of the river which constitutes the harbor of Providence. For the report of the Engineer officer in charge, es imating the probable cost of the work at $112,346.25, see Appendix C 7. To complete the 25-foot channel 300 feet wide to the deep water of Narragansett Bay there remains the increasing to 300 feet the 200 feet of width already excavated in the lowest (the Gaspee) reach. There also remains for the completion of the existing project the remainder of the excavation of the anchorage basin between Fox and Field's points. July 1, 184, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. Repayments $2,618 00 85,000 00 136 14 87.754 14 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884. July 1, 1835, outstanding liabilities.. $84,330 65 84,334 47 July 1, 1885, amount available 3,419 67 [Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. 235,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30,1887 100,000 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix C 7.) 8. Newport Harbor, Rhode Island.-This harbor is on the main entrance to Narragansett Bay. It is one of the most important harbors on the coast, providing a safe roadstead and anchorage. Newport itself is upon an inner harbor, separated from Narragansett Bay by Goat Island and a breakwater which extends northerly from the island about 1,400 feet. Before improvement the capacity of the inner harbor was limited by shoals, and it was not adequate to the number and size of vessels seeking it for refuge. The southern (the main) entrance was obstructed by a bar which stretched out from Goat Island, and the general business wharves of the city could not be reached at low tide by vessels drawing more than 8 feet. The original project and its subsequent modifications, under which work is now carried on, are substantially as follows: Deepening the southern entrance to 15 feet at mean low water, cutting away a portion of the spit which stretches out from the southerly end of Goat Island to the same depth, and constructing a jetty on the southwest shore of the island to arrest the drift of littoral sand and gravel into the entrance to the harbor; deepening to 13 feet at mean low water the area included between the 13-foot curve on the west, a line drawn from the southwest corner of Perry Mill Wharf to Lime Rock on the south, the harbor line on the east, and a line drawn parallel to and 50 feet from the city wharf on the north; deepening to 10 feet at mean low water the area northwest of a line drawn from Lime Rock through the spindle which is in the southeast part of the harbor, and excavating a channel 10 feet deep at mean low water along and outside the harbor line south to a point opposite the Gas Company's Wharf. The additional plans of the last year include the excavating of a channel 750 feet wide and 15 feet deep at mean low water around and to the eastward of the dolphin which marks the Goat Island Spit, cutting away the spit to a depth of 15 feet at mean low water northward to a line drawn from the dolphin to clear the permanent dock at Fort Adams by 100 feet, and the construction of additional jetties on the western shore of Goat Island. The amount expended up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, including liabilities outstanding at that date, was $73,141.23, with the following results: A jetty on the southwest shore of Goat Island, 150 feet long, had been constructed, and the northern angle between it and the shore quickly filled with sand and gravel, showing its utility; a considerable part of the southern entrance and the spit south of Goat Island had been excavated, first to 12 feet and afterward to 13 feet at mean low water; of the area to be deepened to 13 feet within the |